Removing Shoes

[NJ Valuator]

Recently, I have been getting a lot of instructions from owners/occupants of homes to remove my shoes before entering. Do most of you comply with the owners requests? The last thing I want to do is walk into some strangers bathroom in my socks especially if the bathroom floor is wet.

 

[Pittsburg_22_m]

I always remove my shoes if they are muddy. Never dealt with a wet bath floor though, great now I'll have to watch for that...lol.

 

[Em Tee]

There was a discussion of this before: removing shoes

It only bothers me when I know my shoes are cleaner than their floor!

 

[Farm Gal]

Make friends with a nurse or someone in janitorial at your local hospital, get a supply of surgical booties... slip them over your shoes and viola, no mud on their floors and no need to expose YOUR tootsies to heaven only knows what on their floors!

Side note: Those homeowners requring you to remove your shoes are not likly to have many 'icky' areas... Sometimes you want booties when the homeowner could not care less if you take YOUR shoes off or keep them on!

 

[Pittsburg_22_m]

What makes me uncomfortable is not taking them off but leaving them on. Sometimes I'll get a homeowner, usually a farmer or rancher type, and I know my shoes are dirty (read MUDDY) but they say dont' worry about it. Do I leave them on or do I take them off....lol. Needless to say I've taken them off anyways unless the place was a real dump.

 

[BarbaraNJ]

Frank,

This thread was a "hotbed" of controversy over a year ago.

My proceedure is this:

I ALWAYS inspect the interior FIRST. This way, the only "dirt" on my shoes is that which gets picked up from my car to the front door.

I always "wipe" on whatever mat is present.

I always wear shoes that have a "soft" bottom, so that the chance of my slipping on flooring is minimized, and so that the probability of scratching hard flooring surfaces is minimized.

If I perceive that the removal of shoes is a hard and fast LEGITIMATE cultural custom, I offer to remove my shoes. The owner is typically 50/50 on this---half say "yes" and half allow the shoes to remain. Remember: even for those homes where it is the custom to remove shoes, they Do Not go into the basement area without shoes.

Finally, the reason for not removing my shoes is SAFETY: MINE. We are predominantly self-employed, and one day not working is a day without income. If , while without shoes, I slip and fall or step on a sharp object and wind up with an infection (or worse), I will not be able to continue to make a living. Sue the homeowner? Sure, but how long does that take, and how successful will you be?

My shoes are on 98% of the time.

 

[Don Clark]

B) I also take off my shoes when asked, or, when I am inspecting a 100% complete new home with new carpet and vinal that has been cleaned for the final walk through. I also do the interior first. If I run across a situation where I need to go into an area where my shoes should be on, I will let the property owner or agent know that. Since we have few basements in my market, I rarely see a basement. Booties are a great idea. An industrial supply house that provides painting materials and cleaning materials will have booties as well.

As to customs, I respect the custom of a property owner, to a point. If invited for tea and cake on a bitter cold day, I will accept, and have done so. Some oriental folks like to provide some drink or similar. Unless I am in a real hurry, I generally accept.

 

[Scott Kibler]

Shoes always come off. Well, unless the subject's floors are dirtier than my shoes.

 

[Restrain]

If a home is new or very well cared for, I always remove my shoes. Simple common courtesy. If the home is not well cared for, I wipe my feet and go ahead. If it's an Asian family, I remove my shoes regardless (although I've never found a home that was owned by a family of Asian descent that wasn't spotless).

Roger

 

[Will43]

Originally posted by Lee Ann@Feb 15 2004, 05:17 PM
Make friends with a nurse or someone in janitorial at your local hospital, get a supply of surgical booties... slip them over your shoes and viola, no mud on their floors and no need to expose YOUR tootsies to heaven only knows what on their floors!

Excellent idea! I should have stocked up when I was working at a hospital. I wonder where you can buy them?