There are two types of people in this word: those who insist that everyone takes off their shoes before entering their house, and those that don’t care – at all.
But now, it turns out that those type A, shoes-off people were right all along.
There’s actually a very important (and frankly, disgusting) reason why we should never, ever, EVER wear our shoes inside.
According to faves.com, a new study by the University of Arizona has found an average of 421,000 different kinds of bacteria on shoes.
Just let that sink in for a second…
Coliforms, which is a type of bacteria which is found in faeces, was found underneath 96 per cent of shoes.
E. coli was also discovered on 27 per cent of shoes tested, as well as seven other bacteria strains, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (which can cause UTIs), and Serratia ficaria, which can cause respiratory infections.
They research also found that the transfer of bacteria from shoes to floors was between 90 and 99 per cent – so wearing shoes at home could truly be making you sick.
University of Arizona microbiologist Dr Charles Gerba said the findings were a wake up call.
“The common occurrence of coliform and E. coli bacteria on the outside of the shoes indicates frequent contact with fecal material, which most likely originates from floors in public restrooms or contact with animal fecal material outdoors,” he said.
“Our study also indicated that bacteria can be tracked by shoes over a long distance into your home or personal space after the shoes were contaminated with bacteria,” he added.
From now on? Shoes off.
Do you take your shoes off before walking inside?
Top Comments
How on earth did the human race survive for so long with just dirt floors? Luckily we have scientists who do lots of useless study to protect us now! We should keep using that anti-bacterial handwash at home too because that has worked out really well. In fact, why don't we get rid of our immune system altogether. Who needs it?
PS. Shoes-off houses suck.
Really this type of germaphobic nonsense is not helpful. Most of those bacteria we carry on our own skin and in our bowels anyway. Wear shoes in the house. And bare feet outside since a child - never get sick and neither do my kids. Exposure creates immunity.