Do you suffer from smelly fee? Are you embarrassed to take off your shoe in front of someone even if your feet are smothered and want to come out? Don’t worry; there are many remedies that you can try out. You can try it out even if you do not have stinky feet. Take a look at some of these methods.

  1. Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is greatly helpful in getting rid of smelly sneaker or shoe.

  • Sprinkle soda in the loafer or lace it up. Allow it to sit overnight. In the morning, dump the powder.
  • Make your own odor deodorizers my mixing two tablespoons of baking soda in your socks and tying a knot. Keep the socks in each of your show at night. Remove it in the morning and allow your shoe to breathe.
  • Be careful when you use baking soda on your leather shoes as repeated use might dry them out and cause them to be brittle.
  1. Use Orange Peel

You can use the orange peel on your shoes overnight for providing a fresh scent.

  • Put the orange peel inside your shoes and leave it overnight. Discard them in the morning and get fresh smelling shoes.
  • Orange peels do not eliminate bacteria. Hence, you can combine it with the rubbing alcohol method. This way it will be more effective.
  1. Wash Shoes and Exfoliate Feet

As a stinky shoe is a result of stinky feet, it is a good place to begin. If you practice good food hygiene then it will keep down the odor on your foot.

  • Wash your feet every day. You need to do this even if you do bathe or take a shower every day. Take enough time to wash your feet with soap and warm water. Rinse your feet thoroughly and dry it up using a dry and clean towel. Bacteria usually grow in between your toes so make sure that you clean them.
  • Get rid of your dead skin cells. You can scrub your feet using a pumice stone or an exfoliating pad.
  • A bacterium grows where there are moisture and sweat. Wet shoes and socks are prone to bacterial growth. Use breathable socks which are made of fabric which will stick away foot perspiration. Never wear shoes without socks as they can make the shoe stink.
  1. Use Sunshine

You can use sunshine to dry out your shoes.

  • Place your shoe in sunlight and leave to dry the sweat.
  • Placing them in sunlight will also keep out bacterial growth.
  1. Use Fabric Softener Sheets

At times to deodorize your sneaker, you will require something robust.

  • Tuck in fabric softener sheets in the pair of shoes and leave it all throughout the night for neutralizing the odors. Keep in mind to pull them out prior to wearing your sneakers.
  • Deodorize the places where you will be keeping the shoes like the gym bag. Drop in a dryer sheet at the bottom of the gym bag. Leave it till your nose tells you that it is time to change it.
  1. Use the Freezer

Take the help of your freezer in order to get rid of odor from your shoes.

  • Put your shoes in a zip-lock bag and place it in the freezer.
  • The freezing temperature is going to kill the bacteria and will make your shoe feel fresh.
  1. Use Salt

Canvas shoes and sneakers can get smelly, particularly if you do not wear socks in summer.

  • Sprinkle salt in your shoes and leave it overnight.
  • The salt is going to soak up the moisture and the odor. Do this on an occasional basis.
  1. Use Essential Oils

Essential oils have anti-fungal or anti-bacterial properties. Hence, it will act against microbes that can lead to smelly feet.

  • Use essential oils like tea tree for freshening up and deodorizing your shoes.
  • Tea tree oil can also be used for truncating the impact of allergic skin, athlete’s foot, toenail infection, and allergic skin reaction.
  • In case you do not want to put it directly on to your shoe, you can drip on a tissue and put that inside your shoe.
  • Rub some tea tree oil onto your skin.
  1. Alternate Your Shoes

You can alternate your shoes and this is going to provide them enough time to air out.

  • When you don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day, the smell of it will be reduced.
  • Keep more than one pair of shoes to wear. It is better to have at least two pairs of shoes.
  • When you give the shoe to air out, take out the tongue and loosen up the laces. Place them in a ventilated spot where it will be able to air out.
  1. Use Wood Chips or Cat Litter

If your shoes are giving out a bad odor, you can also try out kitty litter or wood chips. You are also going to require paper towels or clean old socks.

  • Fill up a pair of clean and old socks with cat litter or wood chips.
  • Place them in one shoe each and allow it to stand overnight.
  • The kitty litter or the wood chips is going to absorb the foot odor of the shoe.
  • You can also use citrus peels to refresh your shoes.
  1. Use Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is good for cleaning your shoes and killing the odor. Here are two methods that you need to follow.

  • Use a mix of alcohol and water. Take one cup of water and another cup of rubbing alcohol. Mix it and put it inside a spray bottle. Spray the mix on your shoes, outside, as well as inside.
  • Place the shoe in an area which is well ventilated. This will eliminate the bacteria in the smelly shoes.
  • The alcohol will keep the area dry which might otherwise collect moisture.
  • You can also alcohol in cotton balls as mentioned above. Put these cotton balls inside the shoe. Make sure that they are way down the toe area. Leave it overnight. This way the shoe is going to feel much fresh during the morning time.
  1. Stuff Shoes using Newspaper

Rather than tossing the old newspaper, you can use it to get rid of odor from your shoes.

  • Pack your smelly shoes with a bunch of newspapers and leave the newspaper to absorb the odor after some days. This will leave the shoe smelling new and fresh.
  • If you want, you can also spray your favorite aroma or perfume in the newspapers. What works the best is a drop of vanilla extract.
  1. Use Coffee Grounds

In case you are a coffee addict, you can use the leftover to fight the shoe odor.

  • Sprinkle a handful of grounds in each of the shoes and allow it to sit for some hours. This is a great way to get rid of bad smells. It is necessary to use dry grounds. This is because the wet ground can dampen the shoe. It will also stain the shoes that are light in color.
  • Leaving dry and unused coffee ground is also going to work pretty well. The result is going to be the same as baking soda.
  1. Rub Vinegar on it

Swab the inner part of each of the show with a paper towel or rag by dampening using white vinegar. This is a great way to get rid of foot odor.

  • Allow your shoes to dry out completely before you wear it. Or else it is just going to replace the odor with the aroma of vinegar. In case you have used too much vinegar, you can remove it by stuffing newspaper.
  • Use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar for creating fizzing foam that will fill up the shoe and will also get rid of the odor.
  • However, you have to make sure that you are using white vinegar. You use balsamic or apple cider vinegar then it might spoil your shoes.
  1. Put Them in Washer

Just as you put your dirty clothes in the washer, you can do the same with your shoe. To get the best result, you will have to remove the laces and the soles from the shoes.

  • Put the shoes in a pillowcase for keeping them together before putting it in the washer. Use standard detergent and wash them hot or warm.
  • When done, leave them in the sun to dry out. It is going to expose the shoes to fresh air. The sun serves the function of natural disinfectant when it comes to odor-causing bacteria.
  • However, you should do it with shoes that might be damaged by water.
  1. Microwave Carefully

Heat works great on bacteria. This is one of the reason meat is cooked prior to eating. Heat the shoes in your microwave for killing the bacteria. However, do not eat it too long as it might damage your shoes. Also, it is not a good method for leather shoes.

  • Soak the rag in water and rub the outer and inner portion of the shoe to dampen it but it shouldn’t be soaking wet.
  • Put in the shoes. Remove the microwave’s rotating plate.
  • Heat the shoes for about 30 seconds. Stop in between and check the temperature using the back of your hand.
  • Keep heating with an interval of 30 seconds till the shoes are hot enough. Take a tong and remove it. Allow it to dry in air.
  1. Use Antibacterial Powder

You will be able to purchase them from drug or grocery stores.

  • Spray the antibacterial product on your shoes. It helps in getting rid of smelly shoes.
  • In case you have athlete’s feet, use a lotion or cream for fighting the fungus that can lead to odor. If you want to use something natural then you can use tea tree oil.
  1. Use Black Teabags

Black teabags can work wonders. It contains tannins that will work on the bacterial and will eliminate it.

  • Bring a cup of water to boil and put in the tea bag. Remove the tea bag and allow it to cool down.
  • Place the tea bag in the shoe for an hour. When you have removed the tea bag, clean up the excess liquid which is left on the shoe.
  1. Use Baby Powder

This is actually a precautionary step which will help you to avoid the odor.

  • Rub some baby powder on your feet before putting on the shoe.
  • Make sure that you rub it all over the feet, especially in between your fingers.
  1. Steam Them

With the help of steam, you will be able to remove the bacteria from your shoes. This, in turn, will eradicate the odor.

  • Put in the shoes in a dryer which has a steam feature. However, try it out with shoes which will be capable of tolerating the moisture.
  • You can also use a steam cleaning appliance. It is usually used to disinfect things in the house. Take the nozzle of the team machine in each of the shoes for around 30 seconds. Allow it to dry prior to putting them on again.
  1. Use Shoe Insoles

Another great way to minimize the smell in your shoe is through specially treated insoles. You will get them in the medicine or grocery store.

  • Insoles are treated with baking soda or charcoal. These can neutralize unpleasant odors.
  • However, they do not offer a long-lasting effect. They absorb foot moisture. Also, it adds foot-bed cushioning.
  • A majority of the brands are available in a standard size which you can easily cut to fit any size of the shoes. The insoles which neutralize odor are useful to tame the smelly shoes.
  1. Mix Vinegar with Baking Soda

Another full proof way to deodorize your shoes are combination of vinegar and baking soda. This not only eliminates the foul smell, but it also disinfects the shoes from growing anymore foul-smelling bacteria.

  • Create mixture of vinegar and baking soda in equal parts, and apply it at the insoles of the shoes.
  • Leave it there for fifteen to twenty minutes, it will start bubbling up which will show that it is working on the problem.
  • This method is the most effective and cheap way in solving the problem of foul smell.
  1. Milk Powder and Lemon

As weird as this combination sounds, it works really well when it comes to deodorizing the shoes. Both the content of lactose and lactic acid works strongly over the foul smell that comes from the shoes.

  • First you have to squeeze 8-10 lemons and use the liquid by spreading it in the insoles of the shoes evenly, so that it wets the soles.
  • Then take milk powder and spread it evenly over the soles already covered in lemon juice. Wait for 10 minutes.
  • You will see the solution become a darker shade of yellow, which means it has started doing its work.
  • After fifteen minutes, remove the insoles and wash them thoroughly.
  1. Soap

This method is very simple. All you need is a bar of soap and your work is done. The smell and porous nature of the soap makes it effective to treat that bad smell.

  • All you need to do is place a bar of soap inside the shoes and leave it overnight.
  • The porous nature of the soap will suck up all the stinky smell from the shoe, leaving you with perfectly smelling shoes.
  • If you want you can also use soap shavings, instead of the whole bar it will work a bit more effectively, just make sure to put shoes in a closed box when you use soap shavings.
  1. Lemon Zest and Detergent

When it comes to lemon zest and detergent, it results in very pleasant-smelling shoes at the end of the treatment. This procedure comes in handy when you need the deodorized shoes immediately.

  • This process is very cheap and very time efficient.
  • Take lemon zest of three to four lemons and mix it with four tablespoons of detergent.
  • Spread the mixture thoroughly in the stinky shoes and leave it in sunlight for 5-20 minutes.
  • Once it is done, clear the mixture from the shoes by just patting it as the mixture will be dried out.
  1. Spray Deodorant

People use deodorants to get rid of their body odour but little do they know that it can also be used to get rid of the smell that comes from your shoes.

  • Make sure that you use a mild deodorant and not a strong one since the aim is to just get rid of the smell in your shoes.
  • Make sure that use deodorant and not a perfume since perfume just adds a nicer smell to the shoes but doesn’t remove the unpleasant smell.
  • Use aerosol-based deodorants and not concentrated water-based deodorants as they are less effective in this situation.
  1. Use Scented Polish

If your shoes keep giving off a foul odour, you might want to shift from a normal shoe polish to a scented polish which has a more pleasant smell.

  • Scented polish helps to mask the foul odour liberated by frequently used shoes and thus is popular amongst the working class.
  • Also repels dirt from the surface thus helps in keeping your shoes odour free for longer.
  • Scented polish also stops microbes from growing over your shoes.
  1. Use Silica Gel Desiccators

A lot of times, the unpleasant smell in shoes is due to the moisture and seat that gets trapped inside the shoes after being repeatedly used for a long duration. Hence getting rid of this excess moisture can help in removing the foul smell from shoes.

  • Remove your shoelaces and place your shoes in an airtight box along with silica gel desiccators.
  • Incubate your shoes with silica gel desiccator packets for a day to effectively get rid of excess moisture from them.
  • Silica gel desiccators are available as beads packaged in small packets which can be easily procured.
  • Silica Gel Desiccators provide a cheap and effective way to get rid of odour from your shoes without directly applying anything on the shoes.
  1. Shoe Shampoo

Just like you have cleaning products for your body, such products exist for shoes as well. A shoe shampoo is a concoction that is made with the sole aim of cleaning shoes and getting rid of the foul smell.

  • Rub sufficient amounts of shoe shampoo over your entire shoe both inside and outside.
  • Keeping scrubbing the shoes until a rich lather forms and then keep them coated in the lather for a few hours.
  • If your shoes are excessively dirty, you can scrub them with shoe shampoo and then soak them in a mixture of water and some shoe shampoo.
  • After this, rinse your shoes with water thoroughly and remove all traces of the shoe shampoo to get clean and deodorized shoes.
  1. Use Coffee Beans

Coffee beans have been regularly used for their marvellous aroma and they can prove useful here due to their pleasant odour and desiccation properties.

  • Place about twenty coffee beans inside each of your shoes.
  • These coffee beans will absorb moisture and will also liberate their pleasant aroma.
  • You can place coffee beans inside your shoes whenever you are not using them, and you are bound to see results in a few days.
  • For higher efficacy, they can be used with silica gel desiccators since the desiccators will absorb more moisture as the beans liberate aroma.

TIPS

  • Make sure that you always wear your socks. Don’t skip on them even when it is too hot or to stylize your outfit.
  • You need to avoid wearing two shoes in a row. Give time to your shoes to dry off.
  • If you can, you need to put your shoes out in the sun. Sunlight serves as a natural disinfectant. Hence, it will help in getting rid of the odor in the hoses.

Stop sweaty feet. This way the shoes will not stink.

How do you get bad smell out of shoes?

You should use a vinegar and water solution to battle the odor. In a spray bottle, mix one cup of vinegar and one cup of water. Spray the solution inside your shoes and allow them to dry. The vinegar will eliminate the odor and keep your shoes smell fresh for hours.

What home remedy is good for shoe odor?

Fill two socks with baking soda, tie them off at the top, and slip one sock in each shoe. Let them sit overnight. To get rid of odor-causing bacteria and fungus, spray the shoe’s interior with disinfecting spray like Lysol. You can also sprinkle foot powder or baking powder inside for similar effects.