Hygiene: how the simple habit of removing your shoes by entering you can contribute to your good health

My mother has always applied a rule: no shoes worn outside in her house. It doesn’t matter who you are. Member of the family, neighbor or guest, you must remove them before crossing the threshold.

As a child, I thought it was one of his many fans. But as I grew up (and becoming wiser), I understood that it was not an obsession of the order. It was health, safety and hygiene.

Cleanliness is often associated with visible dirt. But when it comes to shoes, what is hidden below the surface is often microscopic and much more dangerous than a little dry mud or grass.

Outdoor shoes are carrying bacteria, allergens and toxic chemicals, many of which can cause serious health problems.

Think about where your shoes go by every day: public toilets, sidewalks, hospitals and lawns treated with chemicals such as herbicides and insecticides to control weeds and pests.

According to a study by the University of Arizona, in the United States, 96 % of shoes have given a positive result for coliform bacteria, which is generally found in factories.

And what is even more worrying, 27 % contained “E. coli”, a bacteria linked to various infections, some of which are potentially fatal.

While some strains of “e. Coli” are harmless, others produce shigatoxins, which can cause bloody diarrhea and cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal affection which causes renal failure.

Children under the age of five run a particular risk due to the development of their immune system and the fact that they often carry their hands to their mouths.

But the “e. Coli” is not the only germ to sneak in your living room. Shoes also collect clostridium, a bacteria known to cause painful and sometimes serious diarrhea, and staphylococcus aureus, including Sarm, a “superbacteria” resistant to medication, which can cause deep skin infections, pneumonia or even fatal blood infections.

Health risks go beyond bacteria.

Shoes also act as carriers of chemicals and allergens. Studies have shown that outdoor shoes can contain pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals such as lead, which represent serious health risks, especially for young children and pets.

Exposure to lead, often present in dust or urban land, is particularly harmful for children, as it can affect brain development and cause permanent cognitive problems.

In addition, allergens and pollen can be fixed to the soles, worsening allergies and respiratory problems in what should be a safe refuge.

Even more alarming, the asphalt seals used on the roads contain carcinogenic compounds. An American study revealed that these chemicals can be inside and persist in domestic dust, sometimes at levels 37 times higher than those from the outside.

And who spends the most time near the ground? Children and pets. Children crawl, play and often put their hands in their mouths. Pets lick their legs after walking on these contaminated surfaces. Wearing outdoor shoes inside can involuntarily increase their exposure to harmful substances.

Given the evidence, my mother’s rule no longer seems so absurd. In fact, this could be one of the simplest and effective public health measures you can adopt at home.

By removing your shoes when entering, you not only avoid that dirt will only stain the carpet, but you also significantly reduce your family exposure to harmful microbes and chemicals.

And it’s not difficult to do. Leave a space for the shoes, near the entrance. You can also install a shoe cabinet or a basket, or even comfortable slippers for guests.

Asking someone to remove their shoes may seem embarrassing at first, but it is easy to forget that something as routine as entering the house can have hidden risks.

*Manal Mohammed is a professor holder of medical microbiology at the University of Westminster, in the United Kingdom.

This article was published in The Conversation and reproduced here under the Creative Commons license.