New Rule in the house today: LEAVE YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR. Over the past several years, we have tried the "no shoes in the house" rule, and it is HARD. But now, more than ever, it is extremely important because lil' G is all over our floors all day, every day. He crawls on them, plays on them, sticks his hands (and everything else) in his mouth and when you hear what your shoes are tracking into your home, I am pretty certain you will want to leave shoes at the door in your house too! Take a minute and think about where you (and your shoes) have been today...sidewalks (bird poop, spit, dog feces,etc.), public restroom floors (2 billion bacteria per square inch), streets (petroleum, leakage from garbage trucks, said things from sidewalk, etc), high traffic areas such as grocery stores, subways/MARTA, office buildings and only GOD knows where all those shoes have been.
What is on the Bottom of Your Shoes
- Fecal Matter
- Various forms of bacteria (not the good ones)
- Toxins
Research & Data
A University of Arizona research study examined germs on shoes and found an average of 421,000 units of bacteria with 9 different strains. 27% of the bacteria found were deadly E Coli and 96% of the shoes had feces on them. The transfer rate of these bacteria (and feces) from your shoe to your floor ranges from 90-99%, I don't like those odds.
A University of Houston study showed 39% of shoes had C. diff, which is now resistant to antibiotics and can cause severe diarrhea and colon inflammation, among some other nasty things.
Toxins from lawn treatments are easily tracked into your home. The research showed that the herbicides continue to hitchhike on your shoes even a week after the application.
A study from Baylor University showed that people who live near asphalt roads sealed with coal tar have an increased risk of cancer. This is largely in part from tracking the materials into your home, which then become a component of house dust which you end up inhaling. These toxins are especially dangerous to children.
Summary
Easy steps to ensure you aren't trekking all the above said nastiness into your home:
- Ditch the shoes at the door.
- Swiffer & Steam Wet Mop your floors frequently. And if you have carpet, vacuum.
- On a pet note, obviously Kye can't take his paws off, so he now has a Paw Plunger.