I'm wondering... if you're going to someone's house, when you walk in the door, is the first thing you do is take off your shoes? Do you take off your shoes in your own home? Does it depend on if you know the person, like it's a friend or family or not?

(this probably seems pretty stupid, but for the longest time, when I was younger, I always noticed on TV how people never took off their shoes, and thought it was an 'American thing" LOL ... Then when I finally knew someone who was American, I asked him, and he said NO WAY would he take off his shoes in someone's house that he didn't know. I just thought that was bizarre, and have always wondered if it's a common thing)

Anyways, now that I have access to all you wonderful people, I have a good way to find out this thing that has bothered me forEVER!

Thanks,

Mandi

Yep, you are right. I have been reading that researchers are finding that there are disturbingly high concentrations of chemicals in babies and small children because of our home environments.

Yes, it's terrible. There's a lot of endocrine disruptors and chemicals that cause cancer (among other things) found in high concentrations in baby lotions and shampoo. I could just cry when I read this, because I slathered my son with lotion since a baby due to his eczema - the regular kind, not the organic kind.

My DD got very concerned during her pregnancy with the chemicals her baby would be around. They had all hard wood floors---but she worried about the crib mattress, and bedding all the time!

She cloth diapered with wool covers--both for the less chemical exposure, and keeping them out of the landfill. In fact she help support them making and selling wool diaper covers --making more than she did as a medical assistant! She has relaxed some, but still frets when she sees Kinsey playing on my carpet!

To be 100% honest, I had never encountered anything like it, and had never thought of it.

Kat

Kat, I know what you mean about not thinking of it. I hadn't either until this X-mas when my b-i-l's girlfriend told me a bit. The rest I've been researching on my own since then.

If your DD's baby is still in the crib, she can get a wool mattress which is 100 percent natural, and wool is a natural fire retardent (as well as natural latex), so it doesn't need all those fire retardent chemicals. If the baby's in a regular bed, then same thing - get an organic latex or wool mattress. I can let you know where we ordered ours if you'd like, or if she's interested. Believe me, she will have peace of mine if she gets one. Let me know. I've ordered an organic latex and wool mattress for my son, and my DH and I will be getting our own soon (they're expensive) due to the chemicals in regular mattresses. Just look up organic mattresses and you'll understand why everyone should get one.

I think the only reason I care about all this is for my son's sake. He's only 3 and the little ones are very affected by chemicals. And it's really crazy how chemicals are all around us. We think the FDA and the doctors protect us, but they don't. I've found it's up to me to find what's healthiest for my family. The healthiest is 100 percent organic and using natural cleaners (baking soda, vinegar), 7th Generation or Ecover soap for laundry, getting a lot of plants to help filter toxins in the air, getting a whole house Water filter. The list goes on.

A good example of how the doctors don't protect us: I think everyone has heard of thimerosal in vaccines linked to autism. I looked at a "natural" ear ache remedy my son had and it had mercurius solubilius in it - hmm, what's that? Mercury! Mercury is linked to autism. It's all around us. And I know I sound like a quack, but I'm not! Really! :scared2: Look at the ingredients list on anything and you'll find all kinds of toxic things. The FDA just do not look at every ingredient to make sure it's safe.

I believe there's a lot more chemicals in kids these days than when we were young. Kids these days don't get outside to play, they eat horrible food with no nutrition, everything they ingest or wear is laced in chemicals. So I'm researching this for my son's sake, and I hope that I can help anyone else along the road who wants help.

Sorry this got off subject.

Back to the post - some may think it's rude to ask you to take off your shoes, but I don't want the chemicals in my house, on my floor that my son and dog play on. If that's rude, tough!

I personally don't want to see other people's feet. Not everyone has pretty feet and some can be really stinky. I wouldn't have a problem if someone asked me to take my shoe's off though.

I do have a problem with people piling shoes on their front porch as they walk in the door. I live in a townhouse and the people across from me have shelves on their patio where they keep all their shoes. It is not attractive and I don't like it. I don't know why they can't keep them just inside the house. It is actually a violation of our deed restrictions and I believe they are very close to being fined.

Possibly the stinky reference in your first sentence is why they leave them outside!!!!

Kat

It depends on where I am. I personally hate to wear shoes and they are the first thing that comes off when I am at home - especially in the summer! If I am with family (even at their house) I don't wear them. I think my family members would think there was something wrong with me if I did. One of my best friend's father is Thai. We never wore them at their home, as it is part of their custom. It was always weird to me going to their house; their front entry had about 50 shoes piled up (my friend had four brothers, a cousin and an aunt that lived there too). My parents wear their shoes from the time they get out of bed until they get back in at night. I think a lot of it depends on culture and how everyone is raised.

I hate shoes with a passion and if I didn't have to wear them I wouldn't. The first thing I do when I get home, even before my coat comes off, is take my shoes off. Do I have people take their shoes off in my home? It depends on what season it is. I have hard wood floors all through my house AND I live in Wisconsin. Winter here is not nice and I don't want to have all that snow and slush and mud on my floors. I hate walking on wet floors and I don't want my baby crawling or walking around it that either. Do people get angry about it? Not at all. Will I take my shoes off at someone else's home? Absolutely if they want me to. Like I said, living in Wisconsin is not pretty in the least!

We live in the mtns, with a gravel driveway. We always take our shoes off inside the front door. It also helps to keep track of DD's little shoes as well as any dirt issues. We don't really care if people wear their shoes or not in the house. It's up to them if they want to take them off or not. Most of our friends who prefer to go barefoot will remove their shoes when they come in. We're pretty casual about it. I don't like to wear shoes anyway so I always lose my shoes at my friends' houses as most of them are like me.

nina874, DH and I hope to have a newfie someday. We'd like to try to rescue one but have had a hard time getting ahold of the rescue group here in CA. Maybe someday!

My inclination is to remove my shoes UNLESS I am barefoot. Then I leave my shoes on unless otherwise asked. A combination of my feet are not my most attractive feature, and barefeet on floors that have who-knows-what on them. Nope, socks/nylons are ok, but barefeet? no.

We know that environmental health is important to you, so here is a Monday Tip to share with your friends.

We had guests over this weekend and I asked them to please remove their shoes before coming in. They gave me a puzzled look, so I explained that 85% of the dirt in homes is tracked in on the soles of our shoes! And according to the EPA's "Doormat Study," virtually all lead dust inside homes is caused by lead-contaminated soil from outside.

One of the easiest ways you can prevent this dirt (along with the lead, chemicals, bacteria, feces, pesticides, allergenic dust, animal dander, and other pollutants) is the simple of act of taking your shoes off at the door. With a new baby at home, I wasn't going to take any preventable risks.

This is from Healthy Child Healthy World e-newsletter

We don't wear shoes in our house and also take them off when we go to others' houses. My mother is Korean and Asians do not wear shoes in the house. My husband is Icelandic and Icelanders do not wear shoes in the house either so it was never an issue for us. Our kids automatically take off their shoes when they go into any house and they also ask their friends to take off their shoes when they come into our house. My husband and I do not ask our adult guests to take off their shoes, but most ask and we tell them whatever is more comfortable for them and they take that as a hint that they should take off their shoes. For the ones who still don't after we say that, we figure it's cause they have stinky feet. LOL

I have noticed that service people either take off their shoes or put on cloth booties before they enter our home. For the occasional service guy who doesn't do either, I ask them to take it off. I don't want to make guests uncomfortable but I have no qualms about asking service people to respect the cleanliness of my house.

I do always remove my shoes. But I have a question that has bugged me for YEARS because it is uncomfortable doing it and I don't know if it is proper. Should you still remove your shoes if you have sandals on and you will be barefoot?????

Yes, you still remove your shoes.

I almost always take off my shoes, but what bugs me is when I get dirt on my feet or on my socks because the person I am visiting has DIRTY FLOORS.

If my floors are dirty because they havent been washed in a few days, then I will ask people to keep there shoes on.

I respect the wishes of the person I am visiting. I will ask if they would like me to remove my shoes.

When I lived in Canada it was customary to remove your shoes after all who wants to be tracking snow and mud all over the house.

In Ecuador nobody removed their shoes.

Here in Cali it depends on who I'm visiting and I respect their wishes.

If I visit someone that has shoes outside the home, then I would remove my shoes. I have to admit that I have never actually been asked to take my shoes off at anyone's home. If I ever get rid of my carpet (I really hate my carpet) and get tile, then i might do something like that. Of course, when I get home, the first thing that I do is take off my shoes. I do that so much that if I have on shoes, the first thing my family wants to know is where am I going?

Is taking your shoes off not a good way to get athletics's foot? :tongue2:

If you are concerned about getting athlete's foot from taking your shoes off when visiting people, you need to find a better crowd to hang with.

In all seriousness, I think athlete's foot is something you catch going around barefooted in warm moist environments, like public showers. In a relatively dry environment like people's private homes, you are probably stepping on carpet or hardwood flooring and not something that should be of concern.