That Helps Against Smelly Shoes!

Shoes often take on an extremely unpleasant odor that doesn’t have to be.

When shoes start to smell unpleasant, it is usually a combination of foot sweat, unsuitable socks and cheap materials. But in most cases you can do something about smelly shoes.

Why smelly and smelly shoes ?

The smell that bothers you on your shoes doesn’t come suddenly and for no reason.

It often happens that shoes that have been stored in the basement or in unheated rooms over winter or summer have an unpleasant smell at the beginning of spring (or winter).

The very first step is always to find out where the smell is coming from. What is the source of the odor? Is the closet moldy? The wood? The wall under the wallpaper? The floor under the carpet or the closet? Or is it just “old sweat”?

Or maybe the plasticisers and solvents evaporate from the shoes if they are made from cheap materials?

You can only take effective action against it if you know the reason for smelly shoes. The following tips can help:

vinegar

The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar is excellent against mold and some bacteria.

So if you have a shoe that cannot be washed in the washing machine and is made of plastics such as artificial leather, wipe it carefully with apple cider vinegar or let vinegar soak in the textile components of the shoe. The acid kills mold and many bacteria.

Vinegar also makes bad smells go away.

To do this, pour water and apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 1: 2 into a spray bottle, a pump sprayer or a flower syringe and use them to wet the smelly shoes that you cannot wash. Let the shoes dry – and the smell is gone!

solar radiation

Textiles and shoes that smell bad can be freed of bad smells by simply ventilating them and laying them out or placing them in the sun.

Also ideal for carpets or upholstered furniture. The longer you are in the sun, the better!

Make sure that you “walk” with the sun so that as much of the day’s sunshine as possible falls on your feet. If there is a light wind blowing, so much the better!

Always dry well

Odor-causing bacteria love moisture. So always make sure that your shoes are always completely dry before you put them in the closet.

Especially in areas where the shoe is lined, for example in the heel area or in the insole, your kicks dry more slowly and are often still damp there.

If you put shoes (or clothing) with such damp spots in the closet, they cannot dry out there because there is no air circulation in the closet.

So check each item for moisture before putting it in the closet or drawer !

In this way you prevent bad smells and make sure that your fresh things don’t immediately take on the smell of mold again!

Shoe deodorant

The essential oils stored in the peel of citrus fruits are ideal for scenting smelly shoes, sports shoes or winter boots.

To do this, simply put the shells in the shoes. There the pods dry and give off their aroma. If the shells are hard dried out, you can carefully bend them to loosen more essential oil from the small storage cells.

So you can use the bowl over a long period of time!

Freeze footwear

Shoes that stink even when dry are put in the freezer or freezer for one night to kill the bacteria in them. Only then can you spray the inside of the shoes with special shoe deodorants.

However, this only makes sense if you take care of your own feet afterwards so that the problem does not recur! Sports shoes can also be washed in the washing machine without hesitation.

Preventing foot odor

So that the shoe does not smell smelly, you can also very easily start with the cause: the foot sweat.

If you make your feet sweat less, you will keep the shoes drier and prevent a bacterial zoo of odor-causing bacteria. The following tips will help against excessive foot sweat:

• Sage has an antiperspirant effect and is said to help both internally and externally. Make a strong sage tea from fresh or dried leaves by simmering the leaves for at least 15 minutes. Let the tea cool down and bathe your feet in it.
• The active ingredients in black tea have an astringent effect, which means ” astringent “. They ensure that your sweat glands contract too and can secrete less sweat. To do this, you brew a very strong tea from cheap black tea, a concentrate, so to speak, and use it as a bath additive in the footbath.
• Lavender has an antibacterial effect – also against the bacteria that produce the smell of sweat. Simply drizzle a few drops of pure, essential lavender oil from the pharmacy onto a cotton pad and brush your feet with it.
• Foot powder keeps feet pleasantly dry, absorbs sweat and thus prevents the development of an excessive “cheese odor” on the feet.