If you regularly get a whiff emanating from your foot area, chances are it is your shoes that are stinking. This can be very embarrassing, especially if you are nowhere near home and do not have the ability to quicky wash your feet and change your shoes. You might be sitting there afraid to move for fear that the funky smell might escape and someone will realize the smell is coming from you.
The problem with stinky shoes is that you might not realize they smell bad until you are already wearing them and your feet get hot and sweaty. At that point you might already be out and about and not in a position to do anything about it. The experts at ShoeFresh say that putting the shoes through a wash cycle in the washing machine is a good idea. You can then us a shoe deodorizer spray, which will eliminate odors for up to three months. Is there anything else you can do though?
How to Deal with Smelly Shoes
If you don’t have time to wash and dry your shoes, there are other things that you can do. For example, you could get a coffee filter and add some baking soda. Place some essential oil on top of the baking soda for a nice scent and then close the filter with a rubber band. Make one for each shoe and then put it inside overnight. This will help to remove the smell by absorbing the moisture. If you are expecting dry weather overnight, leave the shoes outside for an additional airing. Some people don’t bother with the coffee filter or essential oils and simply shake baking soda into their shoes and leave it there overnight. They will remove it the next morning.
If you do have essential oils, you could put a few drops on some cotton wool balls and then put them inside the shoes overnight. Nevertheless, this will simply mask the smell and will not actually get rid of the problem. It is more of a quick-fix solution.
Another solution that you can use if you don’t want to wait for your shoes to dry is to remove the insoles and replace them with a brand-new pair. It is often the insole that smells the most as this is the part of the shoe that gets the sweatiest. If you are going to do this, be sure to spray the new insoles with a shoe deodorant and allow this to dry before you wear the shoes. This will help to keep smells at bay.
Some people swear by cat litter for their shoes, and it makes sense really. Cat litter is designed to absorb moisture and smells from cat urine and feces so is ideal for doing the same for smelly shoes. All you need to do is place some cat litter inside the shoes overnight and then remove it the following morning.
Or you can even freeze the shoes. Yes, freeze them. Freezing temperatures kill the bacteria in the shoes and can quickly eliminate odors. However, if you are doing this, don’t just plonk your smelly shoes on top of your food in the freezer. Make sure to place them inside a bag and leave them in there overnight.
Conclusion
Smelly shoes can be an embarrassing problem. Aside from washing your shoes, there are a few other methods you can try to eliminate the stinky odor such as replacing the insoles, putting baking soda or cat litter inside, or even freezing them. Whatever method you try, be sure to give them a good spray with a shoe deodorizer before you wear them.