It’s finally the weekend! The most awaited time, especially for those who work long hours during the week. Finally, you can rest your tired feet, legs, and body. But what about your pair of shoes? After a long week of walking and running, your shoes are also dead tired. How do you know it? They smell bad because of your sweaty feet while wearing them.
Sometimes it rains, and you can’t prevent your shoes and feet from getting wet. Our feet are breeding grounds for smelly bacteria, especially with fewer dryer sheets. These bacteria live on our feet, socks, and shoes.
Just like our feet, it’s important to give our shoes a break. And the perfect time to do this is during the weekend! Let your shoe rest and air out so that the bacteria will die. There are also better steps that you can take to remove the bad smell and deodorize your shoes. After all, it’s better to wear good-smelling shoes, right? Some tips may include a freezer overnight, air drying, rubbing alcohol, adding a soap bar, or spritzing perfume on a spray bottle.
Why Does Shoes Smell?
The main culprits are sweat and bacteria. Sweat is the clear liquid that comes out of our pores. It contains salt and other minerals, which can leave stains on clothes. The bacteria in your shoes feed on sweat and dead skin cells, which they break down into acids that cause the most foul odors.
On top of that, shoes that are made from leather will absorb sweat and bacteria like a sponge. This is why it is important to clean your shoes before wearing them again.
Things you will need
- Tea tree essential oil
- A pair of spare socks
- Rubber bands
- Baking soda
Step-by-Step Guide
It's not easy to find a natural and effective way to get rid of bad odors from shoes. If you're tired of having your shoes to smell bad, it might be time to try a natural deodorizer! If you haven’t heard of it yet, tea tree oil is proven to eliminate bad odors and kill bacteria — all while being eco-friendly and cruelty-free!
Check out this step-by-step guide on how you can use essential oils like tea tree oil to help get rid of persistent odors from your shoes.
1. Add Baking soda and White Vinegar
Fill each sock with a handful of baking soda with or without white vinegar. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is not only used in baking. It is a very popular cleaning agent in the household because it can absorb odor-causing excess moisture. Moreover, it is also helpful in removing cat litter smell.
If you have a spare baking soda, mix them with citric acid, and you can create some bath bombs. Check our blog's How to Make An Egyptian Musk Fragrance oil Bath Bombs.
2. Mix Tea tree oil
Add 5 drops of tea tree essential oil to the baking soda mixture. Slowly drop the oils to avoid juvenile reactions.
3. Tie it up
Use a rubber band to tie the sock off. You can use a ribbon or any material to tie the socks.
4. Ready, set, and place!
Place the sock into the smelly shoe and leave for a few hours or leave the socks on the shoes overnight. Put your shoes away from your other powder use in the kitchen to avoid it to be mistaken as edible powders when cluttered.
Why Use Tea Tree Oil Deodorizer?
Essential oils can naturally eliminate bad odor and deodorize stinky pair of shoes. Tea tree essential oil is one of the best natural deodorizers. Also known as melaleuca oil, it is distilled from the leaves of the Australian paperbark tree. Tea tree essential oil is popular for its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiseptic properties. Because of these, tea tree essential oil is commonly used in beauty products. It is also a versatile and safe oil for cleaning the house. When used in deodorizing stinky shoes, tea tree essential oil neutralizes the unpleasant odor and helps kill the bacteria.
Other Essential Oil That Deodorize Shoes
Essential oils that have a strong scent are often the best for eliminating odors because their strong aroma will mask any other smells. The best essential oils for eliminating foot odor are those which have a strong scent and contain antibacterial properties.
Some of the best essential oils for deodorizing shoes are lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and rosemary.
Stay Fresh All Day
You can finally enjoy your day without worrying about removing stinky socks. Now you can enjoy the pleasant smell of your leather shoes when you wear them.
You may also change the essential oil or, better yet, combine them with the sweet scent of Lick Me All Over Fragrance oil.
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