We all have encountered bad shoe odor at some point in our life and wondered how to remove shoe odor?
It’s irritating as well as embarrassing in social situations. Bad shoe odor is a natural problem that is not only disturbing for others. But it is injurious to your health and personal hygiene as well.
We have simple tricks and solutions to keep your sneakers free from bad odor. So, keep reading.
Main Causes of Bad Shoe Odor
Experts say don’t eliminate the issue; remove the root cause. So, before we go to the ways to eliminate shoe odor, let’s read about the causes behind the issue.
Shoe odor is not due to some chemical reaction or footwear material deterioration. Wearing shoes for long hours leads to excessive foot sweating, which promotes bacterial growth, causing your feet to smell bad.
This smelly sweat transfer to your socks that lead them to your shoes. Besides, shoes usually have packed design that lacks air ventilation resulting in the shoe’s smell lasting longer.
Let’s look at the few habits and actions that cause your shoes to smell bad.
- Non-ventilated, packed, and warm shoes.
- Unwashed or low-quality socks.
- Non-absorbent tight or thick socks.
- Breathless shoes
- Exercises
- Hyperhidrosis is also a common cause that results in excessive sweating.
- Cotton socks
How To Eliminate Shoe Odor – Detailed Guide
Bad shoe odor affects people of pretty much every age. Yet, it is the least discussed and taboo topic in our society. So, If you are worried about smelly shoe odor, then we have your back.
Bad shoe odor not only transfers the odor to your socks but also to your shoe rack. If you have a smelly shoe rack problem then must read this article to eliminate it.
Let’s look at the tested and reliable ways of eliminating shoe odor.
Change The Temperature Of Your shoes
The simplest way to get rid of shoe odor is by placing your shoes in the freezer or under direct sunlight at noon for about half an hour.
Better way is to place them out in open and let the fresh air vent out the bacteria
The cold and hot temperatures will kill the odor-causing bacteria, simply eliminating the bad shoe odor for good.
Use Shoe Deodorants
Shoe deodorants are the perfect and quickest solution to smelly shoe issues.
Spray your shoes with shoe fragrant or deodorant every time you put off your shoes after a long day. These are available in a variety of fragrances at very pocket-friendly prices.
My personal favorite on Amazon is Elite Sports Shoe Deodorizer. It works equally well in sneakers, sports shoes, and my favorite sandals. Plus it also has moisturizer which helps in healing cracked heels.
Use Essential Oils to Eliminate Shoe Odor
Though essential oils are optional for removing shoe odor, they have a lot of positive characteristics that can help you maintain your foot hygiene.
They contain antifungal properties and long-lasting scents. They work as natural deodorants. A few drops of essential oil poured directly into your shoes can kill bacteria and eliminate bad odor.
You can also mix a few drops of oil in water and spray it over your foot or shoes to keep them fragrant even after hours of jogging and workout.
There are a variety of oils that you can use for this purpose. However, we suggest you go for the soothing ones. Following is a list of the most used essential oils. Each of these essential oils comes with antibacterial and freshness properties.
Maintain Shoes And Socks Hygiene:
It’s essential to establish cleanness and quality foot hygiene. Therefore, it’s necessary that you follow the instructions to avoid smell as much as you can.
Moreover, use bamboo socks instead of cotton socks as they are more tolerant to foot odor and sweat.
- Wear socks instead of going socks less with your shoes.
- Dry out your socks and shoes in sun.
- Instead of synthetic shoes made of rubber or plastic, wear shoes made of leather or cotton.
- Apply an odor eliminator or disinfecting spray.
- Replacing the insoles of your shows every year.
- Use moisture-wicking or anti-odor socks.
- Switching shoes from time to time.
Home Remedies to Eliminate Shoe Odor
Home remedies are easy and quick to remove the smell from your shoes without spending too much money. Here are a few simple tips for using in-house, easy-to-get ingredients to eliminate shoe odor effectively.
Use Baking Soda:
Want to use a homemade solution to freshen your shoes? Use baking soda. It serves as a natural odor remover by absorbing odors and microbes.
You can scent your shoes by sprinkling plain baking soda inside the shoes and leaving them alone for at least 24 hours.
Otherwise, you can add a mixture of baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, and scented oil in socks to keep your shoe odor free.
Use Vinegar or lemon juice:
Vinegar and lemon juice are both acidic that can kill microorganisms from shoes and eliminate smells by changing the ph.
Fill a spray bottle with an equal mixture of white vinegar and water. After wearing the shoes, spritz the inside with the solution and let them air dry.
Your sneakers will continue to smell better for an extended period if you do this to them after each run.
Black Tea Bags:
Putting a tea bag in each shoe for a few hours helps absorb the bad odor. Black tea bags contain tannins that have an antibacterial effect.
Just boil the tea bag in water for 5 minutes. Then let it rest for a few minutes before placing it in the shoes for a few hours.
It removes the shoe odor and maintains the feet’ health and hygiene by reducing the chances of bacterial and fungal infections.
Charcoal Packs:
Another way is to make small pouches of charcoal briquets or cloves. Place these pouches inside your shoes overnight every day to find your shoes fresh every morning.
However, if you don’t like clove fragrance, you can replace it with sandalwood or neem leaves.
Conclusive Recommendations for Ending Bad Shoe Odor
In this article, we have discussed the main reasons for shoe odor. Odor can occur due to humidity and medical conditions as well.
The elimination of these shoe odors comes in various solutions. You can pick the one which is easily accessible, affordable, and bearable for you. However, the best way is to use shoe deodorant or essential oils to solve the problem quickly.
Besides, You can use a combination of these remedies to get the best results. If your daily routine requires wearing shoes constantly, this article can rescue you from bad odor.
