Do you brush off your feet before you get into bed?

United States
June 30, 2008 3:29pm CST
Whenever I get into bed, I brush off my feet so that I don't track dirt or dust into the bed. It's hard sleeping on dirt particles. We have stone tile floors, so the dirt has nowhere to hide. It doesn't hide in the carpet. Instead it gets on our feet and then gets into the bed. Do you brush off your feet before you get into bed? Have you ever considered what kind of germs your feet are tracking onto your sheets?
6 people like this
23 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
30 Jun 08
Yes I always do this, it's a bit of a habit. I have mostly hard woods and linoleum, so I have the same problem you do. I have put a towel or t shirt next to the bed sometimes to wipe my feet on before getting in bed. I need to get an area rug there.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jun 08
Really good ideas! I might get some of that sanitizing hand lotion and use it on my feet before bedtime. Thanks for the tips.
• United States
30 Jun 08
I don't really need to because near my bedroom is usually carpet and it is vacuumed daily. Also, i wear socks when i'm at home and I'm rarely ever barefoot. I also change sheets once a week so i doubt i get dust or dirt into my bed. At least i hope i don't.
1 person likes this
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
30 Jun 08
I don't brush my feet off before getting into bed. I have carpet on the floor in my room, so if there was anything on my feet from the bare floors it would have come off on the carpet. Plus I do not like the thought of going to bed with dirty hands because I brushed off my feet.
• United States
30 Jun 08
That's a quandry. I don't use my hands to brush off my feet, though. So it wouldn't perplex me. I just rub one foot against the other one. It does the same job. I'm thinking about crocheting a small rug for the floor beside my bed. That will take care of the foot issue. Thanks for your post. Always fun to chat with you online at MyLot!
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
1 Jul 08
Well, I guess that is not so bad then. I think putting something down on the floor by the bed sounds like a good idea.
• United States
1 Jul 08
When you said brush off your feet with your hands, I cringed! Literally. Cause if you've read my other posts you know how much of a germ phobe that I am. I have a special technique for doing it. I had to learn when we moved out of our other place that had carpets. I've never had this problem anywhere else! It's all bare floors and they're a breeze to sanitize. The up-side is that we don't get flea infested carpets during the summer. That does make things nicer for us and the cats! My poor girl cat used to bite and scratch herself silly during flea season. It's pretty rough here in the South.
@ellie333 (21016)
30 Jun 08
Hi Beautyqueen, I always wear slippers indoors and to be quite honest have never even thought about this before. So in answer to your question, no I don't brush them off and don't really give a thought to the germs either really. Ellie :D
• United States
1 Jul 08
I'll bet that you do!
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
1 Jul 08
I did as well LOL. Ellie :D
@ellie333 (21016)
30 Jun 08
PS I bet I do tonight now though!
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
30 Jun 08
Yes, i brush off my feet and more in the sumemer. i am alwys barefoot or have flip flops in . the worse feeling is to rub lotion on the feet and have dirt mixed in , it feels so funny . sometimes , i will even wash them , and anyway most times i shower before bed too .
• United States
30 Jun 08
I've done that lotion/dirt thing. It's an awful mess! I like the shower before bedtime. I get busy and forget sometimes. That would probably help me sleep better anyway! Thanks for the tip.
• United States
3 Jul 08
Sure most nights in the summer i have to shower because i went for a swim and frezing my bum off , nothing like a warm shower.
• United States
30 Jun 08
I can't say I do, and I've never heard of brushing your feet before going into bed. However, I DO shower at night, and generally go to bed shortly after so I don't need to worry about dirty feet quite as much. I'm usually much more concerned with where my head is placed on the bed. The sheets must be clean, and so must my hair/skin.
1 person likes this
• Canada
30 Jun 08
I tend to leave my shoes on in he house, because I never go anywhere where the ground is that dirty. I walk on a lot of pavement, and my floors don't get dirty that easily. I do wipe my feet on the way in the door, incase there is anything on the bottom of my shoes. When I go o bed at ight, all I need to do is take my shoes off.
• United States
30 Jun 08
I'm thinking about the slipper idea. We have bare floors through out the house and slippers would be an ideal way to keep my feet clean. I've noticed that my feet still pick up dust even when I shower before bedtime. But then bedtime is not always right after the shower. At least for me.
@teison2 (5921)
• Norway
30 Jun 08
Yes I do brush off my feet. I usually have wool socks on so I do not get much dirt onto my sheets anyways. I do consider what I bring with me into my bed, yes.
• United States
30 Jun 08
You are smart!
@hezoid (2144)
30 Jun 08
Nope, i generally wear slippers aroud the house do i don't need too, and we have carpets all upstairs do i don't really get dust/dirt on my feet other than maybe a bit of fluff usually cat-fluff, lol!).
• United States
1 Jul 08
Slippers are a good idea. I get cat-fluff too! I've got three cats. They are all over the house.
@alexsis (2149)
• United States
30 Jun 08
I'm always walking around the house in my slippers or socks. But before I get into the bed I take them off. I hate when trash gets into the bed.
• United States
30 Jun 08
I thought that I was the only one who noticed this. Sometimes when I bring up my dirt in bed preoccupation, people look at me as if I have a horn growing out of one eye. It was different when I had carpets. The dirt had places to hide.
@greysfreak (1384)
• United States
1 Jul 08
Oh wow, I never really thought about this. We have carpeting all over except the kitchen. But I definitely get what you are saying about germs and just plain nasty stuff getting on the bed. I am totally conscious when it comes to dishes and food not being germy, and even when I know it's clean I still get paranoid, yet I never really thought about the fact that basically I could be sleeping in dirt that builds up from my feet! Wow, this is definitely a good point you brought up! +'s all the way. :)
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
1 Jul 08
Hello dear beauty queen. I wash my feet while taking a shower, but I seldom brush my feet. There were a couple of times when I did brush them, but that was when I got lots of dirt on rainy days in hot summer. Thank you.
• United States
1 Jul 08
Yes, we get rainy days here too. And then the mud sticks to everything. Thank you for your kind reply Your friend, BeautyQueen
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jun 08
Oh yeah I have to do that before I go to bed. It feels so uncomfortable when you get into bed like that and If I for some reason forget I get up and do it. And it's crazy because we like sweep like so many times here in my house and then by the night the floor still has dirt. I get so miffed sometimes at that.
• United States
1 Jul 08
Thank you! See, you get it. It's hard to explain to anyone that has carpets. They just imagine everyone is living in the same world they are. I hate bare floors, but really they are so much easier to clean than carpets. Carpets get filthy! Thanks for your post.
• United States
11 May 10
I also walk Barefoot indoors and outdoors all the time so I'm used to having very Dirty Bare feet. Like most Americans now, I also walk barefoot before I go to bed, and it doesnt bother me to go right to bed with my Bare feet Dirty. Just like Ruthep's husband. All of my male friends,and a good many of my lady friends say they also walk barefoot before they go to bed, and also go right to bed with Dirty Bare Feet.
• United States
2 Jul 08
oh yea i do.between the family members landscaping and the flung cat litter in the house,could be anything on them.i try to keep on top of it,but once in a while it still gets around anyway.
@bagumbayan (2705)
• Philippines
7 Aug 08
I dont need to. I know I have my clean feet. I dont usually get it wet as I am wearing shoes the whole day. Dont get your feet wet, it might cause arthritis or varicose viens.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
2 Jul 08
I wear socks around the house and I take them off before going to bed for the very same reasons. Hubby goes around barefoot and doesn't wipe his feet which irriates me to no end. In the morning when I make the bed, I shake the sheets to empty what ever got in them. Also I won't change the sheets off of my bed unless I know I'll vacuum the floors that day unless of course, something was spilled on them such as a drink or what not.
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
26 Aug 08
I have hardwood floors in my bedroom and carpet throughtout the rest of my house except kitchn and bathroom. I vacuum my floors once a week and I have never had a problem as you have stated. I have never had to brush off my feet before I go to bed and I have never had any crumbs in my bed either. I also don't ever eat anything in bed so I don't get crumbs that way either. Mind you I usually have socks on so when I take off my socks I wouldn't have crumbs on my feet anyways.
@Gesusdid (1676)
• United States
1 Jul 08
i dont brush my feet off i usally wear my socks to bed , and it keeps me from getting sick, so far ive had a great record going on about 1 and half of not getting sick ...but then again i guess when i think about all the germs off my socks and in my house shoes ...
@nupats (3564)
• India
1 Jul 08
yes i slso do brsh my feet before climbing on to the bed if i m not wearing my slippers..normally i keep my slippers on..my mom goes one step ahead she washes her hands, face and feet before sleeping..