Do you make your guests and household remove their shoes before walking in the house? To be honest, I was never really picky about this protocol until I had kids and tried to reduce the amount of germs they came in contact with (wishful thinking huh lol).

Fun fact from Wikipedia: In Northern Europe and Austria, it is generally considered rude or unhygienic to keep one’s shoes on when entering a house, in particular boots or outdoor walking shoes. In China when you enter homes, you put on indoor slippers after taking your shoes off.

Shoes carry bacteria , fungus and most importantly fecal matter, and in some cases harmful chemicals. It is recommended that you remove your shoes before entering the house. Don’t be shy about asking your guests to remove their shoes.

Here are some ways that will help you enforce this rule if you are unsure of how to approach it.

• Easy way. Politely ask your guests to remove shoes and offer them footies or socks. It’s a good idea to have a basket of socks ready at the front door when guests arrive.

Hang a “Remove your shoes” sign at the front door.

Place a shoe bin or shelf at the front door. Most times, guests will see the bin and follow suit when they see other shoes lined up.

Here are some ideas:

Source: Etsy – made by trimblecrafts

Source: Monique Cohen On Pinterest

Wayfair – Barnwood Storage Bench

So what’s your take on this topic? Shoes on or off.