Shoes stink: These 9 tips and tricks really help against shoe odor – not only in summer
Smelly shoes: That’s why
Bad smells, including smelly shoes, are always caused by odor-causing bacteria. However, these have nothing to do with poor foot hygiene – moisture that builds up in shoes through sweat, especially during the hot summer months or during sports, is more of a problem. Bacteria feel particularly comfortable in the warm, humid environment. If we take off our shoes and the bacteria come into contact with air, it starts to smell.
Smelly shoes: what to do?
These simple tips and environmentally friendly home remedies are fighting smelly shoes – without synthetic shoe deodorant:
Tip 1: Change shoes regularly
Your feet sweat a lot and your closed shoes tend to smell? Then you should change them every day, because otherwise the residual moisture cannot evaporate completely. It is better to completely air out and dry the shoes for a day after wearing them. If you have sweated heavily, it also helps to remove the soles to air them out so that they don’t start to stink.
Tip 2: Wash shoes in the washing machine
In the event of an acute musty alarm, it is advisable to wash the shoes in the washing machine. Here you can find out which shoes are suitable for this and what you should definitely pay attention to when washing in the machine:
Remove shoe odor: These really help home remedies for smelly shoes
1. Lemon peels against smelly shoes
Lemons or lemon juice are not only used in the household as a miracle weapon against limescale – the citrus fruits can also bind unpleasant odors as a miracle home remedy. All you have to do is put fresh lemon peels in your smelly shoes overnight. The odor should be neutralized by the next day. The trick also works with orange, lime or grapefruit peels.
2. Baking soda as a home remedy for smelly shoes
If shoes are damp on the inside, they offer an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and start to smell. In other words: when the shoes are dry, there is no odor either. This is where baking powder comes into play, which is a real all-rounder among home remedies. The baking powder binds the moisture and thus absorbs the shoe smell. To do this, you simply distribute the contents of a packet evenly into both shoes and let the powder take effect and dry for several hours. Then you knock it out well. More stubborn residue can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. If you don’t have baking powder or baking soda at home, you can use baby powder.
3. Freezer against smelly shoes
Bacteria hate extreme heat – and extreme cold. If you have enough space in your freezer, you can pack your smelly shoes in a plastic bag and then give them a little cold shock. After 24 hours in the freezer, not only are all the bacteria gone, the stinky smell is gone too.
4. Tea tree oil for smelly shoes
Tea tree oil is a real beauty miracle weapon because it has an antiseptic and antibacterial effect. What many do not know: tea tree oil also helps against unpleasant odors. To do this, you simply drip two to three drops of the home remedy into each shoe and leave it to work overnight.
5. Coffee against smelly shoes
Freshly brewed coffee exudes a wonderful scent. But it can do much more: remove coffee beans, coffee grounds and coffee powder and also neutralize unpleasant odours. To do this, pour the dry (!) ground coffee into the shoes, pack it in an airtight plastic bag to increase the effect, and wait a few hours.
6. Tea bags against smelly shoes
Tea has similar odor-binding properties as coffee. The best way to get rid of the bad odor from smelly shoes is to put an unused tea bag in each shoe overnight. The smelly shoe smell should be gone by the next morning.
7. Cat litter and sawdust for smelly shoes
Cats, guinea pigs, hamsters or rabbits: Anyone who owns small pets either has cat litter or sawdust at home and knows about their odor-binding effect. Both also help with extremely smelly shoes. The same applies here: fill shoes, wait several hours, tap out.
New shoes smell toxic? Hands off!
When buying new shoes – especially sandals or rubber flip-flops that you wear directly on the skin – always make sure that they do not give off an unpleasant chemical or even toxic smell. This can be an indication of possibly harmful plasticizers. It is better to keep your hands off such shoes.