More and more often, we may become aware that our favorite pair of shoes is starting to smell. Smelly shoes can be caused by a combination of factors such as overuse, sweat, skin shedding, filth, bacteria, fungus, and lack of aeration.
Here are a few techniques for how to get the smell out of shoes.
Washing Smelly Shoes
Make sure that your shoes can be washed. If your shoes aren’t machine-safe, you can use leather and fabric cleaner to get them clean, or you can submerge them in a detergent bath and hand washes them if they are. If you can, let your shoes air dry in the sunlight or near a heater. As a result, shoe odor-causing bacteria will be less likely to flourish. Before putting the shoes on, make sure they are absolutely dry.
Try Freezing Shoes Overnight
Freeze your smelly shoes overnight in a large plastic sandwich bag. The next day, take them out of the freezer and let them naturally dry. The bacteria in your shoes will be killed by the intense cold, reducing the odor.
Try Essential Oils
It’s one of the greatest techniques to get rid of bad odors from shoes to give them a new scent. Use a few drops of an essential oil, such as lavender, in the soles of your shoes and let them dry overnight. Another option is to stuff your shoes with fresh lime peel or lemon. In both cases, scents can be effectively eliminated.
More Options for Dealing with Smelly Shoes
- Apply some baby powder to your feet or socks to keep them smelling fresh. Reapply the baby powder if your feet begin to sweat over the day. Using baby powder on your feet and shoes may help keep them dry, hence minimizing the chance of bacterial growth. You can use baby powder to get rid of odors and freshen up your shoes.
- Teabags may deodorize. Black tea tannins kill shoe bacteria. Boil some water and steep a few tea bags. After baking, let the bags cool for 5 minutes. Put cooled tea bags on shoes for an hour. Remove tea bags and wipe excess liquid.
- You can use tea tree oil to get rid of stinky shoes. Tea tree oil, when rubbed into the soles of the shoes, can help eliminate odors. Do not use tea tree oil on the skin without diluting it with other carrier oils, such as coconut oil; this is the safest method.
- The natural antifungal qualities of cedarwood make it an excellent deodorizer. To prolong the freshness of your shoes, place cedar wood insoles inside of them.
Additional Methods To Try for Extra Stinky Shoes
- To get rid of scents from shoes, use an odor removal spray that has been specially developed for the purpose. Bacteria and/or enzymes are commonly found in sprays like these, which are designed to get rid of unpleasant odors quickly.
- Baking soda is an excellent natural deodorizer. This can aid in the absorption of unpleasant odors, resulting in cleaner-smelling footwear. Overnight, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your shoes. Before putting your shoes back on, make careful to blow out the baking soda. Soak a pair of cotton socks overnight in a mixture of baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch.
- When cleaning shoes, use white vinegar to get rid of odors and bacteria. To get rid of the smell, you should mix a solution of vinegar and water. Mix one cup of vinegar with one cup of water in a spray bottle. Once you’ve sprayed the solution inside your shoes, let them air dry completely. The vinegar will get rid of the stench and keep your shoes smelling great for a long time.
- Make your dirty shoes smell better by wearing some cloves. Place a handful of cloves in each shoe after tying a cloth around them. Relax for a few minutes. If your shoes have a really strong odor, you may want to leave the cloves in for a little longer or until the smell is gone.
- Wear your shoes for the rest of the day with a soap bar inside of them. To get rid of the smell, you might use soap because of its porous nature.
Precautionary Measures
It is the perspiration on your feet that causes your shoes to smell. Bacteria and fungi grow in warm, damp situations, such as when your feet sweat and the boot’s material becomes wet. Bacteria and the accompanying odor can be killed by often washing your feet with antibacterial soap.
Changing your socks frequently will help prevent the growth of odor-causing microorganisms. You should avoid cotton socks if you can, as they soak up a sweat instead of wicking it away from your skin, which can lead to blisters. This increases the rate at which they stink and leaves your feet moist and very uncomfortable. Moisture-wicking socks should be made of wool or bamboo.
Best Products To Use On Sweaty Feet?
Plantar hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating on the soles of one’s foot. Moreover, wet feet make slippers messy. This will damage some shoes.
Because their feet are continually damp, people with sweaty feet may always have cold feet. Wading through the mud with bare feet leaves wet tracks behind.
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, you may want to try some of the following products to combat sweaty feet:
- SweatBlock wipes and lotions are examples of antiperspirant goods like Certain Dri foot moisture control pads and Carpe antiperspirant lotion
- Summer soles, for instance, are absorbent insoles or shoe liners that simply peel and stick.
- Socks with a wicking lining that wick sweat away from the skin.
- Shoe dryers to rapidly and thoroughly dry your shoes.
- Breathable mesh uppers on sneakers
- Soap for the foot that is antibacterial
- A nighttime antifungal foot spray or powder
- Online shoe dryers can help you swiftly dry your shoes.
How To Prevent Sweaty, Smelly Feet
Sweat left on the skin is broken down by microorganisms, causing smelly feet, on the other hand, stinky feet are unpleasant and unacceptable.
- To avoid the spread of germs, wash your feet with an antibacterial soap every day, especially between the toes.
- To relieve tired, aching feet, try vinegar or salt water bath. Warm water should be at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit to dissolve half a cup of Epsom salt. Moreover, every week, combine two parts of water and one part of vinegar in a tub or large bowl of warm water for around 15-20 minutes. If you have open sores, scratches, or cuts on your foot, don’t use vinegar soak.
- After drying your feet, use foot powder, cornstarch, or antifungal powder.
- Make sure your feet are totally dry before putting on your socks.
- Rather than tap your feet, wear socks composed of natural or synthetic fibers that transport moisture away from them. Socks made of cotton or nylon will not wick moisture away from the skin, so avoid them.
- Keep your toenails short and clean.
- Using pumice stones to remove hard skin from the soles of your feet might become soggy when wet.
- Avoid wearing shoes that are too tight and restrict the flow of air through your feet.
- Avoid synthetic footwear.
- It’s important to rotate your shoes every day so they can dry completely.
Commonly Used Treatments For Sweaty Feet
- Antiperspirant roll-ons are OTC or prescription.
- Botox injections can regulate foot perspiration for serious cases, but check with your doctor first before going down this route
- The majority of these are anticholinergic prescription drugs.
- Iontophoresis uses electrical current to suppress sweat glands.
- It is possible to permanently damage sweat glands by placing a high-tech device on the foot and emitting thermal energy.
- Disruption of sweating-related nerve signals by a surgery known as a sympathectomy, which doctors often recommend only in the most extreme situations.
Conclusion
There are several ways to get rid of the sweat and smell in your shoes. You can try some home remedies, purchase over-the-counter products, or even opt for more extreme measures like surgery. Whichever route you choose, make sure you take action to keep your feet dry and stink-free.
