7 Reasons To Think Japanese And Remove Your Shoes At The Door (#1 – OMG!)

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2. Toxic Chemicals

No, we are not through with the yucky stuff. Environmental Science and Technology published a study done by the EPA which found that those insecticides and herbicides you try so hard to avoid on your food end up being brought into your house on the soles of your shoes. In fact, scientists found that one herbicide in particular, called 2.4-D, could live on the bottom of your shoes for as long as 7 days. Exposure to this herbicide causes relatively minor problems, such as stomach upset and skin rashes, but these are the side effects of only one type of herbicide. Imagine walking across someone’s lawn or your local park and discovering later that they used RoundUp on that grass? By the way, this study also found that 98 percent of the lead dust that was found in homes was tracked inside by the occupant’s shoes.

3. Plain Old Dirt

In addition to the nasty bacteria and ugly toxins your shoes are bringing inside the house, you are also bringing in a whole bunch of plain old dirt. When we say “dirt” we are also taking about grass clippings, squished bugs, dust, chewing gum, twigs, leaves, and just about anything else you can imagine walking on. This means more cleaning for you, which means more cleaning products used, which means more of your valuable time spent cleaning stuff in your house that could be completely avoided by simply leaving your shoes at the door.

4. Wear and Tear

Let’s not forget that the more dirt and grit you bring inside your home, the more wear and tear and dirt and junk you leave on your hardwood floors and carpets. This means your shoes are grinding in the dirt and junk on them, grinding the finish off your tile or hardwood floors, even scratching them considerably. You also are literally cutting the fibers of your carpets and rugs every time you walk across them by grinding the dirt into the fibers, slowly cutting them. So, kicking your shoes off when you reach the door means you will save money by not having to replace your floors so quickly, and it saves landfill space by not filling it up with damaged flooring.

5. Carpets are Magnets

If your home is carpeted, or mostly carpeted, you should really take note that when you wear your shoes on your carpet you are literally dumping toxins and germs deep inside the fibers. When was the last time you had your carpets cleaned? Vacuuming will remove much of the dirt, but it really won’t do anything about the bacteria and toxins mentioned above that will live there for weeks. If you have small children or pets, you are exposing them to these toxins. Children, especially, are at risk, because their immune systems and central nervous systems are still developing, which means that chemicals, toxins, and bacteria can affect them. Every time your children play on the floor, they are potentially being exposed to any one of a number of pathogens.

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