Shoes on or shoes off—the age-old question that has divided households across the nation.

Some individuals see no significant harm in wearing shoes inside, while others view it as bringing dirt into the home.

But the longstanding dispute has finally ended, thanks to a cleaning guru who has unveiled rather brow-raising details.

Dena O’Neill, recognised for her professional cleaning and organising skills on social media platforms, recently revealed just how grimy our shoes are and the pressing reason they should never be worn in our homes.

As she said, 'These Petri dishes have me [shaken],' a statement attached to a gut-wrenching image of two Petri dishes sprouting bacteria that would make a horror film director envious.

Wearing shoes inside the house can track in dirt, bacteria, and other contaminants from the outside environment, making floors and carpets significantly dirtier and harder to maintain. Source: Instagram/@dailydetailswithdena

Before embarking on this experiment, O’Neill asked her social media followers: 'Who wears publicly worn shoes throughout the house?'

Her query met a staggering response, showing how many people were okay with unknowingly hosting scores of outdoor germs in the comfort of their homes.

Dumbstruck by this discovery, she embarked on a quest to 'figure out how dirty our publicly worn shoes are AND the floor where we saunter around with those shoes’.

The experiment was simple: she swabbed the bottom of her shoe and entranceway floor onto Petri dishes and left them undisturbed for a week.

'While I can’t tell you exactly what’s growing in those dishes, I have to assume it’s not good bacteria ‘cause, well, let me list some of the places we walk,’ she said.

‘Parks where animals pee and poop, grass where animals pee and poop, public restrooms where people pee and poop then flush with no lid, so the plume of poo flies up into the air and then to the floor. Floors where other people wear their public shoes and who knows where they’ve walked and travelled.’ she added.

Seeing the microbial jungle party in the dishes made O’Neill more resolute about her no-shoes-inside policy.

She requests guests to toe the line as well. 'Here’s the thing, if you’re wearing these shoes through your house, you have to clean your floors way more often (and) that takes way longer than taking off the shoes. If you have to wear shoes, get a pair that don’t go outside of your home and switch into those to keep your feet comfy but your floors cleaner for longer.’

It’s not just the microscopic germs you keep at bay by removing your shoes.

Think of the host of other benefits that come tagged along. Shoes can cause significant wear and tear on the flooring.

More importantly, continuous hours spent with your feet scrunched into shoes can lead to foot health issues.

So, want to get on board with the shoes-off protocol? Start simple—place a shoe rack by the entrance or keep house slippers handy for your guests.

That way, your feet can enjoy a holiday while your home stays cleaner and your feet healthier.

Regularly removing shoes inside can help create a cleaner and healthier living environment, reducing the risk of respiratory issues and allergies caused by indoor pollutants brought in from the outside. Image by Dương Nhân from pexels

Around the world, it's common to see this practice. Take Filipino and Korean households, for example, where cleanliness is closely associated with spiritual purity, and wearing shoes indoors is a no-no.

Key Takeaways

• Cleaning guru Dena O’Neill has revealed just how dirty our shoes are and why we shouldn’t wear them indoors.
  
• O’Neill conducted an experiment by swabbing the bottom of her shoe and the floor of her entryway, then leaving them in Petri dishes for a week. The result showed the growth of possibly harmful bacteria.
  
• She listed the variety of places we walk that could contaminate our shoes, including public restrooms and parks.
  
• Removing shoes or wearing shoe covers can help maintain cleaner floors and reduce the need for frequent cleaning.

We know it can take some getting used to, and some might even raise an eyebrow or two. But remember, the evidence is in the Petri dish!

So, get ahead of the game and keep those shoes at the door. No tracking muck about and no room for dirt to dance!

Do you wear your shoes indoors, or do you have a no-shoes policy at home? After reading about the Petri dish experiment, would you consider changing your habits?

 

[Catherines]

Most tradesmen take their shoes off when they enter a home anyhow, but how about those smell sweaty feet and socks? We’ve lived to our senior years through all sorts of crises, illnesses, dirt and germs. Is this so much of a drama just because some “cleaning guru” has come up with this info?

Sorry, but I’m not going to pretend this is going to change my habits. I wipe my shoes on the mat in my garage before entering the house as well as on the mat at the front door if entering from there. I’m 78, my husband is 82 and we’ve both survived this long without worrying about what’s UNDER our shoes and ‘we don’t take our shoes off before entering our home’ so I cannot see what all the hoo haa is about. We don’t go down on the floor licking it to get any germs or diseases. Yes, if you happen to step in dog faeces then, by all means, take your shoes off outside and clean your shoes properly - and you’ll keep the smell outside also.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Mine take their shoes off and I don’t even ask them too

My 38 year old sons a builder and he also takes his shoes off , lucky because now outside my back door under my pergola gets covered in dry cement and clay

 

[Suzanne rose]

Most tradesmen take their shoes off when they enter a home anyhow, but how about those smell sweaty feet and socks? We’ve lived to our senior years through all sorts of crises, illnesses, dirt and germs. Is this so much of a drama just because some “cleaning guru” has come up with this info?

Sorry, but I’m not going to pretend this is going to change my habits. I wipe my shoes on the mat in my garage before entering the house as well as on the mat at the front door if entering from there. I’m 78, my husband is 82 and we’ve both survived this long without worrying about what’s UNDER our shoes and ‘we don’t take our shoes off before entering our home’ so I cannot see what all the hoo haa is about. We don’t go down on the floor licking it to get any germs or diseases. Yes, if you happen to step in dog faeces then, by all means, take your shoes off outside and clean your shoes properly - and you’ll keep the smell outside also.

Tell that to my OCD hubby . When our grandkids are playing on the floor, crawling on the floor or lying on the floor, hubby points at them and says to me 'aren't you glad I enforced the no wearing of shoes in the house'

 

[DavidC57]

Another American telling us how to live our lives!!