Smelly feet and smelly shoes can be annoying, embarrassing, and can hinder your social life, alienating you whether you like it or not. So make a plan to freshen up the smell of your shoes so you don't have to spend a lot of money changing your footwear and changing friends. Here are three different ways to deal with the foot odor problem.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Refreshing Shoes Naturally
Step 1. Find the cause
Stop and check your shoes before you try and deal with the smell. If you have wet or damaged soles, take them out and dry them, or buy a sole specially formulated to prevent bacterial growth.
Step 2. Dry your shoes by placing them near a heater or in a sunny place
Remove the laces and lift the tongue up to speed up the drying of the shoes. By keeping it dry, you help prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria.
Step 3. Purchase a spruce sole
Spruce wood is an anti-fungal material and can help prevent odors in shoes. Plus, spruce has a fresh, light, and pleasant scent, making it a great choice for removing odors and preventing bacterial growth.
Step 4. Freeze your shoes
Put your smelly shoes in a plastic bag, and then put them in the fridge (in the freezer section) for one night. For best results, let your shoes defrost naturally the next day in the sun.
There is compelling evidence that this strategy works. The bottom line is that freezing shoes will kill odor-causing bacteria, but some people claim that this will only temporarily relieve the odor. Try it yourself and see what you think
Step 5. Use a fabric softener/conditioner sheet
Roll up one or two sheets of fabric softener/freshner (which you stick to the dryer, or between your sheets) and place them inside your shoes after you put them on. The sheets will infuse its pleasant perfume into the shoes and remove any moisture that is inside the shoes.
Step 6. Use a steam engine or try the steam setting on your washer or dryer
Steam can help kill bacteria and mold, thereby getting rid of odors. If you don't care if your shoes get a little wet, try this method.
Step 7. Put a fresh orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime peel into the shoe
Fresh orange peel has a nice aroma due to its essential oil. Leave fresh orange peels in your shoes and throw them away before you put them on. Your shoes will smell much better.
Step 8. Add a few drops of lavender oil to your shoes
One or two drops is enough for each shoe, on the sole of the shoe. This will add anti-bacterial properties to the sole and remove the odor, replacing it with a fresh scent.
Part 2 of 2: Chemically Refreshing Shoes
Step 1. Use an anti-fungal foot powder, or try an anti-bacterial spray
Both can be purchased at a convenience store, grocery store, or drug store.
- Anti-fungal foot powder is usually associated with athlete's foot. While athlete's feet are the cause of smelly feet and smelly shoes, it's also possible for non-athletes to have smelly shoes.
- If you do have athlete's foot, consider using a cream, lotion, or other mixture of tea tree oil on the feet to fight fungus. Tea tree oil is a natural antifungal oil that smells good. Rub it on the feet to combat athlete's foot.
Step 2. Remove the soles and laces from the shoes and insert your shoes into the seat cushions
Wash in a washing machine at a temperature of about 4.5 to 10 degrees Celsius. Repeat this process as soon as the first round is complete, and then allow the shoe to dry naturally.
Step 3. Put the baking soda in the shoe
If the freezing trick didn't work, add some baking soda and let the powder soak up the odor overnight. Baking soda can be used for many things, including as an antifungal powder.
- Alternatively, mix baking soda with powdered zinc oxide to create a deodorizing and mildew-fighting powder. Mix equal amounts of baking soda and zinc oxide and place them in your shoes overnight. Zinc oxide has deodorizing and anti-bacterial properties.
- Discard the powder the next day before you put it back on so as not to stain your feet with the white powder all day long.
Step 4. Try a common deodorizer sold in stores
Most of these products contain bacteria and/or enzymes that fight the cause of the odor.
Step 5. Use liquid alcohol
For shoes that cannot be washed, wipe them with a cotton ball or cotton square that has been moistened with alcohol. This will help drain the cause of the odor and allow you to wear the shoes again soon. Alcohol evaporates quickly, in addition to being an antiseptic. When mixed with other liquids, alcohol also helps other liquids to evaporate.
Step 6. Use fresh cat litter
Cat litter may seem a bit unpleasant, but it works for a reason: cat litter is a great deodorizer. Put fresh cat litter in a sock, tie a knot over it, and tuck it in the shoe all night.
Step 7. Use water and vinegar
Spray your shoes with a mixture of 50 percent water and 50 percent white distilled vinegar. Spray the mixture into the lining of your shoes and soles, and let sit for 30 minutes. You can use a hairdryer afterwards if you want to dry your shoes faster. Continue to apply baking soda to the shoes overnight.
