Ahhh….summer. Tank tops, shorts, flip flops and bare feet. If only we could come home at the end of the day and smell like the ocean or a tropical breeze.
In reality, when your hot summer days are done and your shoes come off the stank that radiates from your feet and shoes is often unbearable. Not only is it intolerable but if you don’t do something about it the situation will linger and get worse.
You need to be proactive about the stink so that it goes away for good…..or is at least tolerable.
Try one, some or all of these remedies and get your feet, shoes and house back to smelling like roses and not like a frat house especially during the dog days of summer.
Try your best to make sure feet are clean and dry before putting on shoes. As obvious as it sounds, dirty damp feet breed bacteria and it’s the bacteria that makes your feet stinky. If you’re wearing shoes with socks, make sure to wear cotton socks and leather or cotton shoes. Synthetic materials will make feet extra smelly because your feet can’t breathe in them. If possible, try to let your shoes air out for 24 hours before wearing them for a full day again.
While your shoes are airing out, wipe the inside soles down thoroughly with alcohol to kill the bacterial that is lingering inside your shoes. In addition, you can slip half of a dryer sheet inside your shoes to absorb the odor. You can even line the insides of your shoes with a dryer sheet while you’re wearing them. The sheet will absorb odors before they even arise.
Lightly powder your feet and shoes before putting them on everyday. The powder will absorb any wetness that is lingering in your shoes or on your feet which can breed smelly bacteria.
This sounds a little crazy but it does work…..how about some kitty litter?! At the end of the day, line shoes with clean kitty litter and leave overnight (just make sure your cat isn’t around to do her business in your shoes because that smell will really be terrible). The litter will absorb the odor in your shoes and dry out any wetness and lingering bacteria. Throw out the litter in the morning and you’re good to go.
If all else fails and you can’t get the stink out of your shoes, it may be time to get the shoes out of your house and invest in a new pair.
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