It's normal for your shoes to get stinky, especially if you spend a long time walking around in them on a hot day, according to the Kids Health website from Nemours. Tiny bacteria that live all over your feet thrive in dark, damp places such as inside sweaty shoes. As the bacteria eat the oils and dead skin cells on your feet, they produce acids that cause a foul odor. One type of bacteria in particular, Micrococcus sedentarius, effects 10 to 15 percent of people and causes a very bad sulfur smell in your shoes, according to Kids Health.
Remove Shoe Odors
Step 1
Sprinkle baking soda liberally inside of your shoes after you take them off at the end of the day. Let the shoes sit with the baking soda in place overnight, then dump the soda out in the morning before wearing your shoes. Or make reusable baking soda smell absorbers for your shoes. Fill two old socks with 2 tbsp. of baking soda each, then tie the socks in a knot. Place one sock in each smelly shoe at the end of each day and let the baking soda absorb the odors from your footwear.
Step 2
Stuff dryer sheets in your shoes at the end of each day to get rid of shoe odors. Leave the dryer sheets in place overnight, then remove the sheets before wearing your shoes. Reuse the dryer sheets until they start to lose their scent.
Step 3
Sprinkle salt liberally inside your shoes at the end of the day, especially if you wear your shoes without socks in the summer. The salt will draw sweat out of your shoes, according to Readers Digest. Dump the salt out in the morning before wearing your shoes.
Step 4
Purchase and use an over-the-counter anti-bacterial spray to kill odors in your shoes. Look for a disinfectant spray at any drugstore.
Step 5
Set your shoes out in the sun so the light can kill the bacteria that may be causing your shoes to stink. Make sure your shoes don't get wet or rained on while they're outside.
Step 6
Wash the insoles from your smelly shoes. Some shoes have removable insoles. Check to see if you can pull the soles out of your shoes. Wash the insoles and make sure they are totally dry before you put them back in your shoes and wear the shoes again.
Things You'll Need
- Baking soda
- 2 old socks
- Dryer sheets
- Salt
- Over-the-counter antibacterial spray
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