Leave Dirt at the Door: How Taking Off Your Shoes Can Improve Your Health

By Laura Dern


In many cultures it's customary to remove your shoes before entering a home for spiritual or practical reasons.

And as a mom, I encourage the practice because I want a clean home. But taking off your shoes not only helps keep your home cleaner, it also helps keep it healthier. Think about it. Where have the bottom of your shoes been? If you've stopped to fill up your car, you can track home gasoline on your feet. If you've walked through a freshly treated lawn or putting green, you can track home toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Seemingly benign dirt can have traces of lead in it. You walk through it, then you walk through your home leaving traces on your rug, your baby crawls past, and then stops to put her hand in her mouth. Get the picture?

The professional cleaning industry estimates that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes in from the outside on our shoes or paws of pets. In a recent warning about lead exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifically recommends that shoes remain outside the house. According to a report called The Door Mat Study, lead-contaminated soil from the outside causes almost all the lead dust inside homes. It notes that wiping shoes on a mat and removing them at the door cuts lead dust by 60 percent. The study explains that limiting the amount of dust and track-in may also help reduce exposure to lawn and garden pesticides, wood smoke and industrial toxins, mutagens, dust mites, and allergens.

Wiping our shoes off as we enter the home reduces the amount of contaminated dirt tracked in. Large mats, that cover two or three strides, will ensure that even those that refuse to wipe will leave most of the dirt clinging to their shoes on the mat rather than your carpet

The BEST solution is to take off your shoes as you enter your home. It is a good excuse to buy some great socks or slippers. And your flooring will stay clean as well as keep dirt and potential toxic threats from getting into carpets. If going shoeless is not acceptable to family members, suggest that they wear house shoes (that don't go outside), slippers or socks.

And walking around in soft slippers, socks, or barefoot does another wonderful thing - it helps us relax and unwind.

Sources:
EPA, Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil
Housekeeping Solutions, Floor Care: Rolling Out the Welcome Mat
Small Property Owners of America, The Door Mat Study


Susan Thomas, owner
Cypriana ~ the natural home store

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Cypriana ~ the natural home store

Cypriana prefers organically-grown cotton

At Cypriana, we prefer organically-grown cotton because it is not treated with pesticides, herbicides or petroleum-based fertilizers. In addition, organic cotton doesn’t use genetically-engineered seed, so it isn’t a genetically-modified organism (GMO).

There has been some controversy surrounding the effects to humans of using GMOs on an ongoing basis. Infants and children are especially susceptible to any harmful effects of GMOs, because they are growing and changing at a rapid rate and have fewer defenses against the toxins contained in GMOs.

Recently, however, fiber farmers in the United States, Egypt, India and other countries have been raising cotton organically without the use of costly, often ineffective and dangerous chemicals. Many growers and manufacturers of organic fabrics are devoted to developing alternative sources of the world’s favorite natural fiber.

As part of our commitment to making the world a healthier place, Cypriana will offer its customers products made with organically-grown cotton whenever possible.

Cypriana ~ the natural home store

"Think Spring" with Slipcovers from Cypriana

Now that spring is here, many of us are anxious to see the sunshine, plant some flowers or greenery, and do our proverbial “spring cleaning.” Whether you are cleaning house or just clearing the mental cobwebs, spring is also a great time to try a new look for your home.

If you are ready to put away those heavier winter fabrics and try a lighter look this season, consider recovering your furniture or having slipcovers made for your pillows, duvet or bedding. Slipcovers are an easy, affordable way to revamp your look for spring!

Stop by Cypriana to see our selection of traditional and organic fabrics. With hundreds of fabrics to choose from in a variety of price ranges, you’re sure to find a design that you love.

Think spring,

Susan Thomas
Cypriana ~ the natural home store

The Many Benefits of Cloth Diapers

New parents have a lot to think about, including the choice between cloth and disposable diapers. This decision must be based on what is best for you and your baby, and I encourage you to think about using cloth diapers.

Today’s cloth diapers are very different from the leaky, bulky, inconvenient diapers of the past. The modern cloth diaper is available with different absorbent liners, disposable liners and outer waterproof covers. Cloth, especially organic cotton, tends to be gentler on baby’s sensitive skin and has the added benefit of causing less environmental damage. While protecting your baby’s bottom, you can protect your own bottom line knowing that cloth diapers cost less over a two or three year period than disposables.

If you find cloth diapers to be the best choice for your family, consider the Mother-ease Diaper system available at Cypriana. These diapers are available in 100% organic cotton and are manufactured using 100% green power.

Read our October 21, 2008 blog post, “Mother-ease Diaper System Now at Cypriana” to learn more about this environmentally-friendly choice for your baby’s diapering needs.


Susan Thomas
Cypriana ~ the natural home store