Planning to buy a new pair of shoes because your old ones smell like a dead rat? Before spending money on new shoes, read the tips suggested in this article and see whether you can turn around your old ones…
Tennis shoes smell terrible at times. Taking them off in front of others can become very embarrassing, because the moment you do that, the disgusting smell from the shoes fills the air and repels others! So, what’s the solution? Let’s find out…
Cleaning Smelly Tennis Shoes
Wash
Method # 1
Your shoes could be smelling bad because they have not been cleaned for a long time! So, get hold of soap, lukewarm water, a soft bristled brush and start washing your shoes. First of all, take out the shoe laces. Next, dampen the shoes with lukewarm water. Follow this up by applying soap all over the shoes, especially the nooks and corners. Do the same with the shoe laces. Let the soap sit on the shoes for about ten minutes. After this, again sprinkle the shoes with water and scrub them. This should remove the dirt from them as well as take care of the odor.
Method # 2
If you do not want to hand wash, you can clean your tennis shoes by washing them in a washing machine. Place the shoes in the washer. Keep a few clothes on top for balancing the washer. Then follow the same routine of adding detergent and running the machine on a regular cycle. This should thoroughly clean your shoes of all the accumulated dirt and bacteria.
Method # 3
A homemade solution can be prepared for washing shoes, by mixing together a glass of vinegar in half a bucket of water. Soak the shoes in this solution for about an hour. To ensure that the shoes are properly soaked, keep two paperweights on them. After an hour, dry the shoes thoroughly.
Remove the Odor
Once the shoes are clean, most probably the bad odor will also go. However, if the odor still remains, go to a supermarket and get products that are especially formulated to remove shoe odor. Otherwise, make a solution from baking soda and water at home itself, apply it on the shoes, leave it on for ten to twelve hours, before washing it off with water and you will see the bad odor vanishing away from your tennis shoes!
Dry
Let your shoes dry in the sunlight after washing. Sunlight will kill the germs and bacteria from inside the shoes and remove the bad smell as well. This is a good way to dry and clean white tennis shoes. However, if you have colored shoes, avoid putting them out in the sunlight as it can fade them. Instead, use your household dryer to do the needful. The high temperature of the dryer will dry the shoes and kill the germs and bacteria present in it.
It is often seen that it is actually smelly feet which is the cause behind that disgusting smell emanating from the shoes. So, make sure that you keep your feet clean and sweat free at all times. For this, do a pedicure at home every week. Fill half a bucket with lukewarm water and add a few drops of shampoo to it.
Soak your feet in it for fifteen minutes and after that scrub them with a loofah. If this seems too much of an hassle to you, simply apply rubbing alcohol on your feet, once or twice a week. Taking a bath everyday and washing your feet after a sports game is necessary too. Another very important thing to keep in mind is to always wear socks with shoes. Do not ever wear shoes directly as it can cause a lot of sweating and smell.
With these tips, you can easily keep your feet and shoes clean and odor-free. Now, you no longer have to feel any kind of embarrassment owing to your shoes. Maintaining hygiene and cleanliness at all times, is the key to getting rid of this problem of stinky shoes!