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Leave Dirt at the Door: How Taking Off Your Shoes Can Improve Your Health
Laura Dern
Thursday, April 02, 2009
In many cultures it's customary to remove your shoes before entering a home for spiritual or practical reasons.
And as a mom, I encourage the practice because I want a clean home. But taking off your shoes not only helps keep your home cleaner, it also helps keep it healthier. Think about it. Where have the bottom of your shoes been? If you've stopped to fill up your car, you can track home gasoline on your feet. If you've walked through a freshly treated lawn or putting green, you can track home toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Seemingly benign dirt can have traces of lead in it. You walk through it, then you walk through your home leaving traces on your rug, your baby crawls past, and then stops to put her hand in her mouth. Get the picture?
The professional cleaning industry estimates that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes in from the outside on our shoes or paws of pets. In a recent warning about lead exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifically recommends that shoes remain outside the house. According to a report called The Door Mat Study, lead-contaminated soil from the outside causes almost all the lead dust inside homes. It notes that wiping shoes on a mat and removing them at the door cuts lead dust by 60 percent. The study explains that limiting the amount of dust and track-in may also help reduce exposure to lawn and garden pesticides, wood smoke and industrial toxins, mutagens, dust mites, and allergens.
Wiping our shoes off as we enter the home reduces the amount of contaminated dirt tracked in. Large mats, that cover two or three strides, will ensure that even those that refuse to wipe will leave most of the dirt clinging to their shoes on the mat rather than your carpet
The BEST solution is to take off your shoes as you enter your home. It is a good excuse to buy some great socks or slippers. And your flooring will stay clean as well as keep dirt and potential toxic threats from getting into carpets. If going shoeless is not acceptable to family members, suggest that they wear house shoes (that don't go outside), slippers or socks.
And walking around in soft slippers, socks, or barefoot does another wonderful thing - it helps us relax and unwind.
Sources:
EPA, Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil
Housekeeping Solutions, Floor Care: Rolling Out the Welcome Mat
Small Property Owners of America, The Door Mat Study
Posted by sam on 04/02 at 01:10 PM
TOTALLY!!! We started the “shoes off” vibe in our house, firstly because we had just re-carpeted our house with light/cream carpet, but since we had our baby, who is now 7 months and very near to crawling, I’m so glad we implemented this rule!
Posted by Ruth R. on 05/06 at 09:11 AM
I like this idea for lots of the reasons you mentioned. It is a habit worth cultivating!!! When I lived in Japan, we had house slippers for ourselves and our guests…it was second nature….it may take a bit of getting used to again, but I think I will do it!
Thanks!
Ruth
Wisconsin
Posted by Demi on 05/06 at 09:50 AM
Laura Dern didn’t invent this. People have been doing this for centuries. They do it in most countries including Canada. I guess she just caught on later than most of us. I really hate when an actor tries to take credit for something others have been doing for hundreds of years. Give me a break.
Posted by Cindee on 05/06 at 10:12 AM
We’ve been following this advice for over a year now, after I read “Healthy Child Healthy World” and it has significantly cut down on my children’s illnesses and even their allergies. The floors also stay cleaner (big bonus)! They only downside is the occasionally “footy” smell near the front door (we still haven’t figured out the finer points). But don’t forget the important steps of switching over to non-toxic household cleaning products and pest management. The book mentioned above covers both topics quite well. I recommend Hibiscus Naturals for a wide selection of safe, biodegradable and non-toxic cleaning products (http://www.hibiscusnaturals.com/Natural-Organic-Green-Cleaning-Household-Products-s/8.htm ) I also recommend “EcoSmart” Natural Insect Repellent (at http://www.ecosmart.com/) for pest management. Both are natural, biodegradable, safe to use around kids and pets and they REALLY WORK! They also don’t contain nasty toxic chemical ingredients that can be extremely hazardous to your family. Who in their right mind would want to have their children exposed to that?
Posted by Sweet Serendipity on 05/06 at 02:05 PM
We practice this too. It does help. Nice article.
Posted by Mommy Goes Green on 05/06 at 03:18 PM
We started doing this 2 years ago and it absolutely has cut down on the amount of sweeping and vacuuming I need to do. I also feel a lot better about having little kids crawling around.
Posted by Emily Lynne Ion on 05/06 at 04:15 PM
Demi,
You’re right that this practice has been around for centuries, but Laura is in no way implying she invented it. She’s sharing how, when put into practice, one of our recommendations made a difference in her home and to her family.
Thank you,
Emily
Posted by Ruth R. on 05/06 at 05:36 PM
Demi,
I agree, Laura is simply bringing our attention to something that is a great idea! Let’s not shoot the messenger, hey? Life’s too short. There’s already too much negativity in the world! Go Green!!!!!!
Posted by Laura Cone on 05/07 at 09:42 AM
We have a no shoe rule in our home as well. I have slippers for the regular visitors. I have shoe covers for when we have handymen or the like in our home.
Posted by Susan on 05/08 at 08:03 AM
I sure loved her in MASK.
Posted by Zeehshan on 05/17 at 02:10 AM
Very impressed with the knowledge you are posting here. Thanks for sharing and let us know more about new releases.
Posted by mark on 05/20 at 01:04 PM
First saw Laura in Blue Velvet at the Metro in Edinburgh upon its release. We exchange shoes for slippers at the door. Regular guests have their own pair to change into. But shoes off for all regardless.
Posted by Dominik on 06/09 at 08:16 PM
When I come home I always take off my shoes. It’s a way to help the house to be clean and also represent the respect for the house and the person who cleans it.
But when I was invited to enter friends or colleagues house, take the shoes represent the respect, and education for the owner of the house. BUT I only do that at a friend’s house if I see that they do that or they ask me to do so. I actually feel rude taking them off without them asking haha.
AND all toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers things on your shoes, make another prompt suggestion to put off everyone’s shoes outside my home.
Posted by Jessica on 06/11 at 09:54 PM
There is some study that showed that bacteria and germs can be tracked by shoes over long distances into the subjects homes after the shoes were contaminated with bacteria. The common occurrence of E. coli bacteria on the outside of the shoes indicates frequent contact with fecal material, which most likely originates from floors in public restrooms or contact with animal fecal material outdoors. OUCH!
Posted by Josh on 07/31 at 11:39 AM
I agree wholeheartedly! I am by no means a “clean freak”, but wearing shoes in the house is really one of the most disgusting acts you can do. The point about the baby crawling got my stomach turning. Please take off your shoes before going into your or anyone else’s house!
Posted by Sarah M. on 08/05 at 01:54 PM
I’ve always been one to take my shoes off before entering any house. Not only is it good manners, but as you state above, the germs are unlimited! It is absolutely disgusting to think of some of things we step on outside.
Posted by tratamente on 04/02 at 08:17 AM
This is a great article and from now on I will take off my shoes when in my home.