Stop Wearing Shoes In Your Home!

We all have a friend or family member who makes you take your shoes off when entering their home.

Maybe that someone is you! If you’re not use to removing your shoes, it can be quite annoying. These homeowners are asking that you take off your shoes for good reasons!

Think about your day… where have you been? Maybe you parked your car next to a bird’s favorite tree and the parking lot is covered in droppings, took your furry friend to the dog park next door, or went to a baseball game and used the bathroom during their 7^th inning stretch. Imagine, all those places and more that the bottom of your shoes have touched. Yuck!

Wearing your shoes into your home can track bacteria and toxins from the parking lot, dog park, public bathrooms, and more! Some of these spots, especially bathrooms, are sources of E. coli.

E.coli is a bacteria that lives in your intestines and although most types are harmless, other types can make you very sick. This is just one bacteria that you can get from the bottom of your shoes, on average there are 421,000 different types of bacteria on shoes. According to a study done at the University of Utah, bacteria is transferred from your shoes into your home at a rate of 90 to 99 percent. A newer study conducted in 2017 results shows that Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is found on over 25% of people’s shoes!

The best way to prevent the spread of E. coli, C. diff, and other harmful bacteria is to remove your shoes before enter a home. You may be thinking, you have a mat inside your door that you wipe your shoes on before entering the home so removing your shoes is unnecessary. While door mats are great for drying shoes or catching dirt and debris, they are more of a breeding ground for bacteria. In most cases, when wiping your shoes on a mat, you pick up more bacteria.

We know that a majority of guests and household occupants don’t remove their shoes before they enter the home. For adults, there is no serious threat to their health aside from a few days out sick.  However, if you have children or elderly occupants in your home, a small illness that may not hurt an adult could be extremely dangerous. An adult’s immune system is traditionally very strong, whereas a child’s or elderly immune system are significantly weaker.

Some good preventative steps to help keep your household healthy are:

• Wash your hands immediately
• Wash your shoes with detergent in cold water
• Apply disinfectant to your shoes

About Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration was founded in 1946 by Earl and Nancy Woodard. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Woodard services the greater metro area (Illinois, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, St. Louis County, and many more). Woodard is proud to serve as the preferred provider for cleaning & restoration services. Our cleaning services include carpet, hard surface, furniture, and rug cleaning for both residential and commercial properties. We also provide water, fire, board-up, storm and smoke restoration services for residential and commercial clients. For information or questions submit a form online or call us at (314) 227-3932.

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Updated 4/28/2018