If you do one thing this week...

LEAVE YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR.

Think of removing your shoes when you enter a home as the equivalent of washing your hands. First, it couldn’t be easier. Second, it allows for a more "green" home by prevents the outside gunk like car exhaust, chemicals, and pesticides from being tracked all over your home. And third, it leaves the nasty outside world out. After walking into public restrooms, city streets, yards where there are animals, etc., do you really want all that bacteria and filth in your home?

There was a study by the EPA conducted in 1991 titled the “Door Mat Study.” It measured the amount of lead dust that was in homes. The study found that in homes where there was a doormat at the entrance and where shoes were NOT worn, there was a marked reduction (about 60%) of lead dust and other chemicals in the home. Not only that, but in homes where shoes are removed, there is a reduction in allergens and bacteria being tracked into the house.

Try it for a day. A week. A month. Soon enough, it will become a painless habit for a healthier, more eco-friendly home.

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