As someone that is not a huge fan of driving, I do a whole lot of walking. My family only owns a single car so a lot of the time, I have to walk or take the bus to get where I need to go. This much walking can end up being a bit of a drag on your shoes, and nowhere is that more evident than in the odors that come from old pairs of shoes. After dealing with the smells for years, enough was enough and I looked into the best shoe odor removal techniques.
Unique and Easy Shoe Odor Removal Tips
Baking Soda
The first and probably most readily available way to get rid of the stench in your shoes is to sprinkle a little baking soda or talcum powder into the soles. This is great for shoe odor removal, but you will be left with some residual powder in your shoes. I would not recommend this technique for leather or suede shoes as the exterior material tends to absorb the powders and get stained.
Tea Bags
Another unique idea I found on the internet was to stuff your shoes full of tea bags, preferably something scented like an herbal blend or Earl Grey with bergamot. The tea absorbs the odors and replaces the foul smell with something a little bit more pleasant. Of course, not everyone has a ton of scented tea bags lying around their house. Fret not – there are still other solutions to shoe odor removal.
Dryer Sheets
One of my wife’s favorite techniques is to just place a couple of dryer sheets along the insole of your sneakers. This does an okay job of absorbing the odor, but mostly just makes your shoes smell like a strange combination of detergent and sweat.
Odor Eating Insoles
Of course, an easy way to get your shoes to stop stinking is to just purchase some odor-eating insoles. But that takes the fun and adventure out of shoe odor removal, does it not?
Cedar Shoe Rack
When you store your shoes, use something like the Cedar Shoe Rack to keep your shoes smelling a little bit better. Plus, this shoe rack is a great way to keep your closets organized!
Discover the Benefits of Cedar in and Around the Closet
Have you ever smelled cedar wood? It has a beautiful aroma that smells woodsy and almost a little bit like cologne, but in a very natural way. Cedar is available in the form of hangers, shoe racks and some people even line their entire closet with it.
It has been known for years that cedar wood has some natural qualities that can benefit your clothes and shoes. Here are some of the many benefits of cedar that you may not know about, and some suggestions of how to use it in your closet.
Smell and Deodorize: Cedar is a scented wood. As said before, the aroma that the natural cedar oil gives off is very fresh and natural. If you keep your shoes in the closet, you can combat the stale old shoe smell with many different cedar products. Here are some inexpensive cedar aroma blocks that you can literally toss anywhere, in your closet organizer or boxes of out-of-season clothes, and you can even toss them right into your shoes to freshen. I also like cedar rings which slip onto the top of your clothes hangers – great for deodorizing the closet.
- Insect Repellent: Cedar wood oil is a natural insect repellent. That is why many people line their entire closet with cedar planks – it keeps moths and even fleas away, saving your clothes from insect damage.
- Durability: Cedar wood is also decay resistant, so you can be sure that it will last for many years. It is also very sturdy yet lightweight, that is why a lot of patio furniture is made of cedar. Here is a beautiful cedar shoe rack that I really like from StacksAndStacks.com – it’s a great one for anywhere in the house: the closet, in the entry or hallway, and even right outside the door.
Aroma Tip: To renew the beautiful aroma of cedar, simply sand the wood lightly with a fine sandpaper.