What helps against smelly shoes? - DIY household tips

• Different means
  • Shoe spray
  • disinfectant
  • newsprint
  • Washing shoes
  • Socks with silver threads
  • Shoes in the freezer
  • lavender
  • citrus peel
  • bicarbonate of soda
  • Tea tree oil
  • cat litter
• Prevention of smelly shoes

Bad odors in your own shoes are not uncommon. Sometimes even the best precautions fail and the shoe starts to smell. But to solve the problem, you do not necessarily have to use chemical remedies - home remedies also have good to very good chances of stopping the unwanted odor.

Smelly shoes are an unpleasant but common phenomenon. Even if your feet are washed every day, your socks are changed regularly, and your shoes are lifted, you're not completely safe from the lousy fragrance. Foot odor is often stubbornly stuck in shoes and you get him, once he is there, difficult to go again. Tips for a good foot climate as well as some tricks to ensure that the beloved shoes do not end up in the garbage, this DIY guide offers.

Different means

Shoe spray

This popular remedy is usually purchased in the shoe store. By spraying and a certain exposure time, the bacteria responsible for the odor should be killed. These remedies often help quite well, but not always. In addition, shoe sprays even a pretty unpleasant smell. Forgetting to aerate the shoes or exaggerate it with the dosage, they can smell even worse after the treatment than before.

disinfectant

As a home remedy often used are all sorts of disinfectants. While these may be successful, most disinfectants are not for shoes. The consequences are especially in light shoes obvious spots that ruin the look. If you want to try it, you should first test the disinfectant in a non-conspicuous place. If the shoe with the disinfectant no problem, this is an ideal and reliable odor remover.

newsprint

A home remedy that always works well is newspaper. Because bacteria that are responsible for the bad smell must form first, before the bad smell can arise. An ideal breeding ground is moist and warm places. If the shoes are taken off, simply newsprint stuffed in the shoes. This draws the moisture from the shoe, the nutrient medium of the bacteria is thus removed and prevents their multiplication.

Washing shoes

Often, shoes are simply put in the washing machine. However, this can be a fatal mistake. Only very few shoes can handle a 60 ° C wash and the temperatures should not be lower, otherwise the bacteria will not be killed. The result of the laundry are often loosened seams and stains on the shoes. Another problem is that the shoes are soaked in water. Depending on the material, they often can not dry fast enough and the result is mold. Thus, washing shoes is indeed a good idea, but not suitable for every shoe!

Socks with silver threads

New on the market are socks with silver threads. Silver has an antibacterial effect and kills bacteria as they develop. They cost a little more than normal socks, but they are a reliable odor neutralizer.

Shoes in the freezer

If you have enough space, you can also treat the stinky shoes with this trick. They are placed in the freezer for at least 24 hours. The bacteria do not survive this temperature and die. This is an effective and safe way to get rid of the smell. But beware, when thawing newsprint should be stuffed into the shoe, which must be changed every few hours, so that the moisture is led out of the shoe, so as to avoid mold.

lavender

Lavender naturally has a slightly antibacterial effect, destroying the odor-binding bacteria. Just put some lavender flowers in the shoe overnight.

citrus peel

The aroma of citrus fruits is not only very pleasant, but also helps to neutralize the smell in shoes. For this, some pieces of peel of a citrus fruit (orange, grapefruit or lemon) are put into the shoe. The shells must remain in the shoe throughout the night to remove the odor.

bicarbonate of soda

Soda, like lavender, is slightly antibacterial. Sprinkle a little soda in the shoe and leave overnight.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil, like citrus peel or soda, has an antibacterial effect. Adding a few drops to the shoe and leaving it overnight dispels the bad smell and leaves a pleasant fragrance in the shoe.

cat litter

A favorite trick with cat friends is cat litter. Filled with the shoe, it not only removes moisture but also neutralizes bad odors. However, one should be careful that the cat litter is not too crumbly, otherwise it can be badly removed.

Prevention of smelly shoes

Wear shoes according to the season
Some shoes you just want to wear, but especially in summer shoes can get too warm. What follows is sweating on the foot - the starting point for bad-smelling shoes.

Too tight shoes
Feet that sticks to tight footwear can only breathe badly. The transport of oxygen inside the shoe is inhibited, there is a stagnation in the air and the foot starts to sweat. It creates an ideal microclimate for bacteria. Therefore, you should buy shoes that fit neatly and let the foot a little bit of air on all sides.

Never without socks
If you wear closed shoes, you should always wear socks. Thus, the foot sweat always gets into the socks first and not directly into the shoe.

Air permeable shoes
When buying the shoes you should pay attention to breathable material. So the moisture is led out of the inside of the shoe to the outside, where it can evaporate.

Change shoes
To give the shoes enough time to release the absorbed moisture, shoes should not be worn daily. Alternate wearing gives them enough time to release the moisture absorbed by the foot.

Keep your shoes properly
Shoes have to breathe. They need air to release the absorbed moisture. For this it is necessary that they do not stay in a narrow and small shoe cabinet. The shoes need space with a proper air supply. There are special shoe cabinets, which have no back wall and thus allow a good ventilation.

Tips for quick readers

• Skin sweat in the shoe is the basis for odor-producing bacteria
• Select shoes according to the season
• Never wear shoes without socks
• use breathable shoes
• Air well after use
• Add lavender, citrus or soda overnight
• also cat litter absorbs moisture and removes odors
• Newsprint in shoes removes the moisture
• Socks with silver threads prevent odors
• Chemical disinfectants help but can cause stains
• 60 ° C washing helps, but not always suitable