I can hardly believe that we have been in our home now for 20 years.  My husband and I have raised our two sons and a puppy in this home.  The day we moved in everything was spanking new.  I spent the next 20 years trying to keep it that way–in particular the carpet.  Not a small feat when dealing with muddy shoes and paws.  I vacuumed daily and was diligent when dealing with messy accidents trying to avert the inevitable, but after twenty years I could do no more.

There are many advantages to requiring that everyone that enters your home remove their shoes.  It isn’t just about keeping your carpets and floors looking nice and lasting longer, but also about your health.  Removing your shoes at the door can help eliminate dirt, dust, pollen as well as other allergy triggers.

In a family with 3 sons, we really go through the tennis shoes. They have holes, rips, stains, and I won’t even mention the smell. There is no way I can donate them to charity, and I hate to fill up the landfills with them. Can you believe that someone wants these old outcasts? Nike does!