Natural Remedies to Eliminate Shoe Odor

Stinky feet and stinky shoes are not only a source of embarrassment but also lead to infection and other feet conditions. Your shoe may stick after a long day at work but the fault does not lie in the pair of shoes, but what’s inside it, i.e., your sweaty feet.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, there are more than half a million sweat glands on human feet. The sweat gets trapped inside when you wear socks and shoes. Sweat, combined with the moisture inside your shoe helps the growth of bacteria. When the microbes break down, they produce a foul odor. 

Natural Remedies to Eliminate Shoe Odor

Does that mean you should throw the stinky shoe away, even if it’s your favorite pair? Of course not! You don’t need to discard those stinky shoes as you can get rid of the unpleasant odor. All you have to do is to dry the moisture inside the shoe to remove that odor and kill bacteria. 

Don’t know how to do that? Well, you have come to the right place. In this post, we will look at some of the best ways to get that smell out of your shoes.

• Let your Shoes Soak some Sunlight
  Many people think deodorizing sprays cut the smell of your shoes. However, it’s a temporary solution as it does not dry the moisture resting inside your shoe. Rather, it only covers the smell for a short period, and the issue surfaces again.
  Sunlight is a natural source to dry the moisture as well as kill bacteria. Put your shoes out and let the “pair” soak the sunlight for some time. The exposure to sun allows the moisture to dry. The sunlight also prevents bacterial growth.  So, let your shoe air out in the sun.
• Baking Soda 

Baking soda is a natural deodorant, and perhaps the most effective remedy for getting rid of that stench smell from your shoe. The best thing is you can easily find baking soda in one of your kitchen cabinets. You can use baking soda to eliminate shoe odor in many ways. 

Method 1: Put one tablespoon of baking soda into each of your stinky shoes.  Shake the shoe to spread the baking soda inside, and leave if for some time. It is better to leave it overnight for the best results. Also, you can put more than one tablespoon if your shoe is bigger. 

Method 2: Baking soda works well with essential oils and makes a good shoe odor eliminator. Put two tablespoons of baking soda in a coffee filter and add in a few drops of essential oil. Lavender oil has a pleasant smell. 

Twist the coffee filter and tie it off with a rubber band. Place the sachet in the shoe overnight. The mixture absorbs the moisture and the smell. 

• Essential Oils

Essential oils help a great deal in getting rid of the unpleasant smell from the shoe as well as your feet. In case you don’t know, your feet have a lot of absorption points that soak the essential oils and help you get rid of the bacteria, fungus, and that stench smell. Not to forget, applying essential oils on the feet helps you enjoy a sound sleep. 

Like baking soda, you can use essential oils in many ways to eliminate the shoe odor. Put some drops of any essential oil like sage, orange, bergamot, or tangerine oil on a tissue. You may also soak cotton balls in the oil and leave them in your shoe overnight. 

The essential only will not only kill the bacteria but also leaves a refreshing fragrance. Once you take out the cotton balls from the shoes, leave it for some more time to dry. 

• Citrus Peels

Lemon peels are very refreshing –not only for making lemonade but also for a fragrant smell in your shoes. All you have to do is place some fresh citrus peels into your shoes and leave them overnight. You may use fresh lime, lemon, grapefruit, or orange peels. 

However, it is not an ideal solution if your shoe has moisture sitting in. Citrus peels only help to get rid of that bad smell –they don’t deal with the moisture. You can repeat the process on alternate days for a long-lasting and refreshing smell. Don’t forget to remove the peels before wearing the shoes.

• Rubbing Alcohol –The best Antiseptic

Rubbing alcohol is one of the most potent antiseptics that help to dry out the moisture, i.e., the source of odor in the shoe. You can spray the inside of the shoe with rubbing alcohol. Also, you can pour some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and rub it all over the shoe. It kills the bacteria and eliminates the bacterial odor from the shoe. 

Besides its antiseptic properties, rubbing alcohol is also effective as it evaporates very quickly. So, you don’t have to leave your shoe for long to let it dry. In fact, if you use rubbing alcohol with a source of moisture, the potent spray can evaporate that as well.

• White Vinegar

Vinegar is an effective anti-bacterial acid that can help kill the microbes in your shoe. Not to mention, the bacteria cause the shoe and feet to stink. For eliminating unpleasant odors from shoes, make a mixture of white vinegar and water. Make sure to use the water and vinegar in equal amount. 

You can either put the mixture in a spray bottle or dip some cotton balls in the mixture and rub over the shoe. Spray or rub the mixture into the lining and sole of your shoe. Allow the mixture to dry naturally. For a long-lasting and refreshing effect, you can repeat the process every week. 

Final Thoughts

Clean feet do look not only beautiful, but also prevents bacterial growth. It is also important to wear clean shoes and do not allow moisture to sit in. These were few of the many ways to get rid of the stinky shoe odor.