Smelly Shoes?
My son is in track, and I almost blamed the cat for the awful odor ascending from his smelly shoes. The cat watched as I sniffed the carpet with a smug look on her face, and much to the cat’s relief and my surprise, I discovered the putrid smell was in fact my son’s track shoes. The shoes smelled so bad I thought they were ruined, but after trying the following tips, my son’s shoes are no longer smelly. Okay, they are somewhat smelly because track shoes are supposed to be smelly, but they aren’t nearly as smelly as they were.
If you have a family member whose shoes are excessively smelly, try the following tips and suggestions for deodorizing smelly shoes. Your family will thank you, your cat will thank you, and the smelly shoes will no longer be smelly and repulsive.
Sunshine
Before trying to deodorize a pair of smelly shoes, it’s important to dry them first. Drying a pair of smelly shoes in the sun is the best method. For one thing the smelly shoes will be outside where they belong, and secondly, once the smelly shoes are completely dry, the smelly shoes will already begin to lose their pungent odor.
After drying the smelly shoes in the sun, don’t make the mistake of thinking the smelly problem is solved. If the shoes are worn without properly treating them first, they will become smelly faster than you can call the cat. After drying the smelly shoes, before wearing them again, make sure you treat them with one of the following methods.
The Power of Cat Litter
Instead of blaming the cat next time the stench of ammonia fills a room, check out the shoes. If you find a pair of shoes are the source of the odor, reach for the bag of cat litter. Cat litter is great for absorbing moisture and odors, and after a pair of smelly shoes are sufficiently dry, cat litter can help keep them dry and odor-free.
Fill two knee-high stockings with scented cat litter. Cat litter designed for multiple cat households is the most effective. Tie a knot at the top of each stocking, and place one in each smelly shoe. After wearing the shoes, be sure to put the litter-filled stockings back inside where they can absorb odor-causing moisture.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a well-known odor absorbing product. Baking soda is cheap, and it can be used in the same manner as powder. Simply sprinkle baking soda into smelly shoes after they have been dried in the sun. The smelly shoes can be worn with the baking soda inside, and the baking soda will help prevent the shoes from becoming smelly again. After wearing, sprinkle baking soda inside the smelly shoes. Place the cat litter-filled nylon stockings mentioned above inside the shoes, and the formerly smelly shoes will remain odor-free and dry.
Rubbing Alcohol
Many people swear by the effectiveness of rubbing alcohol when used to treat smelly shoes. Rubbing alcohol is cheap, and it dries fast. Simply pour rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle, and mist the insides of the shoes before and after wearing. Rubbing alcohol is said to remove odors from smelly shoes, and if used regularly, rubbing alcohol can keep shoes from becoming smelly in the first place.
Anti-Fungal Spray
The sources of most foot odors are bacterial in nature, so if you kill the bacteria you will more than likely kill the smell. Keep your shoes from becoming smelly in the first place and take preventive measures by spraying clean dry shoes with antifungal foot spray. If shoes are already smelly, allow them to fully dry in the sun. Treat dry shoes with antifungal foot spray. Antifungal foot spray just might spare your nose from the agony of defeat, and if you have a cat, your cat will be spared from becoming falsely accused.
