Indoor Shoes: Why?
When arriving at a home, before anything else, we switch footwear.
Our new clients might wonder why we switch perfectly good shoes for another pair of perfectly good shoes, before we start cleaning. Perhaps they might even think it’s rude to be wearing shoes inside of their home. Rather than explaining these excellent reasons to people who may not even be wondering, for those who are curious, here is the why behind cleaning while wearing indoor shoes.
Safety First
Wearing clean indoor footwear helps to prevent slips and falls, especially in wet zones. Shoes also help to prevent injury to the feet if there is broken glass, or any small sharp objects that have been misplaced on the floor. Indoor shoes are good for our professional cleaning teams and good protection for our customers and their homes as well.
Wearing Indoor Shoes is Cleaner
When we first started this business, we went with the policy that it’s only good manners to remove one’s shoes upon entering a person’s home. You never know what you stepped on outside and wouldn’t want to bring dirt into a home that is to be cleaned.
However, socks pick up lint, hair, dirt, liquids and debris that can spread throughout the home. This would especially be a problem when debris was tracked into an area that had already been dusted and vacuumed from a zone that had yet to be cleaned.
Plus, by carrying and wearing indoor footwear while we clean, we are taking into consideration not only your home, but the homes visited before and those after yours. By wearing clean indoor shoes, we keep our feet and your home clean, dry and sanitary.
Comfort is Key
So called “stylish” shoes are a bizarre form of torture that many ladies seem unable to resist, but for people who are on their feet doing a manual labour job all day, comfort is essential. We recommend running shoes, since it’s an athletic job, but it’s up to each person’s preference. Breathability is great to keep those tootsies dry and odours at bay. No one wants people who are coming to clean their home to walk around in sweaty socks all over their floors. Shoes can also provide much needed padding for people standing on their feet all day, and may prevent joint pain in ankles, knees and backs. Some arch support and sole padding allow our cleaning teams to keep their energy high so they can keep focused on the job at hand – the job of making our client’s homes shine!
Wearing shoes indoors varies by culture
Generally, Canadians tend to automatically remove their shoes when entering a home. Apparently this is a common habit in many cultures, but it’s not universal. On a visit to a few Cuban homes last winter, I received surprised looks of near horror that I would consider removing my shoes upon entering their homes. They insisted that I keep my footwear on my feet! I didn’t think to ask why at the time, but I guess they were worried that without sandals on, my feet would get dirty inside, or that I would notice that the floors weren’t perfectly clean, or perhaps that without washing my bare feet, I’d make their floors dirty. Whether to wear shoes or not inside the home is a hot debate that you can read about here and here.
Stop Dirt at the Door
A chair or bench by the door is a great way to encourage and assist people to remove their outdoor footwear, if that’s what you’d like to promote at your home. Having a nice big mat by each entrance to catch the debris right at the door stops a huge percentage of dirt from entering the home as well.