Although some households have a “no shoe” policy, most are fine with people wearing them indoors. To most, it seems like the only downside to keeping them on in your home is that their floors will need an extra wash every now and again. As it turns out, it’s actually extremely dangerous.
A recent study has looked into the potential dangers of keeping your shoes on indoors. In it, researchers reveal why you should never wear your shoes at home.
Our Shoes Pick Up a Lot of Dirt
The average person covers a lot of ground every day. In fact, in the US, most people end up walking the equivalent of over 2 miles every single day. That means trekking through dirt, germs, bacteria, and whatever else is lying around on the ground.
It’s understandable then, that the soles of your shoes aren’t really the cleanest. According to a separate, earlier study, bacteria thrives more on your shoes than it does in toilets. They found that most people’s shoes picked up a staggering 440,000 units of bacteria in just two weeks.
Another harmful substance that they can drag into your home is toxins from outdoors. They can bring in chemicals from farming or lawns, as well as harmful toxins from asphalt or tar. Research has even shown that people who live near asphalt or tar roads are at a higher risk of cancer because of the chemicals their shoes bring into their home from them.
The Most Dangerous Reason
By now, we can clearly see that your shoes can bring a wealth of horrible germs into your home. The study that was carried out by the University of Houston found that these germs can make the people living in your home very sick.
Once the bacteria has been walked indoors, it can begin to spread and multiply. Because of that, it can cause stomach problems and diarrhea. This is because the dangerous pathogen, Clostridium difficile, can end up in your home.
This pathogen isn’t just dangerous, but it’s also extremely difficult to get rid of. It’s resistant to most household cleaning products and spreads rapidly.
If You Need More Reasons Not to Wear Them
Besides bacteria and potent illnesses, there are also less sinister reasons to avoid wearing your shoes indoors. The most obvious of these is that they will, indeed, carry dirt into your home. This will mean that you’ll need to clean more often and might they even stain your carpets.
As well as that, they can also ruin your floors. This is especially true when walking on hardwood floors that can easily be dented or damaged by your shoes. Another, less obvious reason, is that wearing shoes for too long can actually weaken your feet as well.
There is an almost endless number of reasons why you shouldn’t wear your shoes indoors. As well as bringing in dirt and ruining your floors, it can also be potentially dangerous. By leaving them on, you run the risk of developing stomach problems and other health issues. So, buy yourself a pair of slippers and start leaving your shoes at the door. You’ll thank yourself for it in the end.
Share this article with your friends and family to show them the dangers of leaving their shoes on at home.
