This Is The Scientific Reason You Need To Take Your Shoes Off Before Entering Your Home
In many cultures, it is customary to remove your shoes before entering a house. Not in my culture! I’m sitting in the house wearing my shoes right now. According to a new study, however, I’m making a big mistake.
Researchers at the University of Houston found that 40% of shoes carry Clostridium difficile, or C.diff bacterium. C.diff is extremely resistant to antibiotics and can lead to a lengthy illness with a long recovery period. It can survive in toilets, on countertops and tables, and the floor.
Additionally, shoes are naturally dirty just because of what’s on the ground. Bird poop, dog poop, gum, automotive fluids, leafy debris – the list goes on. Harmful bacteria from these things can stay on your shoes for days, sometimes even weeks. Shoes have tested positive for E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
If you remove your shoes before entering the house, you’re simply going to have a cleaner house and you and your family will be considerably less likely to fall ill from whatever it is that you tracked in. Having a shoe rack or a box you keep them in will likely save you the hassle of becoming seriously ill and having to clean up the house.
