Use These Foot Products
Home treatments will normally do a good job of helping to reduce or eliminate your foot odor. However, if home treatments dont help alleviate your bromodosis, or if youre concerned that the sweating and odors are severe, you should see your doctor. They may prescribe stronger antiperspirants and foot soaps, and can offer advice on medical treatments for excessive sweating .
Dry Your Shoes Between Wearings
Don’t keep your shoes in your gym bag where they will stay damp longer and provide a happy home for the smelly microbes. Give them lots of air between wearings. Remove the insoles and stuff the shoes with dry paper towels to help speed drying. Another option is Stuffits Shoe Savers, a foot-shaped insert with cedar shavings. Put them in your shoes to dry them out quickly after wearing them. They work for dress shoes as well as athletic shoes.
Unexpected Ways To Get The Odor Out Of Your Shoes
For a totally fresh start.
Okay, so your shoes smell. Youâre only human, after all. Itâs not like you wanted to stink up the elevator on the way to the 17th floor or create one of the most awkward rideshare experiences in the history of all time.
Let us offer some advice because this isnât our first Dear HMS situation. Weâve been helping people solve their stinkiest shoe conundrums for a while now and weâve discovered that there are 7âyes, count âemâ7 unexpected things you can do right now to liberate your feet from the oppressive reign theyâve had over your friends, family, and coworkers.
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Coffee Filters And Baking Soda For Stinky Shoes
Insert a coffee filter into each shoe and fill it with baking soda to get rid of that stench. The baking soda will absorb the rank smell. You know that if it works in your fridge, itll work in your shoes, too!
I like the ease of this simple stinky shoe solution since everything you need is right in your kitchen!
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.
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Clean Stinky Shoes In The Washing Machine
And if all else fails, toss your shoes in a mesh bag or pillowcase, and put them in the washing machine. If you choose to use a pillowcase I have found its best to close the end up with a hair tie.
Ive tried the tie-the-knot in the pillowcase method, and every single time Ive tried it the pillowcase comes undone. If you do choose to tie it, or knot it, I hope you have better luck than I do.
If you dont have either a mesh bag or a pillowcase, you want to use this is not the job for the guest linens then another laundry idea is to toss the shoes in with a load of towels. Just dont forget to not use the bleach on that load, and maybe the highest heat setting isnt the best idea. But the towels will help muffle the sounds of a thousand running feet as the shoe wash.
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
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How To Stop Your Climbing Shoes Smelling
Thereâs nothing quite like waking from your sweet slumber, in a tent drenched in the warm morning summer sun, only to have your nose gripped by the thick, cheesy smell of your mates climbing shoes.
Ok, so maybe you woke after a crap nightâs sleep, in a baking hot tent, to achy arms and weeping fingertips, and now you mateâs shoes are making you want to end it all.
Whatever your perspective on life, there is no getting away from the fact that climbing shoes have a habit of smelling a little bit funky from time to time.
Whilst itâs not so much of an issue when theyâre safely ensconced in your pack, in the boot of the car. When youâre on the packed commuter train at 0700 in the morning, you and your fellow travellers might be grateful of a solution.
Keep your feet clean, free of loose skin, with clean, short nails and make liberal use of anti-bacterial wash and deodorising spray.
Couple this with allowing your shoes to dry out properly between sessions and ensure to give your shoes a regular clean, and your climbing buddies and the person sitting next to you will be eternally grateful.
Tips For Keeping Shoes Dry
- Toss them in the dryer, put them near a heater, or put them in a sunny window. Canvas shoes should be fine taking a spin in the dryer, but other shoes will get ruined, so just be careful!
- Go barefoot at home as much as possible. My 10 year literally wears his tennis shoes from the time he leaves for the bus until he gets into bed at night and his shoes suffer because of it! Im trying to teach him that the less he wears his shoes, the faster they will dry out and the less they will smell. Were still working on it.
- Toss them in the freezer. Place your shoes in a plastic bag, then put them in the freezer. The freezer helps kill the bacteria and dry out your soles.
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What Causes Smelly Feet
Your feet produce a lot of sweat. They have more sweat glands than any other part of the body. These glands release sweat all throughout the day to help cool your body and keep your skin moist.
Everyones feet sweat, but teenagers and pregnant women are most prone to very sweaty feet because their bodies produce hormones that make them sweat more. People who are on their feet all day at work, are under a lot of stress, or have a medical condition that makes them sweat more than others tend to have sweatier feet.
There are naturally some bacteria on the feet. These bacteria help break down sweat on the feet as its released. If bacteria and sweat build up, a foul odor can form. Extra bacteria tend to form when a person sweats in their shoes, takes them off, and then puts them back on without allowing them to fully dry.
Poor hygiene can also play a role in causing bromodosis. Infrequent foot washing or not changing your socks at least once a day can allow extra bacteria to begin to grow on your feet. This can cause foot odor to worsen.
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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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!
More Ideas You’ll Love
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! 🙂
How To Remove Shoe Odors With Straight Baking Soda
With this method, the baking soda comes in contact with every part of the shoe, and the bacteria that cause the odor have nowhere to hide. This method works well with cloth shoes, but be cautious with leather and suede shoes, as a buildup of baking soda can cause these materials to become brittle. With suede and leather shoes, you are better off using baking soda sachets.
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Sprinkle Baking Soda In Those Stinky Shoes
Baking soda is another good home remedy for stinky shoes. Sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda in the offending shoe. Let the power of baking soda do its thing overnight. Dump it out in the morning and, boom, your shoes are as fresh as new. Well, maybe not quite that fresh, but theyre ready for the upcoming day.
One caution: Be careful about using baking soda too often with leather shoes, as it can extract the moisture from the leather and cause it to dry out and crack.
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.
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Use The Dishwasher To Freshen Stinky Shoes
Did you know you could put your shoes in the dishwasher? Yep, its true. I think that this is the one that Im probably less likely to use, but when you think about it it makes perfect sense. Those dishwasher racks come in so handy.
If I did use this method Id probably run the dishwasher a cycle without dishes to just clean things up before I moved on to the plates. But, hey clean shoes and a clean dishwasher a two for one.
Ways To Get Rid Of Stinky Feet
Most often, excessive sweating of the feet is diagnosed based on symptoms and a physical exam of the feet. A podiatrist may perform a starch-iodine test to confirm the diagnosis by applying an iodine solution to the bottom of the feet. Once the solution has dried, cornstarch is sprinkled over the area. Typically, the treated area turns dark blue if excessive sweat is present.
However, here are some things you can do right at home that may correct the problem and bring you much relief.
1. Ensure Good Hygiene
Getting rid of foot odor may be as simple as following a daily foot hygiene routine. This may include washing your feet with an antibacterial soap.
Its important to wash your feet every day and dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes. When you dry your feet with a towel after a shower or bath, dab between your toes with cotton wool dipped in witch hazel or apple cider vinegar. Sweaty feet can be treated with an antibacterial foot scrub, but avoid using a scrubs if you have broken skin or eczema.
Keep your toenails trimmed and clean, which also helps prevent toenail fungus. Gently remove any hard skin with a foot file. When hard, skin can become soggy from the dampness, which provides an ideal home for bacteria.
2. Use a DIY Foot Powder or Foot Scrub
You can even add essential oils, like tea tree oil, which is antifungal.
3. Soak Your Feet
In all cases, make sure to dry your feet thoroughly.
4. Rotate Your Shoes
5. Wear Socks and Change Them Frequently
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How Do You Kill Bacteria In Work Boots
Bacteria are the main reason behind the smelly boots. Therefore, it is very important to kill them once they start thriving in your boots.
Thank God, there are some awesome ways by which you can kill the bacteria and stop them from growing inside your boots:
- Teabags contain tannins in them that are anti-bacterial and help in destroying the bacteria when placed inside the boots after boiling them in water for 10 minutes.
- Keeping pieces of cloves in the boots overnight also kills the bacteria.
- Putting your boots in the freezer overnight also helps in killing the bacteria because bacteria cannot survive in that temperature.
- Mix half cup of alcohol and half cup of water in a spray bottle and spray them inside your boots. The alcohol will kill all the bacteria and the water will evaporate overnight from the boots.
- Washing the boots with soap water solution thoroughly will also kill all the bacteria.
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.
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Natural Foot Spray For Foot Odor
This amazing recipe is all-natural foot spray which capable of killing the bacteria and de-stink the shoes effectively. Why? The grapefruit seed extract, rosemary essential oil and tea tree oil contains antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic agents. The lavender oil and geranium oil soothes the skin. Apart from making you feet smell better, this recipe also heals them.
- To a small bottle, add 1 ounce witch hazel, 20 drops each of tea tree oil and lavender oil, 35 drops of grapefruit seed extract, 15 drops of geranium oil, 10 drops of peppermint oil, 5 drops of rosemary oil and 1/2 ounce of rubbing alcohol.
- Close the lid of the bottle and shake well to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Spray the mixture as many times as you want on your feet. Especially after a shower and before putting on your shoes.
- The mixture is quickly absorbed by the skin and leaves an amazing herbal scent.
- Note: Make sure to shake the mixture well before each use.
