Have you ever been to
someone’s home and they have all the shoes by the front door outside of the
house?
I know
many families who do this. I always found it
interesting, personally considering growing up not many of my friends and
family kept all the shoes outside. Most people I know take their shoes off at
the door but some people choose to wear shoes in their home. Why would you wear shoes in your home? It’s beyond me! It’s
more comfortable to be stocking foot or wear house slippers.
Some information I found online is worth
sharing though. The University of Houston did a study and found that 39% of shoes
contained bacteria C. diff (otherwise
known as Clostridium difficile), this is a public health threat that is now
also resistant to a number of antibiotics. C. diff infections can cause multiple health conditions
such as bad diarrhea which can also progress to colon inflammation and further
serious health problems, especially
if it doesn’t respond to antibiotic treatment effectively.
In another study done by the
University of Arizona 9 different forms of bacteria were found on the bottom of
shoes. Good Morning America
did a test and found that the bottom of shoes were dirtier than toilet seats!!! Furthermore, Dr. Charles Gerba, a
microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona did a test with a
brand new pair of shoes and found that within just two weeks of wearing a new shoe 440,000 units of
bacteria were found on the shoe. An
astonishing 27%
of that total bacteria were deadly E Coli. Klebsiella pneumonia was also found, which can lead to
and cause pneumonia and wound and bloodstream infections and
another type of infection called Serratia ficaria, which can
lead to infection of the respiratory tract. “Shoes are contaminated from diverse
sources, and we are regularly
contaminating our doorsteps by shoes,” says study author M. Jahangir Alam,
Ph.D.
The Clostridium difficile is
only the tip of the iceberg though because only 4 out of 10 people have this on
their shoes. There
are many different types of bacteria that get into your home from your shoe. For example, most public restroom floors contain around 2
million bacteria per square inch (interestingly
enough the average toilet seat only contains about 50 per square inch). These
are two very good reasons to avoid wearing shoes in your home at all. If you
have young kids who crawl around on the floor all day (whether 2 years old or 4
years old) it’s even more important to not wear your shoes inside your home. Children 2
and under should NOT be playing on floors that shoes have been walked on. It is best to leave your shoes outside the home
if you have a one or two year old child.
What’s interesting is
that many countries like eastern and/or Asian leave their shoes completely
outside their home with that door closed so you cannot even see shoes in the
home. A
great idea is to leave them at the front door or in the garage by the door to
avoid bringing any unwanted bacteria or germs in the home. What’s worse is that many will be barefoot in our homes (especially during the summer time) and to wear
your shoes in your home even just once or a few times if you forgot something
and are in a rush can potentially bring this dangerous bacteria in your home. Avoid it and do your best to keep the shoes outside for your health and
safety.
Not only do
shoes contain bacteria but they also contain germs, chemicals and oil or
petroleum by-products. The bottom of your shoes are full of plenty of chemicals and pathogens that you do not want to spread all over your home
then walk barefoot on later.
It’s
uncommon in western countries such as America and Canada for guests to ask to
remove your shoes at the door but most cultures around the world ask that you leave your shoes
at the door. It will help
keep those germs and bacteria out, as well as bacteria C. diff which can be
more dangerous. Taking your shoes off at the door is a sign of respect
for your home and the home of guests. In many religious
traditions shoes are removed for prayer and entering the home. Shoes carry
many germs and bacteria and it’s
best to leave the outside world just outside your door along with your shoes.
Let’s
recap, what’s
on the bottom of your shoes? Fecal matter, multiple forms of bacteria causing fecal
matter as well as infections and inflammation of the colon, germs, chemicals,
petroleum and so much more! Where
are you going to leave your shoes from now on?
And
maybe
you’ll rethink that 5-second rule (or
5 BECOMING a 10-second rule) of dropping food on the floor and picking it up to eat it
next time.
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