The dirty truth about taking your shoes off at the door
At-home holiday parties are on many people’s calendars right now, and germ-conscious hosts are faced with a dilemma: Should I require my guests to take off their shoes at the door, especially if the gathering is cocktail or formal attire?
The underlying question — and debate — around footwear and health remains: Is there significant evidence going shoeless stops the spread of germs in a home?
“Absolutely,” said Gabriel Filippelli, chancellor’s professor for the department of Earth sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
“We can track in all sorts of bacteria, but certainly some of the ones we’re most concerned about are E coli that cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting,” he said. “There’s been studies that swab the bottom of shoes and something like 99% of the shoes test positive for fecal material.”
Heavy metals and more
However, bacteria are not the only danger that rides along with the dust and dirt surrounding rural and urban homes, gardens and parks, said Jill Litt, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado.
“Studies have shown that in urban areas where there are older homes, lead in dust can be tracked into the home on the surface of shoes,” she said. “Other studies have shown that you can bring in pesticide residues from gardens via shoes.”
Heavy metals like lead and copper and zinc permeate the soils of urban parks and streets from decades of pollutants, while pesticide levels can be high in rural agricultural areas, Litt added.
“For little ones, hand to mouth is one of the primary ways children get exposed to toxic substances and infectious disease agents,” said Litt.
Wet mop first
Before you ask folks to take off their shoes, be sure the home is as dustfree as possible, experts say. Never vacuum or sweep with a broom first, as that will only stir up all the toxins, sending them airborne. Instead, reach for the wet or spray mop. As counterintuitive as it may be to add water to dirt, it’s actually the best way to remove toxins.
The same goes for any horizontal surface, Filippelli said, but stay away from feather dusters. “Do more regular cleaning of horizontal surfaces with a damp cloth — that’s windowsills, tables, coffee tables, chair bottoms, chair seats and other furniture in addition to the floor.”
Carpeted areas should be vacuumed with a device that has a high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter, not bagless vacuums, and throw the bag or filter away in an outside trash can when done.