Slippers for everyone!

Wanna have your guests remove shoes? Start collecting airline & hotel slippers and/or buy some cheap ones to keep near the door.

Slippers for guests

Let's face it, shoes bring all sorts of dirt, grime, bacteria, and other nasties into your home. In fact, "Experts estimate that up to 40% of the contaminants in our home were brought in from the outside. [Furthermore,] in research [which] examined swabs of shoe bottoms and toilet seats, [it was found] that the shoes had higher levels of C. diff, a bacteria resistant to antibiotics."* Gross, right?!!

As a result, more and more people are asking their guests to take off their shoes before entering the home and instilling a no-shoes-inside rule; a custom which has been in place in some cultures for quite a long time.

Now, people can be really put off if asked to remove their shoes unexpectedly. Afterall, some people are sensitive about their feet; some people may be wearing socks with holes or socks which may smell; and some people may not be wearing socks at all and may not be comfortable walking around barefoot in someone else's home (hello errant cat litter pellets on the floor!).

So, how to keep germs and grossness out while not making your guests uncomfortable? Well...

1. You should let guests know the house rule before they come over. While we have friends who want/ plan to take their shoes off when entering other people's homes, and proactively bring a pair of slippers, most folks don't just happen to carry extra (indoor) footwear around with them just in case...

2. You should have a bench or chair right near the door so guests can sit down to take off/ put on their shoes without needing to hop around on one foot hoping they don't fall over (trust me, this is a thing).

3. And, to be a really good host, you should have a stash of slippers (you don't expect back) in a basket for your guests to wear if they so desire.

   • Not sure where to buy cheap disposable slippers for your guests? Here's a link: slippers for guests**

   • Want to be extra fancy? Buy some monogrammed ones -- they aren't necessarily too expensive. Check out this link!

   • Want to be greener? The ones in the picture above are washable (and reusable). Click here for a link to them!

Okay, that's it for today's lesson in being a thoughtful host while maintaining a house rule others may not be prepared for when they arrive!

*source: https://healthnewshub.org/4-reasons-to-take-your-shoes-off-before-coming-indoors/

** If you purchase anything from this link, I will get a small commission as an Amazon Associate.