Take Your Shoes off at the Door: Science Says It Could Make You Sick
Are you the type of person that when you visit a family or friends home you don't take off your shoes? Well, now you might want to cause it could make you and everyone else sick. According to USAtoday, your shoes track in dirt, and also fecal germs, diarrhea-inducing bacteria and even E. coli.
Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist, conducted a seminal study on the subject. He got 10 people together and they wore brand-new shoes for two weeks before their kicks were sampled for bacteria. The outside of the shoes averaged 421,000 units of bacteria, compared with 2,887 on the inside. And fecal bacteria appeared on 96% of the shoes. Yuck! If you have small kids who are crawling around and sticking things into their mouths, this could definitely be an issue.
A recent study of the germiest, most bacteria-ridden places in your home pointed to a bunch of areas you’re probably not putting your shoes or bare feet anywhere near. Those places include kitchen sinks, cutting boards, kitchen counters sponges, and toothbrush holders.
Source: USAtoday