Shoes Off Indoors: Good Manners or Essential for Household Health?

Australian scientists have found that shoes worn outside may be better left at the door than walked through the house. Ivanko_Brnjakovic/iStock

The practice of taking one’s shoes off at the door is often thought of as a cultural choice rather than a hygienic one, however, a study conducted by Australian environmental chemists suggests that this should not be the case.

Scientists from the Australian Macquarie University who are studying the household environment and what contaminants exist within it have determined that when shoes are not taken off at the door a number of harmful contaminants can be walked into the home.