Have you ever walked into a room and noticed that the smell was not quite right? You might have even realized it was your shoes. Well, I am here to tell you how to clean smelly shoes with vinegar! If you don’t want to spend money on overpriced shoe fresheners, then this is what you need to do.
How Vinegar Remove Smell?
Vinegar is a household staple that can be used for many different things. One of its most popular uses is to remove odors from smelly shoes. Vinegar has been shown to help remove bacteria and clean the inside of your shoe, thus removing the smell we all know too well.
If you don’t have vinegar in your home, then it’s a good idea to purchase some because not only will this method work effectively, but it won’t cost you anything! The beauty about using this common household item is that there are no harsh chemicals involved, which means less damage to our environment as well as our skin when touching these types of substances.
When do You understand that Your Shoes Smells Bad?
To understand when your shoes might smell bad is by looking at the inside of them. This would be a better indicator than just smelling the outside!
What You Need To Clean Smelly Shoes by Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- A Bowl
- Warm water
- Clean cotton towel
- Paper Towel or napkin for your feet to stand on.
- Rubber Gloves
How to Clean Smelly Shoes With Vinegar (Steps)
Before you begin cleaning, take off any laces that are sticking out because they can get caught in other objects and also make it harder for you to clean properly. Once this has been done, then put on some rubber gloves.
- Fill up a bowl with warm water and add 1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Place the dirty shoes in the bowl until they are fully submerged underwater for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from bowl and let them air dry overnight before wearing again.
Spray Method to Clean Smelly Shoes by Vinegar
This method is easy, and you can spray the vinegar any time in your shoe, but it won’t get as deep down in the shoe as with soaking.
You Need to Get a Spray Bottle
You can use a spray that is made for cleaning shoes, or you can use an empty spray bottle of something like water.
You need to get white Vinegar
You will mix the vinegar with either tap water (half and half) or distilled water(full strength). Mix it very carefully
Spray Inside of the Shoe
Spray onto the inside soles of your smelly shoe and then insert right into a baggie so that they are contained and place in a larger baggy if you have more than one pair. Put them outside on top of bricks where there is plenty of air circulation before wearing them again. The smell should be gone within hours!
Do Vinegar Can Damage Your Shoes?
One of the worries people have about using vinegar to clean their shoes is that it will damage the shoe. The truth is, if you use distilled water with your white vinegar mix, then there should be no reason for this concern.
You can also add a small amount of bleach (about ¼ cup) to help disinfect and remove any odor from bacteria buildup in between washes. This mixture has been proven to work very well on smelly shoes by many users as long as they are mixed properly together – not too much or too little adding cleaner/bleach! You want them both at equal proportions when mixing them because some cleaners just don’t work well without
How to Get Rid of Smelly Shoes and Feet?
One of the most common complaints that people have is their shoes and feet being smelly. This can be a problem if you are in close quarters with other people, such as at work or school. There are many reasons why your shoes may smell bad, but there are plenty of solutions to fix this issue quickly and easily.
- Clean your shoes with baking soda, vinegar and water.
- Put a dryer sheet in the shoe to absorb odor.
- Sprinkle some lavender or peppermint essential oil on your feet before putting on socks and shoes.
- Store smelly shoes in an airtight container with a few drops of tea tree or lavender essential oils inside.
- Soak your feet in vinegar for 10 minutes before going to bed at night, then put on cotton socks so that the vinegar will not irritate skin while you sleep.
- Keep your feet clean by washing them daily with soap and water, drying thoroughly, and applying moisturizer if needed.
- Wear open-toed sandals when possible for increased airflow around toes
- Use a shoe deodorizer or foot powder.
- Air out smelly shoes in the sun, then put them in a bag of charcoal to absorb the odor.
- Don’t wear closed-toe shoes if you have sweaty feet; this will only make things worse! Open-toed sandals work well as they let air circulate around your toes better than closed-toe shoes do, so they won’t trap moisture inside like closed-toe shoes do when they’re worn without socks (which can lead to smelly feet)
- Wear socks and shoes that are made of natural materials.
- Change your socks often to avoid bacteria build up on the skin of your feet (especially after a workout).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vinegar Kill Bacteria in Shoes?
Vinegar is a strong acid and can kill bacteria on the surface of your shoes. It is highly recommended to use vinegar on your shoes to prevent any mold or mildew from growing.
However, it is important to remember that vinegar does not penetrate deep into the shoe and can only help prevent mold growth in the shoe’s surface.
Can I Soak Shoes in Vinegar?
Yes, you can soak your shoes in vinegar to kill the bacteria that cause odor. However, it would help if you used a strong vinegar and water solution because too much vinegar will damage your shoes’ leather or rubber soles.
The process is simple: Fill a bowl with about 2-3 cups of white distilled vinegar and enough warm water to cover your shoes (about 1/2 cup).
Next, soak your shoes for about an hour before rinsing them off with cold water. It is best to do this once every month.
Why Do My Shoes Smell So Bad?
You may be wondering why your shoes smell so bad. This is a common question that people ask themselves when they notice their shoes smell really bad. The reason for this could be due to the fact that your shoes are not being properly cleaned and/or maintained.
It is important to take care of your shoes because you will want them to last as long as possible, which can help you save money in the long run. Proper shoe maintenance can include cleaning and conditioning the leather on your shoe’s upper or brushing off dirt and debris from the sole of your shoe before storing it in its original box.
Another reason why your shoes might smell bad is if there is an underlying problem with the material of your shoe itself. For example, one possible cause for this issue could be that there is mold growing inside of a certain part of the shoe, which could make it smell musty or moldy. Another possible cause would be that some parts of the shoe have gotten wet or been exposed to moisture while they were still wet, such as if you stepped into a puddle or if it rained heavily while you were wearing them outside without putting them on away properly afterward.
One other possibility for why your shoes might smell bad would be if there was something rotting inside of them (such as food) which had gone bad and began emitting a foul odor when it rotted away at some point in time.
Why Do My Shoes Smell Bad After Washing?
There are a few reasons why your shoes may smell bad after washing.
The first is that you didn’t use enough detergent. Detergents help to remove dirt and stains from your clothes, but they can also strip the natural oils off of your skin, which can leave them feeling dry and uncomfortable.
The second reason could be that you put the shoes in a hot water wash cycle or used too much detergent at one time. The hot water will damage the fabric, while using too much detergent will leave an oily residue on the surface of the shoe that is difficult to clean out with just soap and water.
The third reason for this issue could be if you have an older machine that isn’t cleaning as well as it should be doing so, or maybe there’s something wrong with your machine itself.
Is Vinegar Safe for Shoes?
A common question that many people ask is whether vinegar can be used to clean shoes. The answer is yes and no.
Yes, it is safe to use vinegar on your shoes because it has a low pH level of 3-4, which is neutral. Vinegar can help remove stains from the surface of your shoes by using a mixture of equal parts of water and white vinegar. You should avoid using other types of cleaning agents such as ammonia or bleach with vinegar for best results.
However, you should not use vinegar on leather or suede shoes because it will cause the leather to break down over time and become sticky if left untreated.
What Is the Best Shoe Deodorizer?
The first type of shoe deodorizer is the spray-on option. This option uses alcohol or enzymes that break down organic compounds and remove moisture from shoes. It is safe for most surfaces, including leather, suede, and fabric. The downside with this option is that it requires more effort than other options, such as baking soda and vinegar, which absorb the moisture instead of using chemicals to break it down.
The second type of shoe deodorizer would be the spray-on type that contains baking soda and vinegar solution as well as essential oils, which provides a fresh scent for your shoes after cleaning them with this mixture. The benefit of this mixture is that it doesn’t require much effort since it only needs a couple of sprays on each surface before being left to dry overnight or until the solution has dried completely (depending on how long you let it sit).
Finally, the last type would be the baking soda/vinegar method which uses natural ingredients like tea tree oil and lavender oil to help eliminate bacteria in your shoes while also adding scents into your shoes with its fragrance discs attached inside its packaging.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! That’s how to clean smelly shoes with vinegar. It is an easy and inexpensive way to get rid of that smell without the worry of ruining your shoes. Vinegar has many uses around the house as well, so if you keep a bottle on hand in case something spills, you can use it for those smaller stains too!
