Dealing with stinky and foul-smelling shoes? Don’t worry. While the stench coming from your favorite pair of kicks can be overwhelming, there are still a lot of ways you can do to solve the problem in an instant.
In this article, we’ll show you the best ways and tips on how to get rid of stinky shoes. From using all-natural ingredients to performing quick and easy hacks, read along to find out the best solution for you!
1. Inspect and attack the problem causing the odor
Before you even try and treat the odor, you will need to know what exactly is causing it in the first place. Most of the time it could be due to damaged insoles or it could be as random as having a rotten fruit stuck inside. When it comes to stinky shoes, the possibilities are endless. That’s why it always pays to find out what the problem is every time.
2. Remove odor from shoes by eliminating bacteria
If you already know what’s causing the problem behind your smelly shoes, then it’s time to treat it right away by eliminating the bacteria. You can do this by sanitizing your shoes with a spray mixture to remove both germs and odor. You can use a commercial cleaner, rubbing alcohol or even a white vinegar mixed with water.
For the more thorough process of sanitizing your shoes, you can put it inside the freezer overnight to eliminate bacteria, germs and odor entirely. Simply slip your kicks into a plastic or ziploc bag and defrost them the morning after.
3. Remove bacteria and de-stink the foul and smelly odor
Use baking soda to eliminate any type of stench in your shoes. Simply place one gram of the baking soda powder into a dryer sheet, a coffee filter or a piece of cloth and place it inside the shoes overnight. Alternatively, if you don’t have any baking soda at home, you can also use broken pieces of charcoal inside a cloth to do the trick!
4. Keep your shoes fresh and dry at all times
If you’re no longer dealing with a stinky pair of shoes, good for you! But this doesn’t mean that the problem can never come back to haunt you again. That’s why you need to prevent it from happening again by keeping your kicks clean, fresh and dry at all times.
You can use soap bars, essential oils or even newspapers to make this happen. Simply stuff your shoes with soap bars or newspapers overnight so they can absorb moisture and neutralize the odor with their own scent. In the case of essential oils, simply put a few drops onto a cotton ball and place it inside the shoes. The citrusy the scent, the better!
5. Use citrus fruits to eliminate the odor
Aside from being a great source of vitamin C, did you know that citrus fruits can also be a great shoe odor eliminator? That’s right. If you’re looking for the best way on how to remove odor from shoes, simply place fresh lemon, orange, grapefruit or lime peels inside your stinky shoes, leave them on for a few hours, and you’ll be surprised at the fresh scent it can give off!
6. Dry the shoes out under the sun
When all else fails, you can always turn to nature to remove bad odor from your shoes. Simply place your pair of kicks under the sun for an hour or two and you will be able to immediately notice reduced odor and stench once they have fully dried out.
7. Use odor removers
If you don’t have the time to create your own DIY cleaning solution or odor remover, you can always get commercial cleaning products to solve the problem. Simply place these odor removers or shoe deodorizer inside and leave them on for a few hours.
