Seconds Shoe Disinfectant And Deodorizer
Tester Smell Score: 5 out of 5
- Neutralizes odor without an overpowering smell
- Helps absorb moisture from wet shoes
- Odor-fighting prowess diminishes after 3 months
These amazing little bean bags received top marks from every one of our testers. Since the beads are activated by heat, we suggest tossing them in your shoes while theyre still toasty from a run for the best results. Even at room temperature, Gear Halos pouches wicked moisture, eliminated nearly all stink, and smelled clean and fresh. This actually smells really nice! one tester said. Its a pleasant, lightly floral scent with no trace of the cheese.
How To Remove Bad Smell From Sandals And Flip Flops
If youre tired of your sandals having the smell of aged cheese and cant seem to find a way to get rid of that odor, here youll find the solution.
After having the same problem for quite some time and trying all kind of useless tips Ive found online, Ive eventually found the only solution that does really works!
When handling sandals that stinks, Its important to understand that what causes the bad smell is bacteria.
Most of the bacteria that create odor is coming from the sweat on your feet so make sure to wipe your feet with a towel before using the sandals.
Depending on which sandals or flip flops you have different methods could be more or less effective. I however got one of those types of sandals that tends to stink the most and the solution Im about to share with you have worked on them like no other.
How To Solve One Of The Stinkiest Summertime Problems
Don’t just cover up the smell of stinky shoeseliminate the odor at its source!
Summertime is all fun and games until someones smelly shoes are stinking up the house! It happens in a predictable cycle: hot temperatures lead to sweaty feet, and sweaty feet leave behind moisture in shoes causing unpleasant odors.
But dont give up on those smelly shoes just yet, because today Im sharing the best and most effective methods for eliminating odors in shoes. If youve been wondering how to get the stink out of shoes, youve come to just the right place!
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The secret to removing odor from shoes is to deal with the moisture issue. Many people simply try to tackle the odor itself by using a deodorizing spray, but that only covers up the smell. By drying out the moisture, you can cut the smell off at the source by killing the odor-causing bacteria.
There are a few different ways to do this, so Ive included a few different options for you in this post. Use whichever method you like best, or whichever method you can do using stuff you already have at home.
Heres to a stink-free summer! 🙂
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Use Vinegar Or Rubbing Alcohol
Just like baking soda, a well-known household item like white vinegar can also deodorize stinky shoes. Dilute distilled white vinegar in a ratio of 1:1 and rub out or spray away the bad smells. You can also apply it with a cotton ball and let it sit for 30 minutes to eliminate the smell.
Rubbing alcoholcan also be used to get rid of stinky shoes. Just spray it evenly on the shoe and your work is done. It not only works as a deodorizer but also helps in disinfecting the shoes.
Other products like baby powder, citrus peels, and cat litter can help in absorbing sweat and moisture, eliminating the shoe odors. You can even freeze the shoe overnight if none of the above methods are working, but dont put them directly in a freezer. Seal them in a plastic bag first.
How To Prevent Smelly Shoes In The First Place
- Help avoid shoe odor by wearing athletic socks made from a blend of synthetic fabrics , which will help keep feet dry, says Kathy Gates, owner of the Running Well Stores in the Kansas City, Missouri area.
- Don’t wear the same shoes day after day. If you can, alternate between shoes so each pair has a chance to air out.
- If you’re storing sneakers away for the season, clean them first. Then stuff them with newspaper to absorb moisture or sprinkle the inside of the shoe with a deodorizing powder, such as baking soda. Vacuum up any excess powder before wearing.
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How To Deodorize Your Shoes
Cat litter. Quirky but effective. As strange as it may sound: cat litter actually isnt such a weird remedy since the stuff is produced for odor prevention and deodorization.
Simply fill an old sock, seal it shut and loop it into your shoe overnight. Just remove anytime you plan to wear them, and put them back after.
Charcoal. Charcoal is commonly used in air filters because of its deodorizing properties. Therefore charcoal can work wonders in removing odor from shoes too. Fill a cloth bag or old socks with charcoal, insert these in the footwear and keep it there during the night.
Tea tree oil based deodorizer spray. This Rocket Pure Natural Shoe Deodorizer can be used on both feet and shoes and has raving user reviews. Its all-natural containing essential oils of tea tree, mint, eucalyptus, and thyme.
- Tea tree oil for instance has antibacterial odor reducing properties that are backed by studies. Thyme is bactericidal too and is able to mask foul odors. More about essential oils for smelly shoes.
Deodorizing insoles. Shoe inserts made out of cedar wood, bamboo or containing charcoal can help remove nasty scents. These however do not attack the problem at the source.
- Heres an overview of the different types of deodorizing shoe inserts you can get.
Method : Using With Baking Soda
To clean smelly shoes with vinegar,
Ingredients:
- one tablespoon hot water
Procedure:
After mixing the ingredients, a paste will form. Use a toothbrush to apply it on the lather of the shoes in a circular motion. Placed under sunlight or somewhere warm for 3 to 4 hours.
After that particular time, you will notice that the mixture gets dried so, clap the shoes together to remove dried material. A shiny and smell less shoe will smile at the end.
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Arm & Hammer Odor Busterz
Tester Smell Score: 4 out of 5
Searching for a foot cream worthy of Oprahs feet? Check out Footnanny, the brand that earned a spot on her 2020 List of Favorite Things. Made from tea tree oil , this cream helps absorb moisture and keep sweaty at bay, while also providing natural anti-fungal and bacteria-fighting properties. And, theres no additional harsh chemical additives. Simple ingredients like shea butter, cocoa seed, and aloe leaf provide vitamins A, C, E, and F chamomile helps soothe redness and irritation and essential oils deliver a refreshing scent. If Oprah runs another marathon, we expect shell be treating her feet to this cream at the finish line.
How To Prevent Smelly Shoes In The Future
To reduce the chance of smelly shoes and feet, next time you are out shopping look for shoes with breathable features that are less likely to trap sweat. For maximum ventilation, leather sandals are a great option in the spring or summertime.
In addition, spending a little more on your shoe investment will most likely prove worth the price. The higher quality shoes also have a higher chance of battling bacteria-related problems and maintaining a classy look and scent.
Lastly, cleanse your feet with anti-bacterial soap. Once out of the shower, added moisture and smell relief can be gained through anti-fungal powders or creams. In addition, reach for wool socks or those with breathable fibers, avoiding thick socks on hot days.
Be sure to subscribe to our FootFitter Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest footwear and foot care news and tips.
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Why Do Your Shoes Smell Bad
The reason your shoes stink is that your feet contain 250,000 sweat glands. When those glands get confined in a shoe, the sweat and warmth create a breeding ground for bacteria. To get rid of the smell in your shoes, you need to destroy the bacteria causing the stink. You can do this by cleaning them properly. Using homemade shoe deodorizing sprays or powders also helps. Then follow good shoe and foot care to help keep feet from stinking.
Make Your Own Shoe Deodorizer
Use this method to remove odours from all forms of footwear.
Ingredients are as follows:
- ½ cup white vinegar, distilled
- 5 drops of tea tree essential oil
Steps to take:
Combine healthy water, distilled white V, and a few drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle . Could you give it a good shake? Spray directly on the shoe interior or add to a cloth and wipe clean.
Cover the outer side of the shoe, particularly the front upper portion, with a plastic paper. This spray can only be used on the inside of the foot. Allow your shoes to dry in the sun after spraying them.
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Why Masking Scents Doesnt Really Help
According to some people, masking odors is an effective way of reducing footwear odor. Commonly used all-natural remedies are fresh orange peel, or grapefruit, lemon or limes. They simply place them into shoes for that fresh, citrus scent.
Others use a few drops of lavender oil dripped onto the soles of each shoe so that it can give off a flowery scent that eliminates the reek.
Well, if your shoes really stink this isnt going to help.
Natural methods such as spraying some lavender oil are nice for when theres only a really mild scent. Fact is that these remedies do not kill of the bacteria living in your shoes.
For really smelly shoes its time to take out the big guns.
How To Prevent Your Dance Shoes From Smelling Bad
Here are steps you can take now to keep your dance shoes nice and fresh as soon as you purchase them.
- Keep Your Feet Dry
You can keep your feet dry while wearing dance shoes by apply antiperspirant on the bottom of your feet or apply hand sanitizer. It will keep your feet dry for a more extended period of time.
- Rotate Your Shoes
If you are dancing more than once a week, I would suggest getting a few pairs of dance shoes and rotate them during your dance sessions. Rotating dance shoes will allow them enough time to dry and reduces the growth of bacteria that occur when shoes are dry enough, and you put them on again.
- Dry Shoes After Use
After each use, you could dry your dance shoes with a hairdryer. It will dry off moisture and will stop bacteria growth.
- Store Dance Shoes Properly
Store your dance shoes in a cool and dry place, so it doesnt accumulate moisture. Take your shoes out of the shoe beg as soon as you arrive home. Let your dance shoes breathe somewhere ventilated for at least 24 hours after each use. I would recommend putting your dance shoes in the direct sunlight occasionally. However, be careful not to leave leather dance shoes out in the sun for a very long time. It could damage them.
- Keep Your Feet Dry
Do not put on your dance shoes immediately after showering because water between your toes can encourage bacteria. Dry your feet, including moisture between your toes.
- Use Foot Powder
- Stuff Your Dance Shoes With Newspapers
- Wash Your Feet
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Use White Vinegar In A Machine To Clean Smelly Shoes Ingredients:
- A typical load of laundry detergent
- 1 cup vinegar
- A bath in warm water
Steps to take:
Place your shoes in a washing machine with detergent. Alternatively, pour white vinegar into your machines empty fabric softener dispenser and run along, warm wash and rinse cycle. If you use hot water, your shoes can shrink.
What Is The Enzyme
Sweat, mildew, and less pleasant smells may easily affect your hiking boots. Using the odor eliminators will allow you to control the bad smell before the situation aggravates.
The odor eliminators dont solve the problem by masking the smells, but they utilize enzymes to remove/kill the bacteria, causing the odor ultimately. You add the odor eliminator into several gallons of water, allowing the footwear to soak.
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Maintain A Foot Care Routine
It is very important to maintain a proper foot care routine because dirty feet can invite bacteria and fungi. Wash your feet every day, use soap for thorough cleaning and no, I dont mean the suds dripping down from torso cleaning.
If feet smell is a real problem, wash them twice a day, and even on days, you might not shower.
Use a pumice stone to exfoliate the bottom of your feet, specifically the heels because it is the favorite spot of bacterias. Use some antibacterial lotion on your feet if needed.
Simply washing your feet every day can keep those lingering smells at bay and I know it is not a tough job.
How To Maintain Good Hygiene In Your Shoes
Finally, we teach you how you must maintain proper hygiene to avoid bad odor from your shoes:
- Try not to wear closed shoes every day. It is terrible for the health of our feet and promotes awful smell.
- When you get home, change shoes and let those shoes air out.
- It doesn’t matter if the shoe is of good quality. They all absorb the terrible smell. Hence, we must maintain good cleaning of them. You can use a damp cloth with detergent and brush them every day.
- Apply talcum powder if the sole sweat excessively. It is a simple remedy that helps us a lot daily.
Also Check: How To Control Foot Odor In Shoes
Place The Sachets In Your Shoes
You can place these sachets in your shoes each time you take them off. Tennis shoes, sneakers, and walking shoes used for exercising are especially prone to collecting odors. Keep the sachet in the shoes until you wear them again.
Variation: Fill the toe of a sock with baking soda and tie it off. Leave sock sachets in your shoes overnight to absorb odors. This can be part of your ongoing routine for any athletic shoes you wear regularly.
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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Know When To Say Goodbye To Stinky Shoes
Try these easy steps and if your shoes still smell bad, it might be time to get rid of them. Sometimes shoes are beyond repair because they are infested with bacteria. Its difficult to draw out the microbes that live in the inner and outer linings, fabric, and soles. Dont use them anymore. Dont use them for chores or walks. If theyre starting to fall apart and hurt you while you use them, just get new ones.
As runners, its important to keep your shoes in tip-top shape. Save your shoes and your feet from smelling bad. Prevent any odor by keeping your shoes dry, rotating through pairs, and getting rid of bacteria. You wont have any more problems running when you take care of your shoes. Buy investing in the best running shoes, your feet will thank you for it. When choosing running shoes, be sure to check out our running shoe fit tips.
Cotton Balls & Fragrant Oils
Another great way to get the smell out of your tennis shoes is to use some fragrant oils. Simply pour a few drops of essential oils onto a cotton ball or two and place them inside each shoe. Nothing smells more like clean to me than the smell of citrus, so I like using those scents.
My favorite method is the first one but each one of these will help you get that awful smell out of your shoes! Youll wonder why youve been putting up with stinky shoes all these years! Is there another method you like to use to get rid of the smell in your sneakers? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
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Getting The Stink Out Of Your Shoes
There are more sweat glands in your two feet than anywhere else on your body. And when bacteria breaks down that sweat, it can stink.
Because of all the sweat from your feet, which inevitably soaks into your shoes, stinky footwear is a rather common occurrence. While in some cases its a minor annoyance that really only impacts yourself, in others its a truly embarrassing matter people can smell it if theyre simply sitting next to you on the subway, and if you take your shoes off around folks, the stink can bowl them over!
The amount you sweat and the pungency of your body odor is partially genetic, and if youre on the more stinky end of things, youll just unfortunately have to do more to fight it .
Below youll find how to do just that. We start with a handful of tips focused on prevention, and then move into a number of mostly natural options you can try before youre forced to throw your permanently putrid footwear in an incinerator.
