Photo by Billy Bui
Why it’s important to leave your sneakers at the door
By EG Manilag, Staff Writer
Hey! The rainy season is coming, so make sure to put those wet and dirty shoes where they rightfully belong—on the shoe racks. Our sneakers should not be wandering around the house, they should be in a place where they stay intact and don’t carry dirt inside the house. Otherwise, it could be a sign of disrespect and the cause of some health issues.
Last week at my caretaking job, someone was calling because their smoke detector was chirping. I immediately went there to check it out. Without consciously thinking, I removed my shoes and left them outside. I only realized that I had taken them off when I was done. Removing my shoes before getting inside a house has become a reflex for me, and I hope many of you are like this too.
Even if the host said that it’s okay to have shoes on, like most of our friends’ parents would say, I continued to remove them. I could be rude for not obeying what she said, but I think it’s actually even ruder to not remove shoes before entering one’s house. In my empirical observations, removing your shoes before going inside is more of a universal moral code than a home etiquette rule, tradition, or religious cultural thing. I mean, it’s not even a question in most homes. In addition, it’s just more polite to do it. So, why do some people still wear their shoes in the house?
More so, who would want some dangerous, anti-resistant bacteria as a guest in their home? Clearly no one. According to a study by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, a number of bacteria lurk in our shoes from the inside and out. These bacteria include E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Serratia ficaria. All of which can cause sickness and disease. Also, these bacteria come mostly from fecal matter which our soles love to acquire, so there’s no validity in saying that the bacteria one shoes is good exposure for our health. His study was not peer-reviewed and only had 10 participants, which some may argue does not make it valid, but I still think even the potential of these germs should be a cause for concern. There are many practical reasons as to why shoe racks are located somewhere that is not near the kitchen, and this right here is one.
Others would argue, “What about cats and dogs in the house, aren’t their paws as dirty as our shoes?” Well, I think it’s safe to say that most of us would clean them right after they go outside. My aunt for instance would use baby wipes to clean off her dogs’ paws. We clean our pets before coming inside, right? So why not extend that cleanliness to removing our shoes?
Ultimately, removing your shoes is a good thing. I believe that the act does good more than anything else. Not only are you showing your respect, but you’re also preventing possible diseases from ever entering someone’s house or your house. No shoes allowed, no problem.
