Shoes can be gross. We wear them everywhere. They pick up everything on them from everywhere, and then we think nothing of walking straight into our homes without removing them, only to track everywhere and everything all over our carpets and rugs. Get the picture? So, although the practice seems to be relatively uncommon in most Western countries, you may want to be the first of your friends to start a trend of taking your shoes off before entering your home.
Shoes pick up dirt, bacteria, germs, chemicals and mold spores, which you are carrying directly into your home. Sometimes they find a safe haven with rugs that are not vacuumed frequently and seldom cleaned, where you and your children may be lounging and playing. Good Morning America did a study that found the bottom of shoes to be dirtier than a public toilet seat! Think about all of the filthy public restrooms you are forced to use on a road trip. Do you want the black mold from the gas station bathroom on your bedroom carpet?
Once inside your home and on your floors and carpets, all of that bacteria and mold can spread and make you sick. The simplest solution? Remove your shoes prior to entering your home. Place a container right inside your door to drop your shoes into, or better yet, remove your shoes in the garage before walking inside.
Cleaning the mold from my shoes in addition to removing them before entering my home is the ideal solution for me. I don’t want to risk exposing my husband or son to any mold or bacteria with their sensitivities. While there are many cleaning solutions that will kill mold—vinegar, bleach, ammonia—I choose to use EC3 Mold Solution Spray. Each of the other cleaners has their own set of precautions and odors, but I use EC3, because it is more effective, odorless and safe.
When you clean your shoes, always remember to do it outside, because disturbing mold spores will scatter them into the air, and you don’t want them all over your home. Remove your shoes. I spot clean dirt and debris from mine with a wet cloth. Then I apply EC3 Mold Solution Spray all over the soles and fabric or leather uppers. If the shoe material is prone to watermarks or stains, do not saturate it with the solution. Instead, apply it to a clean, soft cloth, and wipe it over the upper material. It will dry without harming the leather or fabric. Place the shoes outside, preferably in the warm sunshine, to dry. Mold spores and mycotoxins will be eliminated until the shoes are worn outside again.
Why spend thousands on your health and thousands more on detoxing and cleaning your home, if you are going to wear the enemy inside with you on your shoes?
