Happy guests AND clean carpet?

April 4, 2012 9:44 AM

We're having a housewarming party. Yay! Our house has white carpets and we live in a redwood grove with dirt paths. It's been raining tons. How do we keep our guests comfortable and our carpets clean?

We just moved to a lovely house with gorgeous white berber carpets. As I mentioned, all the walkways around our house are covered with mud and redwood duff. We are having our friends over for a housewarming party and I really don't want to force guests to take their shoes off if they don't want to, but I would also really like to not trash our carpets.

Can you help me word a note to hang by the front door saying something to the effect of "Please make sure your shoes are clean or feel free to kick them off if you'd like"? We do have a bench by the front door where people can sit down for shoe removal if they are so inclined.

I really don't want to be anal about this, but those carpets are a bitch to clean. Leaves would be easy enough, but mud is a whole different ballgame.

Thanks for your feedback!

posted by chatongriffes to home & garden (21 answers total)

What about just laying something down like this? People will understand.
posted by brainmouse at 9:46 AM on April 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

Put out some big, scrubby welcome mats on the way to the door, and maybe a couple more inside if there's room?

(I think the wording of your proposed sign is fine, btw.)

Also, I just realized we can't come, because we bought tickets for a show a while back that's the same night. Grrr. Sorry and happy new place to live!
posted by rtha at 9:47 AM on April 4, 2012

We had a colossal thread about this a way back.

I'd email everyone in advance so they can wear nice looking socks, and make little booties or slippers available if you want to avoid mud--or just ask people to bring a second set of house shoes to wear inside.

Forewarn them, and be gracious and apologetic. Personally, I'd also let them know that this is not going to be the norm at your future parties.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:48 AM on April 4, 2012 [4 favorites]

Buy a bunch of slippers/flipflops/etc, and warn people in advance that they need to take off their shoes or bring indoor shoes or whatever else, so they can choose to wear appropriate footwear and socks.
posted by jeather at 9:51 AM on April 4, 2012

Oh, yeah, I definitely read that thread. Fascinating how it divides people!

I would really prefer not to force my guests to take their shoes off, even if I did have slippers or flipflops on hand. I just want to make sure if they keep their shoes on, they are thoughtful about wiping them clean before coming in. For what it's worth, we do have a bunch of doormats all over the place, as rtha mentions.
posted by chatongriffes at 9:55 AM on April 4, 2012

Not wearing shoes in the house is one of those cultural specific things that I wish had caught on in the US. It just makes so much sense. But if you want to let them wear shoes, you can buy slip on shoe covers and hand them out at the door.
posted by COD at 10:13 AM on April 4, 2012

I know that previous thread was contentious, but: the absolute best way to keep your carpets clean is to ask people to take their shoes off; this is the Bay Area and people are used to varying shoe protocol. I'd say among the people I visit it's a 50/50 chance that it will be a shoes-off event.

I personally like a heads up so I don't wear trousers that require platforms or ugly socks, but I honestly can't imagine anyone who has lived around here for awhile caring to the point of unhappiness. If you let them know beforehand, they can let you know if they have a medical condition that requires shoes.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:30 AM on April 4, 2012

Make it a housewarming and a sock hop? You could give out a prize for the funniest, craziest, or ugliest socks.
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:41 AM on April 4, 2012 [5 favorites]

We have beautiful off white carpets, and three kids and manage to keep them clean by wearing slippers. It's impossible to keep them clean if you allow your guests to wear shoes. If you want to have lovely carpets then you have to accept that your guests are going to have to remove their shoes. We have found that everyone who visits us removes their shoes as soon as they see our carpets. We do attempt to advise people in advance so they can bring slippers or socks with them.
posted by stickyfingers62 at 11:23 AM on April 4, 2012

That was my thread that got so heated. What I've learned since then is that most people offer to take their shoes off if they see us in socks or barefoot. And particualrly when it's been raining and it's messy out, people are usually pretty aware of the need to wipe their feet as long as you provide them ample opportunity to do so. A couple of towels on the floor near the entry often helps reinforce the message.

(And for those keeping track, we don't ask anyone to take of their shoes but if they ask we tell them they can if they want. I learned a lot in that thread and now also make sure that I wear nice socks whenever I visit friends!)
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:24 AM on April 4, 2012

I was a jerk about this in the other thread (I'm sorry, otherworldlyglow), but even I would be fine with a note in the invitation asking for no shoes in the house. I just hate it being sprung on me.
posted by purpleclover at 11:26 AM on April 4, 2012 [2 favorites]

Where I grew up it was the norm to take you shoes off inside the house. But I've lived in the Bay Area for more than a decade where it usually isn't so I've gotten used to people wearing shoes in my house and wearing shoes in other people's houses. I tend to assume if I'm going to someone else's home for a party that I'll be wearing my shoes, so I don't worry about my socks or the state of my pedicure.

If I arrived at someone's home where it wasn't super clear whether I should or shouldn't I probably would opt to keep them on (current pedicure status=abysmal). I'd wipe them but... dirt path + white berber? You're kind of screwed if even one person doesn't do a super good job of it.

However: I recently went to a friend of a friend's for a baby shower and when I arrived there were PILES of shoes outside the door. So it was immediately clear to me that SHOES COME OFF. It wasn't obnoxious at all, and despite wearing substandard socks for the occasion, I didn't even blink. Off they came. So... you might not opt to say anything, because anything you SAY or WRITE might be interpreted as confrontational to people for whom These Things Matter. But if people arrive and find a pile of shoes outside the door (or just inside) then it becomes clear that everyone did it already. You might need to seed the pile with some of your own I guess. When I arrived I was a little late and most people were already there - so there were maybe 40 pairs of shoes out there. It was super clear.
posted by marylynn at 11:54 AM on April 4, 2012 [3 favorites]

There's no amount of scraping that is going to save your lovely carpets from muddy shoes, I don't think. Even if people scrape, mud stays in the treads, and that is going on your carpet as long as shoes are on.

I love the idea of a Special Sock party. Pretty socks, stupid socks, funny socks - just put it in the invitation (explaining about the carpet) and make it part of the event. Cute ice breaker for your guests; saves your carpet.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:53 PM on April 4, 2012 [2 favorites]

One really good point from the last thread is that once the guest list exceeds a certain number, the pile of shoes by the door becomes chaotic. Better to just cover your white carpets like brainmouse suggested when you're having any party, and that way you're protecting them against food and drink spills, shoes, baby puke, whatever.
posted by slow graffiti at 1:02 PM on April 4, 2012

Another point to consider is that guests might like a heads up about the mud situation so they won't wear a super-nice shoes. (Also remembering the SATC episode where Carrie has to remove her expensive designer shoes for a party and then can't find them when she is ready to go home).

I don't see any issue with an email explaining that the path is very muddy and you'd really appreciate it if people could take off their shoes before entering. A couple of cheap shoe racks might make it easier for people to find their shoes later.

A prize for funkiest socks would be awesome.
posted by bunderful at 1:34 PM on April 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you're giving a heads-up in the invitation, another option you could suggest is that they bring party shoes to change into. Northern winters, I hate wearing practical boots indoors, but wouldn't go outside without them, so I tend to carry my favorite indoor shoes around in my bag. Doesn't matter if I'm at work, at a friend's house, etc. Bonus, your guests avoid getting their funky party shoes all muddy. But it's something I wouldn't think to do in springtime unless the host suggested it.

"A word of warning, we're asking guests to help us keep our ridiculously muddy paths off our startlingly white carpet. We'll have towels for cleaning shoes, we'll set out spare slippers, you can wear your favorite funky socks, or you can bring your own clean indoor shoes to change into. Thanks for humoring us!"
posted by aimedwander at 2:06 PM on April 4, 2012 [2 favorites]

[Folks, ranting about a long closed thread is 100% not okay, please do not do that.]
posted by jessamyn at 2:58 PM on April 4, 2012

Def warn the guests about the mud issue.

Have you considered adding a theme?

Travel theme- We've been everywhere and now we are home. Ask a friend to stand 'guard' at the front door, greeting guests by waving a fake metal detector at them (think airport) and handing them airport booties. Take pictures of your guests as they come in and then use photo editing software to stick them in an exotic location. Print picture up to send home with them or print up as postcard to mail to them as thank you note. You can go to the party supply store and get whatever is on sale, combining countries decorations and food to make your party international.

Medical theme- Home is wear the heart is. Invite your guests to wear scrubs. Hand out surgical slippers at the door. Everyone is a heart surgeon for the day.
posted by myselfasme at 4:02 PM on April 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

You could try what they do in other cultures and buy everyone slippers (of all different sizes). They switch when they enter your house.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:00 AM on April 5, 2012

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. My boyfriend vetoed the let everyone keep their shoes and just put down plastic wrap plan, so I sent a note to our guests adding a couple details about the party and added "since it's muddy, we've been kicking our shoes off when we get home. You are welcome to do whatever is comfortable, just wanted to give shoe off folks a heads up so you don't end up in holey socks."

There will be SO MANY scrubby mats by the front door.
posted by chatongriffes at 10:26 AM on April 5, 2012

I usually don't take off my shoes even when I'm at home. (This is probably because I have wood floors, which are cold.) But I totally would not be offended by being asked to take my shoes off in this situation, because I understand there is mud.

I'm saying "would" like this is hypothetical. It's not. If I get my act together in the next few days I may buy socks.

On the other hand, I would never have white carpets, because I wouldn't be able to keep them clean. And putting down plastic wrap is just wrong.
posted by madcaptenor at 3:23 PM on April 5, 2012