How To Clean Your Shoes And Insoles
Cleaning Tips for Shoes and Insoles
Odor in shoes and feet is common. With more than 250,000 sweat glands in our feet, sweat seems to be the main cause of odor. Keeping our feet, socks and shoes clean and dry is the first step to avoiding unwanted odors, but if this doesnt work, listed below are other options to try. Keep in mind that everyone’s body chemistry is different, so what works for one person may not work for another.
- Use warm water and mild soap or detergent and wipe down or gently scrub with an old toothbrush or nylon brush do not saturate with water. Air-dry overnight. It is a good idea to remove your insoles from your shoes each night so that air can dry each side. This is especially important if you perspire heavily.
- Spray your shoes and insoles with a combination of 50 percent water and 50 percent white, distilled vinegar. Spritz the mixture into your shoe lining and sole, and let it air dry for 30 minutes. You can use a hair dryer after that if you are in a hurry to dry the shoe. Follow that up with baking soda in the shoe overnight.
- Using a mixture of 2 parts vinegar and 1 part hot water, soak the insoles for a few hours. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and will work to kill the bacteria hiding in the shoes.
- SofSole Fresh Fogger spray:
- Some people use a pet odor remover found at pet stores or hardware stores. One brand was called “Out! Stain & Odor Remover.”
Partial references
How To Get Smell Out Of Birkenstocks
Birkenstocks grew to fame as a cork, rubber and leather sandal that molds to the shape of the wearers feet. Though these sandals can become increasingly confortable with wear, they also can easily develop a foot odor from the accumulation of sweat and skin cells.
Fortunately, there are several things that can be done to remove the foot odor and return the Birkenstock footwear to normal. By using some of the below solutions, your Birkenstocks will be stink-free and smelling fresh.
How To Prevent Smelly Feet In The First Place
So, youve conquered your smelly shoes congratulations! Heres how to prevent smelly shoes in the future:
- Dont forget your feet in the shower: lather up the soap between your toes and under your feet, and then, make sure to actually dry them properly. Never put on shoes when your feet are damp.
- Purchase some charcoal inner soles or inserts. You can wear inner soles during the day the inserts are used to stuff your shoe overnight. Both will absorb moisture and odors.
- Try to always wear socks with your shoes. One-hundred percent cotton socks are the best for absorbing sweat, oils, and moisture. This will help prevent bacterial overgrowth.
- Never wear a pair of socks twice always give them a good washing after one wear.
- If youve been sweating a lot in one particular pair of shoes, give them a day off and wear others. Then leave your sweaty shoes in a nice sunny spot to dry.
- Try to buy shoes and socks made from breathable fibers, including cotton , but also hemp or wool.
- If youre prone to sweaty feet, consider taking a spare pair of socks and changing halfway through the day. This will help to keep your feet drier.
- Buy a powder that you can sprinkle on your feet each day before you pull on your socks. This should help keep your feet dry, therefore preventing bacteria and odors.
- Tea tree oil is a renowned natural antibacterial and antifungal.5 Apply a few drops to your feet every few days, as well as to the insides of your shoes.
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Make Good Footwear Choices
Since shoe odor starts with sweaty feet, an easy way to reduce it is by choosing shoes made of natural materials and open weaves. Hemp, fabric, and canvas are all good choices since they allow air to circulate, so your feet stay drier. Plus, shoes made from natural materials are usually washable, so theyre easier to clean.
Wear Foot Covers Or No Show Socks
Even though you might be used to wearingslippers without socks, and probably prefer it that way, if you are trying tokeep your slippers odor free putting a barrier between your feet and the softmaterials of the slippers insole can help a great deal.
You dont have to wear bulky socks though but if you wear thin, no showsocks or pantyhose style foot covers, both of which are inexpensive andrather cool to wear you will be helping to keep your slippers smelling nicerlonger. You can now also buy very low-cut socks that are perfect for wear withslippers called Mocc Socks that areactually rather stylish as well.
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How To Make Your Sneakers Not Smell
Smelly sneakers are not fun for anyone, least of all, you. If your sneakers have been a little whiffy recently, you’ll want to know how to make your sneakers not smell. Presumably, the only place you want a cheesy smell to emulate from is your plate and certainly not your footwear!
Suffering with smelly feet can be frustrating, but when you throw a pair of sweaty sneakers into the mix, trying to escape your funky footwear can seem impossible. Of course, sneakers are typically worn when you’re perspiring whether this be getting a little glowy on your commute to work or getting your sweat on at the gym. There’s nothing wrong with sweating â heck, it’s a natural bodily function you should not be embarrassed about y’all â but if the scent of your sneakers displeases you, there are options for ridding your training shoes of any lingering odors. Although, it’s not just hitting the gym regularly that could be causing your sneakers to smell: There are a bunch of reasons why your feet may smell that you might want to look into.
“Shoe smell is usually caused by bacteria or fungus growth in your shoes and/or on your feet,” explains Dr. Janet Prystowsky, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Livad Skincare. “The best way to make your sneakers not smell is to take precautions to protect your shoes and feet,” she elaborates. So here are Dr. Prystowsky’s top tips on banishing bad odors from sneakers.
How To Clean Smelly Sneakers
What You’ll Need:
- White vinegar
Follow These Steps:
1. If the shoes are machine washable, launder them in warm water with a small amount of detergent and a cup of white vinegar, says Katie Berry, author of 30 Days to a Clean and Organized House.
2. After the wash, place the shoes in the sun to dry. Never put sneakers in the dryer, as it could damage the adhesive.
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When Foot Odor May Indicate An Underlying Condition
Bromodosis is the medical term for excessively smelly feet, but having bromodosis doesnt mean youll develop other health complications. Most of the time, foot odor isnt a sign of underlying illness.
However, severe sweating and foot odor in every season not just when its hot during the summer could be a sign of hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating even if you arent overheated. It may cause sweaty, smelly feet and be so severe that it interferes with your daily life.
Many people think that foot odor is linked to diabetes. Although having smelly feet doesnt indicate diabetes, people with diabetes do need to take special care when it comes to their feet.
Diabetes can cause peripheral neuropathy and peripheral artery disease, and feet may get damaged without your knowing it. A strong odor could be a sign of a wound or ulcer, which needs immediate medical attention.
Wear The Right Socks And Shoes
One simple way to prevent your footwear from going rancid is by choosing proper socks and shoes. Wearing well-made running shoes with breathable featuressuch as mesh uppers and minimal overlaysis an easy start. While this may not stomp out the source of stink completely, its a step ahead of heavy-duty running shoes. McFaden also recommends rotating between two pairs of shoes if you can. Go deeper by purchasing socks made of moisture-wicking fibers, such as Coolmax, copper, and wool. These will provide more ventilation to your feet, allowing more sweat to evaporate. Lastly, never go barefoot in your running shoes, even if youre not running. A lack of socks means theres no barrier between your sweat and shoes, making the sweat easier to absorb.
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Dry Your Smelly Shoes Out
Wet shoes are definitely a common culprit of bad smells. As if the sweat your feet naturally produces wasnt bad enough, sloshing through rain or snow will not help your shoes in the scent department.
If you realize your smelly shoes problem is caused by added moisture from the elements, start by drying them out. Finding a sunny spot or other heated area will be beneficial for drying your shoes and reducing the spread of bacteria and therefore the smell.
Why Do Slippers Smell
The last thing that anyone wants to think isthat they have smelly feet. And most of us work very hard to try and ensure, asfar as possible, that they dont. By making use of shower gels and foot powderswe try to keep our tootsies as clean and fresh as possible. But life gets inthe way.
The simple fact is that everyones feet sweat.They have to. They contain sweat glands and they will sweat, just as yourunderarms do. For most people its just an occasional problem that happens whenits been a hotter day that can besolved with clean socks and a shower. For others it happens more often and mayindicate the presence of a medical condition known as plantar hyperhidrosis,aka excessive foot sweating.
But somehow, youll often find that even ifyour foot hygiene is very good that after a few months or even a few weeks of wear, your slippers start to get a little stinky. Which may not be such ahuge problem if they are the drug store slip on variety that only cost a fewbucks and are not really designed for long wear anyway. But if you haveinvested in a good pair of slippers, which many of us do, then it can be reallyannoying.
So why do slippers smell more and faster than your outdoor shoes? The soft materials the average pair of slippers aremade from do not help, as things like wool, fur, sheepskin and even softleather draw sweat and dirt down into their fibers quickly, and once theirbacteria begins to breed and makes the smell worse
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How Do You Get The Smell Out Of Wool Slippers
Some of the most comfortable, luxurious andyet often expensive slippers are either made out of, or lined with, wool. Whilewool is an all-natural material that is durable, very comfortable against theskin and very cozy it can also be rather hard to take care of properly,especially when it is used as a part of the construction of your favoriteslippers.
And there is an added wrinkle with wool. Woolis really absorbent. That means that any bacteria and odor in your woolslippers is probably buried deeper into the insoles than might be the casewith other kinds of slippers, which does mean, unfortunately, that it may be abit harder to get out.
The key here again? Baking soda. The greatthing about wool is that it can be vacuumed. Yes, you read it right, vacuumed.This will allow you to make use of baking soda to remove odor directly, themost efficient way of all to use the versatile white powder to remove the smellfor good.
Making sure that you own a vacuum cleaner witha brush attachment that is small enough for use inside your slippers sprinkle a layer of baking soda into/ontothe insoles of your slippers and leave in place overnight. When you wake up or after 8-12 hours or so, shake eachslipper over a trash can to remove most of the baking powder and then, makinguse of the vacuum attachment, hoover out the rest.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree essential oil is the most effective formula. You can find it in natural stores and herbalists. It is inexpensive and can remove bad odor from shoes and make practical hand sanitizing gels.
How do we do it?
- Apply 3 to 5 drops to the insoles of the shoes twice a week.
- In this way, we will remove the odor and eliminate the bacteria.
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Homemade Foot And Shoe Deodorizers
Once you make these shoe odor removers, you can store them indefinitely. Stash a bottle of the spray or powder in your closet, and maybe another in your gym bag. Then use it immediately after you slip off your shoes. If foot odor is a severe problem, you might also want to go soak your feet as soon as youre done.
White vinegar is a natural disinfectant. Tea tree oil kills bacteria. This effective shoe spray uses both to get rid of odors and the bacteria that cause them.
Shoe Deodorizing Spray
Combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, and 5 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle. Shake well. Mist the inside of your shoes, or apply the spray to a cloth and wipe the shoe interior. Avoid getting the spray on the outside, visible part of your shoes. Once youve sprayed them, let your shoes air dry before wearing them.
Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, and tea tree oil kills bacteria. Using cornstarch helps keep this shoe powder from clumping. Store it in an air-tight container so it remains effective.
Deodorizing Shoe Powder
Combine 3 tablespoons baking soda, 1 tablespoon corn starch, and 5 drops of tea tree oil in a small container. Lightly sprinkle this deodorizing powder inside your shoes after you take them off. Let it sit overnight to absorb sweat and kill odors, then shake the excess out of your shoes before wearing them.
Deodorizing Foot Soak
Wash Your Shoes And Insoles
Washing and drying your shoes and insoles can keep them fresh. However, detergent and heat can degrade the materials in them. Glue and adhesives may give way and you may have to replace your shoes sooner. Handwashing with cool water is best for shoes. You may add a little disinfectant to the washing solution, such as Lysol or Pine Sol. If you use a washing machine, remove the shoelaces and use the Handwash setting or the Gentle setting. It’s best to air dry them as any heat in the clothes dryer will be bad for the shoes.
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Wash Your Feet Thoroughly
The bacteria on your feet just keep multiplying, so you need to be washing your feet in the shower to help combat the embarrassing odor. When you’re in the shower, lather up with soap on your soles, and dont forget in between your toes. Rinse, and when you get out of the shower be sure to completely dry your feet before slipping on shoes. You can give them a blast with the hairdryer, too, for extra dryness.
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A Few Other Things You Can Do To Prevent Shoe Odors
While the above hacks will help eliminate foul odors from your CrossFit shoes or work boots smelly shoes are not inevitable, even in the summer. Here are a few tips you might want to take to heart in order to prevent your shoes from becoming smelly in the first place.
- Wash your feet every day Clean feet are bacteria free feet. Do your paws a favor and keep them clean.
- Wear the right sized shoes Shoes that are too tight can cause your feet to sweat more than normal. Always make sure you buy shoes that fit properly.
- Get shoes with breathable surfaces This mostly applies to athletic shoes. Always make sure your athletic shoes utilize plenty of breathable fabrics so sweat is able to evaporate.
- Change shoes on a regular basis If possible wear different shoes every day. Even if you only have two pairs of shoes wear them on alternating days.
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Look For The Original Cause Of The Bad Smell
We all know that the bad smell of the shoes is due to the sweat on our feet. But sometimes, surely you have noticed that there are shoes that smell more than others. Perhaps it is due to the insoles that absorb more sweat and retain it, which also favors bacteria’s appearance.
Other times, it may be due to some hormonal disorder that must be evaluated by a specialist in the subject.
If you notice that the shoes’ bad smell does not disappear quickly, you should change the insoles regularly. If you can’t do it, use special ones that protect you from bad odor and bacteria. Be aware that long-term odor can cause foot problems.
Try The Freezer Trick
You can freeze smelly shoes to kill odors. The bacteria that cause shoe odor need a warm, dark place to breed. Freezing your shoes stops that process. All you need to do is tuck them in a freezer overnight. You should probably put them in a bag first, though, so the dirty soles of your shoes dont come into contact with your frozen foods.
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