Is it dirty to keep shoes inside? Or even unhealthy?

One is less difficult than the other, wear shoes inside. While some prefer to leave the steppers at the door, another effortlessly walks around the house with shoes on their feet. But is it really dirty? Or even unhealthy?

Okay, it may save you from vacuuming or mopping, but is wearing shoes indoors bad for your health? the scientist magazine quest to guess. previously written Subway also on the ask if you throw the yellow mop in the trash or in the washing machine now?

Unhealthy indoor shoes?

To answer this question, they take a closer look at a number of scientific studies. Including an American study from the University of Houston in 2013, in which researchers took samples of bacteria in around thirty urban homes. And what happened? Clostridium difficile bacteria have been found on nearly forty percent of shoe soles. This bacteria causes diarrhea and intestinal infections, but most people can handle such bacteria.

Three years later, another team of researchers, from the same university, examined the research material collected on dirt and soil infections. They concluded that walking around a room can cause dirt to swirl up from the floor. And can even cause infections in humans. To this end, studies in hospitals were examined, among others. Which showed that the wounds became infected. It usually doesn’t really play a role at home. In the household, this mainly concerns the inhalation of certain substances.

Pathogens through shoes

But knowing exactly whether a certain condition or infection is caused by the dirt under our shoes is not so easy. Microbiologist Rijkelt Beumer from Wageningen University explains quest shows that pets are a much bigger source of infection than shoe soles. “Contaminated food and the contaminated hands of people preparing food are also more important in making people sick,” the microbiologist said. According to him, therefore, more attention should be paid to dirty hands or food than to the soles of shoes.

And there, Beumer answers the question of whether to put on or take off shoes indoors. According to him, pathogens enter the house well through shoes. But because the environment is dry, they cannot grow. “Survival is possible, sometimes for months if the cleaning is not enough.” However, he considers the risk of adults becoming ill to be “small”. He points out that the risk for crawling children is greater.

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