Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 6: Tea bags
• Part 2 of 6: Essential Oil
• Part 3 of 6: Cat litter
• Part 4 of 6: Fabric softener
• Part 5 of 6: Disinfectants
• Part 6 of 6: Freezer
• Tips

If your shoes smell unpleasant, this does not mean that they should be thrown away. There are many home remedies that can help you get rid of the bad smell and kill the bacteria that cause it. With their help, you will save money and be able to preserve your favorite shoes.

Steps

Part 1 of 6: Tea bags

1. 1 Brew black tea bags in hot water. Black tea contains more tannins, which help kill odor-causing bacteria. Pour boiling water over two tea bags (one for each shoe) and wait 2-3 minutes for them to brew.
   • To avoid scalding yourself with the hot sachets, use something to get them out of the water. A spoon, fork, or tongs will work.
   • After removing the bags from the water, wait a few minutes for them to cool. Then you can take them with your bare hands.
   • If the smell is not very strong, you can put one bag in each shoe. However, if the odor is strong and persistent, it is better to use several tea bags.
2. 2 Place one tea bag in each shoe. The bags should be still damp. Moisture will allow the tannins to be absorbed into the sole and more effectively kill odor-causing bacteria. If the smell is very strong, try spreading a few tea bags all over the sole, from toe to heel.
3. 3 Leave the bags in your shoes for about an hour. This should be enough time to reduce or completely eliminate the odor. Then remove the bags from the shoes, wipe any remaining moisture from the sole and air dry the shoes.
   • To get rid of the strong odor, you can leave the bags in your shoes for two hours.
   • You can dry your shoes faster with a hair dryer. Position the hair dryer so that hot air enters the inside of the shoes, and wait until they are completely dry.

Part 2 of 6: Essential Oil

1. 1 Place a few drops of essential oil on the insoles. Choose an essential oil that eliminates unpleasant odors and has a pleasant scent. The most popular oils are tea tree, clove and peppermint oils. Apply a few drops of oil to each insole to neutralize unpleasant odors.
   • If you find it difficult to apply essential oil to the insoles or to get to your socks, you can moisten a couple of cotton balls with the oil. Then put cotton wool in the toes of your shoes.
2. 2 Rub the insoles with essential oil. For the scent of the oil to spread better through the shoes, you need to rub it into the insoles. This can be done with your finger or a suitable object such as a cotton swab. Note that essential oils have a strong and long-lasting scent. Rubbing the oil with your fingers will make your hands smell like it for a while.
   • Be careful not to get the essential oil on the outside or other visible areas of the shoes. Essential oils, especially dark oils, can stain some materials.
   • To eliminate odors more reliably, you can mix a few drops of essential oil with a spoonful of baking soda, which absorbs unpleasant odors. Stir the oil and baking soda in a small cup and apply liberally to the insoles.
3. 3 Fill your shoes with scented paper. Newsprint is suitable for this purpose. Crumple up the paper, add a few drops of essential oil and hammer in your shoes. The paper will absorb moisture and create a less favorable environment for odor-causing bacteria.
   • After the smell has disappeared, the paper can be taken out and discarded.It is possible that it will only take a few hours, although if the smell is strong, it is better to leave the paper overnight.
   • After a few hours, you can check the shoes. Remove the paper from your shoes and sniff to see if the smell has disappeared. If the smell persists, put the paper back in your shoes and leave it there for a longer time.

Part 3 of 6: Cat litter

1. 1 Take two clean socks and fill them with fresh kitty litter. To prevent the filler from scattering in or around the shoe, tie a simple knot over each sock. You can also pour the filler directly into the shoes, but it is possible that it will fall into various folds and cause some inconvenience later.
   • You can use tights instead of socks. The thin fabric of the tights will create fewer obstacles between the fill and the inner surface of the shoe.
   • You can add some baking soda to the filler to make it more effective. Simply add a spoonful of baking soda to each sock and shake or twist the socks to mix the filler and baking soda.
2. 2 Place filled socks in your shoes. If this causes your shoes to deform or change shape, try pouring some filler out of your socks. Filled socks should be kept in shoes for a long time, and if there is too much filling, the shoes can change their shape.
   • If you find that there is too much filler in your socks, bring them to the bin and untie them. Then pour the excess filler into the bucket.
3. 3 Leave your socks in your shoes overnight. It usually takes a whole night for the cat litter to absorb the unpleasant odor. However, if the smell is strong, it may take even longer. You can easily check if the smell has disappeared by taking out the sock briefly and sniffing. If you can still smell the smell, place the sock back into the shoe.
   • Once the odor has disappeared, you can throw away the used filler and wash your socks as usual.
   • If the litter is still good for cat litter, you can use it as directed.
   • Examine your shoes carefully after removing the filled socks. Small pieces of filler can seep through the fabric of your socks and remain in your shoes, which can irritate you when you walk.

Part 4 of 6: Fabric softener

1. 1 Place the fabric softener strips into your shoes. You may prefer to use certain brands of fabric softener - however, their scent helps get rid of unpleasant shoe odors. Just place a strip in each shoe. The strips can also be placed under the insoles.
   • Used strips will also work. Fabric softener will give your shoes a fresh and pleasant scent.
2. 2 The strips can be left on when you put on your shoes. The fabric softener strips are thin and light enough, and the warmth of your feet will enhance their scent and help eliminate bad odors. However, sometimes the strips can get jammed into the socks, which is quite uncomfortable. In this case, it is best to remove the strips from your shoes before putting on your shoes.
   • Most fabric softener strips will retain the fragrance for about a week, then it will wear off.
   • Once the strips have lost their aroma and freshness, discard them and replace with fresh ones.
3. 3 When the bad smell has disappeared, remove the strips from the shoes. If your shoes have thin insoles, have sensitive feet, or are uncomfortable walking with stripes, remove them before putting on your shoes.
   • Usually, it is enough to hold the strips in the shoes for a few hours for the smell to disappear.
   • If the odor is strong, leave the conditioner strips in your shoes overnight.

Part 5 of 6: Disinfectants

1. 1 Choose the right spray. Often times, the odor in your shoes is caused by bacteria and sweat. To kill odor-causing germs, choose an antibacterial spray; you can also use antifungal foot powder.Mold and other types of fungus grow in damp, dark places. An antifungal agent can help treat foot odor.
   • Popular brands of foot disinfectants include Lizol, Fungistop and Dr. Scholl.
   • Most of these products can be purchased at your local pharmacy.
2. 2 Spray the inside of the shoes. Spray a generous amount of disinfectant or deodorant spray into each shoe, one at a time. In this case, you can turn the shoes so that the jet is directed into the toe. In this case, the aerosol will hit the entire inner surface.
3. 3 Wait for the shoes to dry and spray again if necessary. After spraying with disinfectant spray or deodorant, your shoes will dry out fairly quickly. If you used the product in the evening before going to bed, your shoes will be dry in the morning.
   • If you want to get rid of the smell during the daytime, you can spray your shoes and expose them to the sun to dry them faster.
   • If the smell reappears, spray the shoes again.

Part 6 of 6: Freezer

1. 1 Wrap your shoes in a plastic bag. If you don't do this, your shoes can freeze to the sides of the freezer. A large, tight-fitting plastic bag will work well. It is best not to use small open bags, as shoes can fall out of them and stick to the walls of the freezer.
2. 2 Place your shoes in the freezer. Many types of bacteria, especially those that cause unpleasant odors, do not tolerate low temperatures. Leave your shoes in the freezer for 12-24 hours. A light smell will go away pretty quickly. The longer the shoes are left in the freezer, the more likely the bacteria will die.
   • If you live in cold climates or your area has harsh winters, putting your shoes outside can also help kill bacteria. When doing this, cover the top of your shoes to prevent snow from getting into them.
3. 3 Defrost and dry your shoes. You will not be able to tell if the smell is still present after you take your shoes out of the freezer. To do this, you need to wait for the shoes to thaw.
   • If the smell persists, freeze the shoes again and leave them in the freezer longer to kill the bacteria. As a result, the smell should disappear.
   • To defrost your shoes faster, you can put them in a clothes dryer, although this method is not suitable for shoes made of delicate materials.
   • You can dry your shoes with a hair dryer, although this will take some time.

Tips

• Sometimes the insoles take on a strong odor, although the shoes themselves practically do not smell. Try changing the insoles to get rid of the bad smell.
• Many types of odor-causing bacteria prefer dark and humid places. To prevent unpleasant odors, try sprinkling some talcum powder into your shoes regularly.