# Virus on the soles of your shoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 24, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497 "2020-04-24T13:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/1 "2020-04-24T13:50:05Z")
_Ta na na, ta na na na…_ 😉 This is something I’ve wondered about after my last couple of trips to the grocery store. I’m walking on floors that other people have walked on, in footwear that has been in homes where the coronavirus may or may not be present. Is the possibility a realistic one that the soles of my shoes might be picking up the coronavirus from the floor that we all are walking on, or am I being paranoid? _People say I’m crazy, I’ve got virus on the soles of my shoes, that’s one way to lose these walking blues…_ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/2 "2020-04-24T13:52:54Z")
Sure it could happen. That’s why most people stopped licking the soles of their shoes once the virus story got out. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/3 "2020-04-24T13:56:41Z")
OK, that was good. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/4 "2020-04-24T14:51:55Z")
But people still haven’t stopped licking their floors. It must stop. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/5 "2020-04-24T14:57:18Z")
But seeeeriously… Yes. You’ve got a ton of bacteria on your soles, and you may have virus there, too. But so what? Unless you’re licking your floors (Mmm, maple tongue’n’groove…), you’re ok. Now, if you have pets who might bring that onto furniture, change shoes. We’ve been changing shoes and washing coats after venturing into grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/6 "2020-04-24T15:00:27Z")
This is going to exacerbate the shoes in the house (or not) controversy that has raged here for years. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/7 "2020-04-24T15:10:54Z")
> [@digs](#): > > But seeeeriously… > > Yes. You’ve got a ton of bacteria on your soles, and you may have virus there, too. But so what? Unless you’re licking your floors (Mmm, maple tongue’n’groove…), you’re ok. Or sitting on the floor while playing a game of cards with the Firebug, or lying on the floor while watching TV…yeah, no way it could get on my clothes, and then on my hands when I touch my clothes? > [@](#): > > Now, if you have pets who might bring that onto furniture, change shoes. We’ve been changing shoes and washing coats after venturing into grocery stores. We’ve got cats, yes. Who can catch the virus as well as merely transporting it. And who like to hang out on the carpet just inside the door. And of course I may need to walk there later. So even though I take off my shoes after coming inside, there are still multiple opportunities for me or the Firebug or the cats to bring the virus from the floor near the basement door where I come in, to other parts of the house, assuming it’s gotten in with me in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/8 "2020-04-24T15:13:50Z")
> [@](#): > > **I’ve read that when I get home from a trip outside I should remove my shoes and wipe them down. Should I waste my precious disinfectant wipes on my shoes?** > Shoes can harbor bacteria and viruses, but that doesn’t mean they are a common source of infection. A 2008 study commissioned by Rockport Shoes found a lot of gross stuff, including fecal bacteria, on the soles of our shoes. A recent study from China found that among health care workers, half had coronavirus detected on their shoes, which is not unexpected since they worked in hospitals with infected patients. > > So what should we do about our shoes? If your shoes are washable, you can launder them. Some readers asked about cleaning the soles of their shoes with a wipe. That is not recommended. Not only does it waste a good wipe (they are still in short supply), but it brings germs that would stay on the sole of your shoe or on the ground directly to your hands. > > You can try not to think about what’s lurking on your shoes — or you can have a conversation with your family about becoming a shoe-free household. We covered the pros and cons of shoeless living in our article, “Should You Take Your Shoes Off at Home?” If you have a child who crawls or plays on the floor, a family member with allergies, or someone with a compromised immune system, a shoe-free home might be a good idea for general hygiene. > > Dr. Janowski said shoes are not a big worry for contracting coronavirus, but it might make you squeamish if you think about where your shoes have been. “If you want to talk about bacteria, we know bacteria love to live on shoes,” Dr. Janowski said. “You never know what you stepped in.” > **[Is the Virus on My Clothes? My Shoes? My Hair? My Newspaper? (Published 2020)](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/well/live/coronavirus-contagion-spead-clothes-shoes-hair-newspaper-packages-mail-infectious.html)** > > We asked the experts to answer questions about all the places coronavirus lurks (or doesn’t). You’ll feel better after reading this. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/9 "2020-04-24T20:06:38Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/well/live/coronavirus-contagion-spead-clothes-shoes-hair-newspaper-packages-mail-infectious.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/well/live/coronavirus-contagion-spead-clothes-shoes-hair-newspaper-packages-mail-infectious.html) Thanks for posting this! It was most informative. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/10 "2020-04-25T03:08:51Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So even though I take off my shoes after coming inside, there are still multiple opportunities for me or the Firebug or the cats to bring the virus from the floor near the basement door where I come in, to other parts of the house, assuming it’s gotten in with me in the first place. I’ve been assuming my hands have virus on them, so I make sure to wash before I touch any food. Or my face. I’ve been snacking more than ever, so I’ve been washing my hands a LOT. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/11 "2020-04-25T06:46:59Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/well/live/coronavirus-contagion-spead-clothes-shoes-hair-newspaper-packages-mail-infectious.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/well/live/coronavirus-contagion-spead-clothes-shoes-hair-newspaper-packages-mail-infectious.html) > > “If you want to talk about bacteria, we know bacteria love to live on shoes,” Dr. Janowski said. “You never know what you stepped in.” I know what I step in. I needn’t (as I did in NYC) walk along with my head down, kicking dog turds from my path - a characteristic step there. Out here in the boonies I can use my tired eyes to avoid deer shit in our meadow and forest, bear poop occasionally on our front porch, and fungal growths spreading from downed wood. And as always, avoid wet puddles - ya never know how deep they are. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/12 "2020-04-25T07:02:08Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sure it could happen. That’s why most people stopped licking the soles of their shoes once the virus story got out. Let’s just say, I’ve stopped licking the soles of _my_ shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/13 "2020-04-25T14:54:10Z")
Fun and pointless story about not knowing what you’re stepping in: a few weeks ago when the beaches were still open, my husband and I took a long barefoot walk on Redondo beach and realized only after we got home that the soles of our feet were black with tar. Oil bubbles up from the sea floor, causing tar to wash ashore occasionally, but in all my years living here I’d yet to encounter it. The tar can be visible on the sand, but on that day it wasn’t. It took a lot of scrubbing to get it off our feet, and even more to get the tub cleaned up afterward. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/852497/14 "2020-04-25T15:38:19Z")
We are a shoe-free household and shoes rarely make it past a specific area around the front door or the door to the garage. That, and the limited active lifetime of the coronavirus on most surfaces (typically two days or less) pretty much makes it a non-issue. If that’s not your household custom, now would be a good time to make it one, IMO, but it’s not something I would obsess over. I can see that having animals that might track it around the house or onto furniture might be a minor concern, but the amount of virus would likely be very small and, again, relatively short-lived. Unlike insect pests or bacteria, viruses can’t reproduce outside a host, so they’re going to go inactive rather than multiply. Obviously all recommended hygiene precautions like hand-washing should be followed, but the path from the soles of your shoes to infection seems an unlikely one.