Easy and Effective Tips to Get Rid of Shoe Odor

Posted by Anil Kumar on November 24th, 2020

Your feet will still produce odour, no matter if you’re squeaky clean or if you're walking, running or remain seated- to a great extent, when you slip on to the same pair of shoes every day. Sweat in your shoes promotes the growth of bacteria, which in turn causes your shoes to stink.

Because of all the sweat from your feet, your shoes stink and become a minor annoyance that not just impacts you, but the ones who are around you. And people sitting next to you can smell it, and you'll be in a situation where you can't take them off in front of them. But don't throw your stinky shoes away, since there are a few best and most effective tips that you can try at your home. 

On top of that, putting on clean shoes comes with its own advantages such as keeping fungus at bay, lessen chances of getting infected as well as curb bacterial growth. This will also keep your feet relaxed and allow your feet to breathe comfortably, and you'll feel much more pleasant than before while you walk or run. You don't have to bear the rancid smell of your shoes anymore by following these tips.

Baking Soda 

You can freshen up your stinky shoes with a coffee filter, essential oil baking soda and a rubber band. Take the coffee filter, add a few teaspoons of baking soda and a few drops of essential oil into it. Tightly secure it with the rubber band. Then, place this inside your stinky shoes and leave out the pair overnight. Baking soda absorbs odour from your shoes. Try this trick every now and then so that your loafers or lace-ups smell fresh. You need to be careful when you use baking soda on your leather shoes.

Salt 

If you skip wearing socks your sneakers and canvas shoes can really give off unpleasant odour during the summertime. But you can get rid of the smell using some salt. Sprinkle some salt over your smelly shoes. Salt has a strong ability to absorb moisture in your shoes and acts as a shoe deodorizer. You can try this remedy to keep moisture at bay. 

Shoe Deodorant Spray 

Stinky shoes are of no match to the power of shoe deodorant spray. Using shoe deodorant spray is yet another best method to get rid of shoe odour. You can keep them inside your bag and take it wherever you go. The spray works by getting rid of bacteria, fungus, mould, mildew that have spread from your feet into your shoes. 

Baby Powder 

If you've fed up with smelly shoes, then try some baby powder. It works wonders by absorbing moisture, leaving behind a fresh scent. Simply apply some baby powder on your shoes before you slip into them to prevent them from smelling. 

Rubbing Alcohol 

You can also give rubbing alcohol a go. Rubbing alcohol not just removes the smell, but disinfects your stinky shoes as well. 

There are two methods to get rid of the stinky smell. The first method is to mix an equal amount of rubbing alcohol with water. Then, you can spray the solution all over your shoes and leave it to dry in a well-ventilated space. The alcohol helps eliminate the odour-causing bacteria whereas by placing the shoes in a well-ventilated space, your shoes won't smell too bad.

The second method is to place cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol. For getting better results, leave your shoes overnight with the balls. If you wish to try this method again, then you need to fill your shoes with cotton balls completely. If you have essential oil, then you can replace rubbing alcohol with it. Lemon oil leaves a fragrant smell. 

Dryer Sheets

The chemicals that make up dryer sheets soften any fabric. Deodorizing stinky shoes call for strong materials, such as dryer sheets. And dryer sheets oddly work well for stinky sneakers as well. You can deodorize your sneakers shoes by simply placing some dryer sheets in them overnight. Don't leave out the place where you normally store your shoes as well, such as your gym bag. For that, place the sheet inside the bag, in the bottom and remove it after a day. 

Sun Drying 

Rinse your stinky shoes with water or clean them with a shower spray. Gently dry your shoes and place them in sunlight for a couple of hours. Your shoes must dry completely in the sun to kill bacteria. It not just kills bacteria but also removes the unpleasant odour as well. 

Wash Your Feet 

If the problem lies in your feet and not on your shoes, then you should also remedy that. Adopt good foot hygiene habits to tackle foot odour. Rub your feet with a pumice stone to exfoliate them and make it a habit to regularly wash your feet with lukewarm water. With that, you can avert bacterial growth and remove dead skin from your feet. After cleansing your feet, gently dry your feet with a towel. 

Teabags 

Teabags contain a substance called tannins in high concentration which kills odour-causing bacteria. To start with, boil some water and place the tea bags in the water and after two to three few minutes, remove it. When it has cooled down place the teabags inside your shoes for an hour. Don't forget to clean any excess liquid, once you've removed the teabags. 

Bar of Soap

If you have extra soaps within your closet or cupboard, you can use them to get rid of shoe odour. All you need to do is just place a bar of soap inside your shoes. Since the soap is porous, it sucks up all the odour and gives your shoes a fresh scent. 

Citrus Peels 

If you're done with cleaning and drying your stinky shoes, and you may wish to have a sweet scent, then try citrus peels. Place it inside your shoes, if you feel that moisture isn't an issue. You can try lemon peel powder in case if you're not having citrus peels at that moment. Lemon peel powder equally works well as citrus peels. It also works great for boots also. 

So it's essential that you should not just find the root of the problem, but also use the right odour eliminator, as mentioned above. To avoid the stinky smell, always ensure that both your shoes and feet are dry. Try not to put on the same pair of shoes daily- instead, wear a different pair of shoes. While you follow this, always wear socks as well so that it absorbs the moisture before your shoes do so. All the tips mentioned above are meant to work, however it is your responsibility to make sure that you won't end up spoiling your favourite shoes.

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Anil Kumar

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Anil Kumar
Joined: June 22nd, 2020
Articles Posted: 3

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