Taking your shoes off at the front door is not just a courtesy thing or protecting your floors from getting dirty.

Accroding to WLWT, the soles of our shoes are one of the dirtiest places. I mean think about it, they touch EVERYTHING that you walk on-parking lots, stores, nasty bathrooms...you get the picture. Not only that, but they carry all kinds of bacteria, including one that we should definitely be worried about called " Clostridium difficile", also known as "C. diff".

This is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. And according to a 2017 study from the University of Huston, Clostridium difficile is found on 26.4% of shoe soles. Other studies have shown that shoes can carry Listeria monocytogenes, which can lead to an equally severe bacterial infection.

The study also revealed that if you think wiping your shoes off on the porch or door mat will get rid of the nasty bacteria, think again! Wiping your shoes off there only picks up more bacteria that someone else may have left behind.

So do yourself a solid. Make it a requirement (if you haven't already) to have you and your guests remove their shoes upon entering your house. Your floors, and your body will be much better off.

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