How to remove odor from shoes — we use home and professional remedies

An unpleasant smell coming from shoes can spoil the opinion of a person in society. But it often happens that the smell exudes a brand new or minimally worn pair of boots or shoes. What to do in this case — get rid of the pair and buy a new one? Or take things to the dry cleaners? Yes, you can do both, but why not try to solve the problem at home first? Moreover, the vast majority of funds suitable for these purposes are inexpensive. In this article, Expertology will share with our readers tips and methods to help you remove odor from your shoes and prevent it from reappearing.

The main causes of the problem

If you know why and how this situation can arise, you can easily prevent it or find the best ways to solve it. So, there can be several reasons for the appearance of an unpleasant smell from shoes. The main ones — the products have already served their time, their inner surface is heavily polluted and worn out; the owner has diseases of the skin of the legs and / or nails, for example, a fungus; products are not looked after, they are constantly dirty, wet, stored in dampness. There are also a number of reasons why they can emit a strange, unpleasant odor:

1. The shoes were made from poor quality materials, there were violations of manufacturing technology, there was improper storage or transportation. In this case, a characteristic chemical “stink” will be emitted by a product that has never even been worn.

2. Incorrect, inappropriate use of a particular type of footwear. For example, wearing sandals in liquid mud, wearing rubber boots on a bare foot in heat and humidity for a long time.

3. Urine of domestic animals or odorous secretions of their glands. A very common problem among urban residents who have cats or dogs. In this case, the characteristic unpleasant smell of “cat urine” will come from the shoes. And it will be necessary not only to remove this smell from the shoes, but also to wean the animal from leaving it on the owner’s wardrobe items.

4. Defeat by the products of the vital activity of parasitic insects. If bedbugs, cockroaches or other insects have started up in the apartment, then things and shoes can stink with a characteristic “aroma”. In this case, you must first get rid of the parasites in the room, and then eliminate the consequences of their expansion.

Having found out the cause of the unpleasant odor, you need to eliminate it if possible, wash the products inside, and no longer allow the circumstances and conditions in which an unpleasant odor occurs in the shoes.

How to remove the smell with improvised means

To treat the smell, you can use the products that are found in the home first aid kit or in the kitchen. Here is some of them:

1. 
   Vodka or alcohol diluted with water. The liquid is wiped with the internal space of the products or sprayed from a spray bottle. Leave for several hours, wipe dry with a paper towel, allow to dry completely, ventilate.

2. 
   Ammonia. We process the shoes in the same way as with vodka, only we will have to allocate more time for airing, since for some time the smell of ammonia will come from the pair.

3. 
   Vinegar or vinegar essence (in this case, dilute with water at the rate of 1 teaspoon of essence per 0.5 cup of water). We moisten the inner space with liquid in the most convenient way, let it stand for 3-4 hours, dry it with napkins, ventilate, let it dry completely.

4. 
   Essential oil with antibacterial properties, for example, oil of eucalyptus, coniferous, mint, cloves, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, tea tree. You can mix several essential oils to enhance the effect. We measure 5-6 drops of the product into a container, dip the tip of a cotton swab into it, process the insole and other internal surfaces of the shoe. Then leave for a few hours, wipe, ventilate.

5. 
   Baking soda or fine table salt, a mixture of salt and soda. We pour a few tablespoons of the product into the shoes, shake it so that it is evenly distributed over the insole, put the shoes in a bag and close it carefully. We leave for 5-6 hours, take out a couple, shake out the soda.

Also, many users are interested in whether it is possible to remove the smell from shoes by washing them? Yes, this is a good way to get rid of the aroma, but only if you are sure that after such exposure the vapor will not fall apart. If it is glued with high-quality glue or stitched, if it has already gotten wet before and nothing has happened to it, you can try to wash it. Do not use detergent for this. It is better to take baby shampoo, and even better — ordinary laundry soap, because it has an antibacterial effect and does not leave behind an extraneous odor. We take a bar of soap, rub it on a fine kitchen grater to make shavings. Add some warm water to it and wait for complete dissolution. After that, we foam with a sponge and collect a little foam on the sponge, we process the internal space. Next, we blot with a paper towel and stuff the shoes with crumpled paper (ordinary office or newspaper). We change the paper as it absorbs moisture, we act in this way until the products are completely dry. If after processing you have soap essence left, do not rush to throw it away. This product can be used for manual cleaning, washing various surfaces in the kitchen, washing dishes and even washing children’s clothes.

How to remove odor from shoes with special means

There is nothing easier than getting rid of an unpleasant odor using specialized preparations. They are designed for just such purposes, they have an effective and safe composition, they cope with the most persistent and repulsive odors. Here are a few products that you can buy in a store or order online:

1. 
   Odor neutralizer Helmetex Shoes. Removes the problem of unpleasant odors in everyday and sports shoes (sneakers, skates, roller skates, wrestling shoes, ski boots), cleans the inner surface and insoles from bacteria. Extends the service life of products.

2. 
   Shoe odor remover Shoes OdorGone. Delicate cleaner, leaves no residue after treatment. It does not contain alcohol or similar aggressive ingredients. The spray is neutral to all types of materials — fabrics, leather, varnish, paints.

3. 
   GraSS odor remover Smell block. Universal inexpensive tool for manual cleaning, effectively blocks any unpleasant odors.

4. 
   SALTON Expert Odor neutralizer. The drug is designed to completely and permanently eliminate the problem of unpleasant odors in shoes. Instantly eliminates the smell of sweat, effectively disinfects shoes, eliminating 100% of bacteria and fungi, and helps prevent mycotic diseases of the skin and nails.

This, of course, is far from all the drugs presented in the assortment of stores, the choice and price range allow you to choose the best funds for every “taste” and budget. The method of use for each of the listed products is different, but they are usually sold in convenient packaging in the form of a spray bottle and are applied by simple spraying. The user only needs to apply the drug to the inside of the shoe, wait for it to work and dry the pair.

Precautions when cleaning shoes from an unpleasant odor

Experts recommend not to make common mistakes when dealing with an unpleasant smell in shoes:

1. Don’t just try to disguise a persistent scent. First you need to try to eliminate the cause of its occurrence, or at least subject the interior of the shoe to cleaning with water and soap. The smell of perfume or air freshener layered on top of a bad “scent” will only exacerbate the problem.

2. If you are treating the odor with any of the suggested products, be sure to wait until the shoes are completely dry. It is impossible to put it on when wet, before the steam dries not only outside, but also inside. Drying can be accelerated by placing boots or boots in the hot sun outdoors.

3. Do not use all the recommended products in a row, alternately, as you will only ruin the shoe lining. If one or two drugs do not help to cope with an unpleasant odor, it is better to take the shoes to a dry cleaner.

4. No need to try to use any technical or obviously toxic preparations that are not intended for household use to disinfect / deodorize shoes. Firstly, the smell can become even worse from this, and secondly, toxic fumes and chemical residues on the inside of the product can adversely affect the health of the person who wears it.

5. When processing with any home or specialized means, try not to get liquids on the outer area of ​​the shoe so that there is no threat of damage to the material from which the product is made.

And the last recommendation — in order to avoid harm to health, all procedures for eliminating unpleasant odors from shoes should be carried out with rubber gloves, as well as in a respirator or in a homemade bandage on the nose and mouth area.

Prevention measures

To make sure your shoes never smell bad again, take these simple precautions:

1. Use shoes only for their intended purpose. That is, do not walk in warm boots when it is +15 outside, do not run in light sneakers on ice and snow. Feet in such conditions will be uncomfortable, they will sweat or freeze, as a result of which the smell of sweat will appear or the skin will become more vulnerable to fungal infections.

2. Never wear someone else’s shoes so that you don’t smell bad in yours (and don’t let other people wear your shoes). The microflora on the skin of each person is individual, you can easily catch some kind of disease if a person is a carrier, even if he does not have the corresponding symptoms.

3. If we are not talking about sandals, slippers, sandals, always wear socks, tights or so-called “footprints” to limit skin contact in the inner upholstery of shoes, to prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms.

4. Always dry your shoes thoroughly if they get wet. But do not place it on heating appliances or near heat sources, there is a big risk that it will crack. It is better to use special internal dryers or ordinary balls from crumpled old newspapers. The filler is changed until it stops absorbing moisture, then there is no smell of dampness or mold in the interior of the shoe.

5. Store shoes correctly — put any absorbent on the insole — bags with special granules that absorb moisture and smell, sachets with crushed activated carbon or soda / salt, that is, you can use any substance that does not have its own smell and can absorb any extraneous «aroma». You can put cloth bags with deodorants — ground coffee, crushed peels and skins of citrus fruits, with aromatic herbs (which can also have disinfectant properties, such as sage, mint, St. John’s wort, chamomile) in boots or shoes. Unused tea bags with ordinary black or green tea also absorb moisture and odors well.

Proper storage and use of shoes is a guarantee that the problem of unpleasant odor will no longer bother you, and things will last a long time and will be in excellent condition.