Taking your shoes off at the door as you enter a home is a common practice in parts of Asia and other cultures. But one doctor has warned that it's best to leave your shoes outside the door because of some serious health risks, including "severe gut infections."
Dr. Saurabh Sethi is a gastroenterologist who was trained at Harvard and Stanford. He told Newsweek that he started leaving his shoes outside his home after becoming a doctor because he was "worried about getting harmful germs from the hospital, clinics and surgery center to my home where I have little kids."
"Bringing shoes indoors can transfer outdoor pollutants like pesticides, lead and bacteria onto floors," he said. "These contaminants may pose health risks, especially for young children who play on the floor."
Sethi, who has been a physician for 20 years, has his own gastroenterology practice in Fremont, California. He recently shared a video from his Instagram account, @doctor.sethi, last month to explain why he "never" brings shoes into his home.
"Stop wearing shoes inside your home," he said in the video. "As a doctor, I strictly adhere to a no shoes inside policy at home. The reason is that shoes can harbor numerous toxins, including pesticides, chemicals, viruses, bacteria and heavy metals like lead."
A May 2008 study released by the Cleaning Industry Research Institute found "large numbers of bacteria" on both the bottom and inside of shoes.
The study, conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, found an average of 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe and 2,887 on the inside.
"The common occurrence, 96 percent, 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," Gerba said, according to the research institute's website.
Citing the 2008 study, Sethi warned that E. coli is "notorious for causing severe gut infections and UTIs [urinary tract infections]" in his Instagram video.
Bringing shoes into the home "poses a risk especially for households with crawling children, who are more susceptible due to their habit of putting everything in their mouth. To avoid these risks and maintain a healthy home, I strongly encourage everyone to remove your shoes before entering yours or any residence," the doctor said in the clip.
Can I Keep Shoes Indoors but Just by the Door?
Sethi told Newsweek that keeping shoes "just inside the door" can minimize the transfer of outdoor pollutants further into the home.
He said that "while keeping them outside is the safest option, placing them near the entrance helps contain potential contaminants and reduces the risk to indoor air quality."
What About Those Who Can't Remove Shoes?
For guests or residents in a home who are unable or don't want to remove their shoes, using disposable shoe covers is another option for minimizing the transfer of outdoor pollutants, Sethi said.
"They create a barrier between shoes and indoor surfaces, reducing the risk of bringing in dirt and contaminants. Regular cleaning of floors and surfaces is other good hygiene practice to follow," the doctor said.
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About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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