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Baking soda
SPRINKLE soda in the offending shoes overnight and dispose of it in the morning. You can also make reusable “odour eaters” shoe deodoriser by filling the toes of old socks with two tablespoons of baking soda and tying them up in a knot.
Stuff the socks into each shoe overnight. Be careful not to use baking soda too often with leather shoes, as it can extract the moisture causing the pair to dry out and crack.
Fabric softener sheets
Tuck a new dryer fabric softener sheet into each shoe and leave overnight to neutralise odours. Do not forget to remove them before wearing the shoes.
The sheets are also a great idea to deodorise places where you store your shoes, such as the gym bag.
Drop a dryer sheet into the bottom of the gym bag and leave it there for days or until you feel it is no longer effective, hence needs to be renewed.
Salt
Sneakers and other canvas shoes can easily get smelly, especially if one wears them without socks. Knock down the odour and soak up the moisture by occasionally sprinkling a little salt in your canvas shoes as a shoe deodoriser.
Wood chips
If your shoes give off a bad odour, find some cedar wood chips. You will also need some clean old socks or paper towels.
Fill up a pair of old, but clean, socks with the cedar wood chips. Place a sock in each shoe overnight.
The wood chips will absorb the odour. Using citrus peels in the same manner can also do a passable job of refreshing your shoes.
Essential oils
Drip a few drops of essential oils (eucalyptus, clove or tea tree oil) into your shoe to give them a refreshing smell.
If you do not want to put the oil directly on your shoe, you can drip it onto a piece of paper or a tissue and then place it in the shoe overnight.
Rubbing alcohol
Rub alcohol over the dirty or worn part of your shoes. The alcohol will swallow the stink.
Not only will the alcohol reduce the smell as a natural shoe deodoriser, but it will also help to disinfect the shoe.
Tea bags
Black tea contains tannins, which suppress the growth of the type of bacteria that builds up in shoes and also helps to eliminate the smell. Place the tea bag in boiling water for two to three minutes.
Remove the tea bag and let it cool. Place it in your shoe for about an hour for a natural shoe deodoriser. Remove it and clean up any excess liquid left on the shoe.
Baby powder
Using baby powder is a precautionary step that you can take before putting your shoes on to keep them from smelling. If you find that you are prone to having stinky shoes, rub baby powder on your feet before slipping them on.
Freeze them
If none of the aforementioned remedies works, you can freeze your pair of shoes overnight. Place the shoes in a sealable plastic bag. Leave them in the freezer overnight and it will help kill the bacteria. — Wires.
Online Reporter