Right after a long day at work, or a heavy workout, chances are your shoe reek. It’s not like you want to stink when walking up and down the stairs, or sharing an awkward elevator experience with your neighbors. But, the more you wear the shoes, the smellier they can get, especially in the middle of summer.
Skin shedding, dirt, sweat, overuse, fungus, and lack of aeration can all lead to shoe odor. The bad odor is nothing to be embarrassed about. With the right hack for smelly shoes, you can give your footwear that much-needed makeover and get them ready for everyday wear.
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What Makes the Shoes Smell?
Before you can treat the smell, you need to know what’s causing it. Each foot has roughly 125,000 sweat glands. In fact, the highest gland densities are on the soles and palms. So, it is absolutely normal for the feet to get sweaty relatively quickly. (1)
Other factors include:
- Standing all-day
- Physical activity
- Hot weather
- Being overweight
- Hormonal changes
When the feet sweat, the skin starts to get wet. This is creating the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. To top it all off, if you are wearing socks and shoes that trap the bacteria and sweat, then the foot smell could get worse. That could mean the shoe is lacking aeration.
Using the same shoes, over and over again, without cleaning them, can also make them smell bad. You will be spending a lot of time outdoors, which means there can be dirt piled up. You might also step on something smelly and carry that smell home.
Medical problems, like athlete’s foot, can also cause smelly feet. When the smell is heightened, this could be a sign of both fungus and bacteria abrading the skin of the feet.
- The simplest way to get rid of the smell is to wash the shoes in the washing machine. Use a cold, gentle water cycle with no spin or slow setting. Be sure to remove the insoles and laces. And put the shoes in a closed mesh bag.
How to Remove Smell From Shoes Without Washing?
If your shoes are not machine washable, you can use the baking soda mixture. Start by mixing a quarter cup of baking soda, half a cup of cornstarch, and a quarter cup of baking powder. Sprinkle the mixture in your shoes and let it rest overnight.
To go the extra mile, add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil, like lavender. If you want to keep it simple, just sprinkle some baking soda right into your shoes and let it rest for 24 hours. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer capable of absorbing bacteria and smells. (2)
How to Remove Smell from Wet Shoes?
If your shoes are wet, get them dry. But where should you dry the shoes? Drying the shoes under direct sunlight can lead to excessive wear. So, you should air dry them inside, or in a properly ventilated space that doesn’t expose them to the harmful rays of the sun.
To speed up the process, place the shoes close to a fan or a vent. Take out the insoles and hang the shoes overnight. If you don’t let the shoes dry before cleaning them, the odor-causing bacteria can remain on the shoes. That’s because it thrives in humidity. Once they are completely dry, you can use a shoe freshener or shoe deodorizer.
Can I Dry the Shoes With a Hair Dryer?
You shouldn’t be exposing the shoes to heat for more than a couple of minutes. Continuous high heat can damage the glue, rubber, and other materials of the shoe. Also, placing the hair dryer too close to the fabric could be a fire hazard.
Home Remedies for Removing Odor from Shoes
Many people want to know how to fix smelly shoes overnight. Some of the home remedies listed here can help. (3)
1. White Vinegar
A spritz of white vinegar can fight bacteria and neutralize smells in shoes. Get a spray bottle and fill it with equal parts of white vinegar and water. Spray the product into the shoes and let them dry. Don’t dampen the shoes too much. This is one of the most popular shoe odor removers. To get the best results, give the shoes a thorough clean before applying the white vinegar solution.
2. Fresh Lime or Lemon Peel
To get rid of the bad odor, try leaving a fresh lime or lemon peel in the shoes overnight. This can freshen up the footwear. If you don’t have fresh products, feel free to use essential oils instead. Just, make sure to let the shoes dry before you wear them.
3. Tea Bags
Want to know how to get rid of shoe odor with tea bags? Tea bags might have the potency to curb some of the bad smells. Black tea, for example, is packed with tannins. Tannins can get rid of bacteria present in shoes. To give this remedy a try, bring a pot of water to a boil.
Put a few tea bags in the water and let them steep for a couple of minutes. Just like you would make regular tea. Take the bags out, and wait for the bags to cool before you use them in the shoes. This can take around 5 minutes.
Put the cool tea bags in the shoes. Let them sit for almost 1 hour. Take them out, and wipe away any extra liquid. It can be a useful smelly shoe home remedy to use on a busy schedule.
4. Baby Powder
If your feet get sweaty, use some baby powder on the socks or feet. If they continue to sweat, reapply the product. By keeping the feet dry, you reduce the odds of bad smells. Plus, it is a good way of neutralizing the odor.
5. Freeze the Shoes
This is a rather unusual method but very popular. People like to put their smelly shoes in a big plastic bag and place them in the freezer overnight. The extreme cold can get rid of the bacteria-causing stink. And minimize some of that smell. But, before you can wear them, you will need to wait for them to air dry.
6. HOCl Fogging
There is no doubt that the methods described above are effective. However, we can hear your voice saying, "I don't have time for that!". So here is our advice to you.
There is a chlorine-based disinfectant called HOCl which can control germs at extremely low concentrations that are safe for the human body. By fogging this disinfectant with a specially designed fogger, the HOCl ingredients can be delivered by dry mist to surfaces throughout the space without any labor. Since removing bothersome odors is almost same with controlling germs, this system can also serve to improve daily cleanliness.
Reference: HOCL (HYPOCHLOROUS ACID WATER): ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
There are several types of specialized foggers available, but the stationary type is the most reasonable to operate. All you have to do is set it and forget it, and before you know it, you will have a clean and hygienic space free from the shoes smell.
Reference: 4 BENEFITS OF HOCL FOGGING (HYPOCHLOROUS ACID)
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References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6773238/
2. https://www.nike.com/a/how-to-remove-shoe-smell
3. https://www.medicinenet.com/how_do_you_get_a_bad_smell_out_of_shoes/article.htm
