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Jan 25, 2024

Germaphobes will love these machines that keep dirty shoes off the floor

Technology has rescued us neat freaks again! The products and services mentioned

Technology has rescued us neat freaks again!

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Anyone who cleans knows keeping a floor spotless is pretty much impossible. Doesn't it sometimes feel like you sweep up only to find out someone has tracked in mud, dirt and goodness knows what else?

Maybe you’re someone who prefers to have people take off their shoes, but hate to ask them to do it. Or maybe you’re the person who hates taking off their shoes in someone else's house, but don't want to make a mess. Well, there are a number of devices that can help you out in those tricky situations.

Technology has again come to the rescue of germaphobes everywhere! If you look online right now, there are a variety of shoe-wrapping devices (yes, you read that correctly) that allow users to keep their shoes on, while protecting the homeowner's floors.

No doubt it's awkward to ask guests to remove their shoes, so providing a quick and easy solution with one of these shoe-wrapping options can help.

These gadgets range from hands-free to low-tech.

Simply put your foot onto the Trimaco E-Z Floor Guard machine, which has a sheet of clear plastic pre-loaded. Once you put your foot down, slide your foot back on the machine and then use the cutting tool to detach the proper length of plastic. Think of it like a giant roll of plastic wrap for your shoes!

When you’re finished, just peel the plastic off the sole of the shoe and toss (or, even better, recycle!) it. This item retails for $81.35 on Amazon.

The Quen Shoe Cover XT-46C Machine does all the work for you — it completely wraps the bottom of your shoes in plastic. See it in action:

Originally marketed for medical facilities, the Shoe Inn Fusion machine is starting to catch on in the private home market. Instead of using plastic wrap, this machine allows users to slip on the classic "shoe booties" without having to lift a finger.

Amazon sells the Shoe Inn Fusion model, although it's currently out of stock on the site.

Looking for something a little more low-tech, but still effective? The Adaman Automatic Shoe Cover Dispenser doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but seems to get the job done.

At only $30.99, it's the most affordable option I found online and looks easy to use.

The least expensive option is to buy a supply of booties (for less than $13) that you can ask guests to slip over their shoes. In this case, there's nothing automated, so your guests will have to sit down or bend over to affix these booties. No bells or whistles here, but you can get a 100-pack for about the cost of a Chipotle burrito with chips!

It's amazing what they’ll think of to keep those stubborn floors clean! Anything that means less sweeping and mopping seems like a great idea to us!

Wondering about the reverse? When you’re headed outside in inclement weather and want to protect your shoes, consider a product like these reusable Dry Steppers. They’re like a clear raincoat — but for shoes! Just zip them over your shoes, and off you go!