How To Remove Shoe Odor

Are you embarrassed to take out your shoes in public? Do you find yourself unable to wear your favorite pair of shoes, because of the foul smell it transmits? If the answer is yes, the good news is that you do not need to get embarrassed and discomfited anymore. Almost everyone faces the problem of foul-smelling, stinky shoes once or twice in a lifetime. You need to first understand that reason for the smell. Shoes are usually made from synthetic material and have rubber soles and plastic innersoles. These plastic innersoles are the main culprits behind awful foot odor, as your feet cannot breathe in them. As a result, they perspire and the wetness becomes home to breeding bacteria, which causes the reeking and malodorous smell. However, removing shoe smell is easy if you are ready to put in some efforts and a bit of care. In the following lines, we have provided tips on how to remove shoe odor, just for you!

Image: Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious@flickr

Tips For Removing Shoe Smell

The most obvious way to get rid of smelly shoes would be to wash them thoroughly. Using a soapy detergent and bleach, wash the shoes inside out. Thereafter, keep them under the sun, to let dry them well.
Another good way would be to place each of the shoes in a plastic bag and place the plastic bags in the freezer overnight. The next morning, remove the bag from the freezer and place it in the sun, to dry.
Baking soda has proven to be an effective odor removing agent. Sprinkle some baking soda in your shoes and let it stay there overnight. The next day, just shake off the soda from the shoes, before wearing them. Be careful while using baking soda in leather or suede shoes. A buildup can make the shoes become brittle.
These days, there are fabric conditioner sheets available in the market. All you need to do is place a sheet in each of the shoes and keep them for the night. The next morning, you would be possessing nice-scented shoes.
Bicarbonate of soda works well for removing odor from shoes. All you need to do is sprinkle a spoonful of it in your shoes and let it stay all night. The next morning, just wipe out the shoes with a kitchen paper and dust off any remaining residue.
Another effective way to get rid of foul smelling shoes would be to use orange peel. Being a good shoe freshener, it instantly removes any foul smell. Put one or two orange peels in the shoes and leave them overnight. The shoes are sure to smell great, the next morning.
Though this might be yucky and disgusting, but cat litter has proved effective in getting rid of shoe smell. For this, collect fresh, unused cat litter in a pair of old sock and seal its mouth. Now, put the socks inside your smelly shoes and leave overnight. The litter, a great deodorizer, would absorb all the foul smell, making your shoe perfectly ready to wear.
Spraying the offending shoes daily with disinfectants and deodorizers, especially designed for foot odor problems, can be a good way to get rid of the foul smell.
Another remedy would be to apply foot powder on your feet, before wearing the shoes. Make sure that the powder you use is especially designed for foot odor problems.
Pour some rubbing alcohol in a cotton ball and wipe the insides of your shoes with the same. Now, leave them undisturbed for a while. The foul smell is sure to fade away.

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