Your shoes have been everywhere and picking up little souvenirs along the way.  Not the kind of souvenirs that you’ll be happy to share with others but the kind that may make you and your family sick.  Studies have found the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) and clostridium difficile (C. diff) on shoes. Researchers from the University of Houston conducted a study and found over 26 percent of shoes carry the bacterium C. diff.  E. coli is a sickening bacteria known to cause diarrhea and urinary tract infections.  C. diff is known to cause explosive diarrhea. I don’t know about you but I don’t want anything explosive coming out of me.

You can easily pick up small amounts of gasoline or antifreeze from your trip to the gas station.  Or, gather traces of lawn fertilizer or other chemicals in your daily morning walk through the neighborhood.  Tracking these harmful chemicals and/or toxins can then get released into the air you and your family breath everyday.

We’ve read about the reasons to not wear shoes in the house, here’s a really good one.  How about not having to mop or vacuum as much.  Now, we’re not saying you can throw away your cleaning tools but you may need them less often.  You won’t have to worry about muddy footprints in your home or stress over always removing dirt from your carpet.  Your mop, vacuum, and health will thank you later.

We know germs are everywhere and we do our best to minimize the spread by washing our hands.  But what about our shoes?  You can wash your shoes everyday like you do your hands, but who has the time for that.  Implementing a “No Shoes in the House” rule would be much easier.  Since you’ll be taking your shoes off at the door now, keep those feet comfy, cozy, and protected with a pair of house slippers or shoes.