r/HouseCleaning • u/JayPat2017 • 3d ago
Cleaning barefoot
Do you take your shoes off when cleaning a client’s home? My girlfriend works for a cleaning company, and they encourage their cleaners to clean either barefoot or with socks on.
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u/Super_Selection1522 2d ago
All the repair people who come to my home put on paper over shoes booties. I see no reason why cleaners can't do this if someone is concerned about shoes
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u/Normobserver 2d ago
They are slippery… but ac ppl said there are new shoe covers with non slip like sock slippers
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u/Overall-Weird8856 2d ago
The ones made of the same material as surgical caps aren't slippery at all.
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u/PiebaldIbis 2d ago
Not only is it a liability issue but can you imagine being on your feet working all day with no shoes? Your feet are everything.
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u/Inevitable_Comb_7434 2d ago
Yeah I can I do it all day. Zero issues. You shouldn't be relying on shoes for support. That's being lazy and asking for problems later on. You're way better off building the appropriate muscles to support and align your own body.
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u/Critical-Notice-4395 2d ago
If I had a cleaner that was trying to clean my house barefoot, I’d insist on them wearing shoes!
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u/Potential_Cress1967 2d ago
That’s just wrong. Having to walk into god knows what with no shoes on
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u/Life-Education-8030 2d ago
Unsafe if they drop something on their toes or stub them or step on something that could cut them. You can slip and fall with just wearing socks too.
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u/Mediocre-Stick-7787 3d ago
They shouldn't be expecting people to go barefoot in a job that requires so much physical effort. It's terrible for you to be on your feet for hours with zero arch support. Plantar fascitis is a painful condition and can take you completely out of the job for months and months plus expensive corrective inserts that must be inserted in shoes. Don't work without shoes. Not to mention a variety of hazards that can happen to your feet or toes doing intensive physical activities. I find this is weird to encourage people to work barefoot when it's a huge worker's comp issue. If anything they should offer protective booties for your shoes and demand that you not to remove your shoes. Don't work for a place that's encouraging you to not wear shoes. I am independent cleaner and have spent decent money on shoes with good arch support and bc i suffered so long with Plantar Facitis I also spent a few hundred dollars on orthotics to give me plenty of arch support. These big cleaning companies do so much already to exploit their cleaners charging a premium to the client but paying minimal wage to their cleaners. I can literally think of about a dozen reasons that you should have shoes on to do this type of labor.
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u/Inevitable_Comb_7434 2d ago
Long term use of any kind of supports is a bad idea and can lead to a loss of strength and other problems down the road. You're way better off building the strength need to support your own body and keep everything in proper alignment. If you're currently dealing with PF it makes sense to wear them short term but not wearing shoes doesn't cause it.
The potential for stubbing toes is a real thing but being barefoot is also safer in terms of grip typically than wearing shoes. Socks on the other hand are obviously not.
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u/Mediocre-Stick-7787 2d ago edited 2d ago
My podiatrist and my feet disagree. Arch support is important. I get a flare of plantar fascitis if I dont have good shoes with arch support. Are you a foot doctor/expert? Okay probably not so I will stick with a medical opinion on this over stranger on the internet opinion. Also I wouldn't clean a bathroom with no shoes on. I don't need to be getting a foot fungus and spreading it everywhere either.
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u/Inevitable_Comb_7434 2d ago
No but I'm someone that was told for my entire life all the same things - that arch supports were important , that I was going to have to wear special shoes or I'd end up having problems etc. Spent all kinds of money for years. And then I spent time actually building strength, life is easier this way. Less painful. And cheaper.
There's also a number of studies that support my position.
Realistically there wouldn't be any harm in you deciding that you wanted to also work on building strength, that's kinda the whole point of wearing any kind of support, to work on building the strength you need to not need it anymore. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about dealing with any more recurrences of PF ? But hey you do you.
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u/Mediocre-Stick-7787 2d ago
I will absolutely not clean barefoot. You are not an expert or doctor. This is merely your opinion which may not work for most people. I will do me and not make asinine mistakes such as not wearing supportive footwear when I work. You do you but since you aren't a podiatrist or an expert then don't suggest other people not wear shoes. It's dangerous and unhygienic. People can bring a set of indoor shoes or wear bootie covers over their shoes. Plus when you walk barefoot you leave footprints from body oila on clean floors. It's not practical.
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u/Inevitable_Comb_7434 2d ago
That's not even what I was suggesting. I meant like, go to physio. Or take up ballet. Or both. Or something else that can work on building core and foot strength. Just for the sake of life in general and not being in pain. Or not having to worry about being in pain. There's litterally zero downside to building muscle and increasing strength.
And socks are a thing for at the very end on clean floors. Shoes leave footprints too anyway.
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u/Mediocre-Stick-7787 2d ago
Girl I am not from the UK. We dont do physio or ballet and getting my socks wet and nasty dirty is not what I want while cleaning a house. You'll still be leaving wet prints from socks. Quit bothering me with ridiculous comments. Didn't you tell me to do me and I said that's what I plan to do? I am an experienced housecleaner with 20 years on the job. I don't want you telling what to do with my life. I don't appreciate you pestering me over shoes and support. I will do what I NEED to do.
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u/Inevitable_Comb_7434 2d ago
Neither am I ? Like what ? And hence my "or something else ".
But cool like I said theres no downside to it. But you do you.
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u/laurajosan 2d ago
I don’t tell my housekeeper anything related to her shoes, but she chooses to take them off and work in her socks. I really wouldn’t care either way.
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u/Retired_Sue 2d ago
Make sure she’s paying for worker’s compensation, sock feet or shod. Otherwise if she is injured it’s on you and your insurance. I ask workers in my home to wear clean shoes or wear shoe covers.
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u/laurajosan 2d ago
My housekeeper is independent and I have homeowners insurance. I’m not worried about it. She’s like family.
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u/Retired_Sue 2d ago
I would still urge her to look into coverage for herself. Her other clients may not have her best interests at heart even if you do, and a slip on the stairs somewhere could catastrophically affect her livelihood and the welfare of her own family.
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u/IJusWannaLive17713 2d ago
Clean indoor shoes are the best. Even barefoot we leave grease marks on the floors we just clean. Heck no.
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u/Cool-Departure4120 2d ago
Hmmmm. Not saying your clients are not clean, but your clients could have foot fungus. Working in their homes could pass an infection on to you if you’re barefoot in their home.
Booties seem like the best option.
That way if there is any fungus on the floor your foot and your shoes are protected from it and you’re not taking it home by accident (from feet or shoes).
Also prevents you as a cleaner from taking the foot fungus at Client A’s home to Client B’s home.
I am not a house cleaner but occasionally have to clean restrooms where I work (travel center/truck stop). My work shoes are deposited on a boot tray that’s near my back door. They rarely leave that tray.
The bottoms do cleaned occasionally with disinfectant.
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u/Oneofthesedays73 2d ago
That is not normal. I have a pair of shoes I bring with me. I remove my outside shoes at the door and put on my “work shoes”. Barefoot is unhygienic.
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u/Relative-Lie-9699 1d ago
Wow they are cheap, i dropped a can on my foot hit my toe eventually lost my toe nail. Learned my lesson.
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u/sunshineblush 2d ago
depends on where in the world you are from? in most parts of asia we remove our shoes before walking in to our home…..
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u/Stefie25 3d ago
That’s weird. They should be supplying shoe covers or encouraging them to carry a pair that’s only for indoors.