Shoes on the coffee table

cantdecide

An etiquette vs hygiene question for the room.

My friend and housemate will come in to our main living room wearing anything from his formal office shoes to runners or work books and will pop his feet up on our shared coffee table and will leave them there for extended periods of time. It’s a cheap piece of furniture that he bought so this is strictly a hygiene issue in a shared space to me.

I’m appalled he does this at all, but especially since I’ve asked him not to and have fought with him about it on other occasion. The couch reclines and as far as I’m concerned, this is why we have foot stools.

Am I out of order pushing this issue?

Outkast_IRE

Ye are both out of order wearing your shoes beyond the hall and front door. Dragging in filthy Street dirt all over the house . Take your shoes off at the front door and problem solved.

Bob Harris

cantdecide wrote: »

Am I out of order pushing this issue?

I cantdecide.

KaneToad

cantdecide wrote: »

An etiquette vs hygiene question for the room.

My friend and housemate will come in to our main living room wearing anything from his formal office shoes to runners or work books and will pop his feet up on our shared coffee table and will leave them there for extended periods of time. It’s a cheap piece of furniture that he bought so this is strictly a hygiene issue in a shared space to me.

I’m appalled he does this at all, but especially since I’ve asked him not to and have fought with him about it on other occasion. The couch reclines and as far as I’m concerned, this is why we have foot stools.

Am I out of order pushing this issue?

It would seem that he bought it for this purpose. He wants something to put his feet up on. You don't have an issue with the concept of putting your feet up - but you just don't approve of the piece of furniture being used? I would think that you shouldn't be pushing the issue...

cantdecide

KaneToad wrote: »

It would seem that he bought it for this purpose. He wants something to put his feet up on. You don't have an issue with the concept of putting your feet up - but you just don't approve of the piece of furniture being used? I would think that you shouldn't be pushing the issue...

So I just need to replace the coffee table so I can dictate the level of hygiene standards in our shared house. Well it’s an option I suppose

Mimon

KaneToad wrote: »

It would seem that he bought it for this purpose. He wants something to put his feet up on. You don't have an issue with the concept of putting your feet up - but you just don't approve of the piece of furniture being used? I would think that you shouldn't be pushing the issue...

It's a table in a shared space though. It would be used for putting drinks and snacks in most places. Very unhygienic to use it as a footrest especially with footwear worn outside.

Wearing shoes into the house that you have worn outside on the street is disgusting

KaneToad

cantdecide wrote: »

So I just need to replace the coffee table so I can dictate the level of hygiene standards in our shared house. Well it’s an option I suppose

Why is it unhygienic to put feet on his coffee table but not unhygienic to put them on a footstool?

I assume you don't eat off either?

Is the real issue that his preferred choice of 'footstool' is a coffee table that takes up too much of the limited real estate in the room?

bubblypop

bubblypop wrote: »

Wearing shoes into the house that you have worn outside on the street is disgusting

This. Think about how gross it is for a second. This problem starts way before it gets to the coffee table!

Mimon

bubblypop wrote: »

Wearing shoes into the house that you have worn outside on the street is disgusting

Yeh, I've gone down this route in the last few years, leave them at the door.

Remember living in Holland and would always have to have non holey matching socks as they all do this.

EmmetSpiceland

He should get a footstool for his feet. Whatever about taking your shoes off at the door, feet on a coffee table is rank.

Socked feet on a table would bother just as much. There’s stools and foot rests you can get easily enough for that purpose.

Purple is a Fruit

God that's just rude. Take off shoes if putting your feet on furniture, jeez (preferably don't put feet up on a coffee table either way).

But shoes inside the house (obviously not ones covered in muck) is not "disgusting" ffs. That's just a hysterical bandwagon. Perfect example of "someone somewhere said something - I'd better agree with it".

Putting on slippers for comfort when you get home is a different matter. I do that. But I wouldn't dream of telling guests to take their shoes off (unless, again, covered in muck). Wipe your shoes on the mat, that's loads. I regularly use a sweeping brush, dustpan and brush, hoover, mop and disinfectant to address invisible dirt.

iamwhoiam

There is a family on Gogglebox who have a plate of cakes on a footstool in every episode . And in every episode their feet are also on the footstool with shoe soles within millimetres of the cakes. It makes me shiver to see it

Stihl waters

bubblypop wrote: »

Wearing shoes into the house that you have worn outside on the street is disgusting

The vast majority of normal people think differently

biko

Get a newspaper.
Roll it up.
Hit him over the head while shouting "bad!, bad!"

Irish Stones

Stihl waters wrote: »

The vast majority of normal people think differently

I know nobody that wear shoes (that have been worn outdoors) indoors.

Bust up the coffee table with an axe.
In front of him.
.

Stihl waters

Stihl waters wrote: »

The vast majority of normal people think differently

Are you trying to say I'm not normal??

No they actually dont.
Visit most houses outside of Ireland and you won't see outdoor shoes worn inside the house.

alchemist33

Stihl waters wrote: »

The vast majority of normal people think differently

Indeed. It's like some people think any house where people wear shoes indoors is going to be struck down with a plague

xhomelezz

MikeOxsgreen wrote: »

Bust up the coffee table with an axe.
In front of him.
.

Just wait till he puts his feet up!

Dtp1979

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Ye are both out of order wearing your shoes beyond the hall and front door. Dragging in filthy Street dirt all over the house . Take your shoes off at the front door and problem solved.

We’re not living in Japan chief. Shoes on the table, god no

Purple is a Fruit

This is Ireland though - I do not know one person here who is precious enough to request that people take their shoes off in their homes (unless covered in muck - but the wearers of such shoes don't have to be asked as it goes without saying). And it's never been expected of me abroad either.

alchemist33

Irish Stones wrote: »

I know nobody that wear shoes (that have been worn outdoors) indoors.

I know nobody who leaves their shoes inside the door. Looks like the Venn diagram of people we know has two circles miles apart

Treppen

alchemist33 wrote: »

Indeed. It's like some people think any house where people wear shoes indoors is going to be struck down with a plague

Well there is dog###t everywhere.
Even if you avoid the turds just remember when it rains those turds dissipate all over the path.

EmmetSpiceland

Purple is a Fruit wrote: »

This is Ireland though - I do not know one person here who is precious enough to request that people take their shoes off in their homes (unless covered in muck - but the wearers of such shoes don't have to be asked as it goes without saying). And it's never been expected of me abroad either.

Have to do it in a mate of mine’s house. His wife isn’t Irish so I think it’s her “call”.

Doesn’t bother me, their house their rules.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

It’s his coffee table. He can ejaculate over it if he so pleases.

On the subject of outdoor shoes inside.. I don’t think it’s disgusting, but I love strutting around the house in my socks & sliders like a boss. When I finish work it’s straight into the shorts or sweats, weather dependent.

Stihl waters

Irish Stones wrote: »

I know nobody that wear shoes (that have been worn outdoors) indoors.

You must have a very small circle of weird friends

Stihl waters

Irish Stones wrote: »

I know nobody that wear shoes (that have been worn outdoors) indoors.

bubblypop wrote: »

Are you trying to say I'm not normal??

No they actually dont.
Visit most houses outside of Ireland and you won't see outdoor shoes worn inside the house.

Other countries good, Ireland bad, gotcha. Moronic argument to be fair

Taking shoes off at the door is for the English. Anybody asked to should just do a 180 and get back in the car.

Leg End Reject

I'd rather walk whatever invisible things are on my shoes around the house until I change into about-the-house clothes, than have shoes and slippers strewn inside the front door.

That craic is grand if you have a mud room, but not in most houses.

alchemist33

alchemist33 wrote: »

Indeed. It's like some people think any house where people wear shoes indoors is going to be struck down with a plague

Or they might feel that dragging crap from the streets around the floors of their home is just gross.