How to Remove Shoe Odors With Baking Soda

How to Remove Odors in Shoes With Baking Soda

Baking soda is an effective way to reach every corner of your shoes and eliminate odors. It works well with cloth shoes, though cautious with leather and suede shoes, as a buildup of baking soda can cause these materials to become brittle. Use baking soda sachets with suede and leather shoes.

1. Sprinkle Baking Soda in Your Shoes

   Sprinkle ordinary household baking soda directly into your shoes. Use about a tablespoon for each shoe or a little more for a large shoe. Shake the shoes around to distribute the powder.

2. Let Sit for 24 Hours

   Let the powder remain in your shoes for a full 24 hours to give the baking soda time to fully absorb odors. If you're in a hurry, you can cut that to 12 hours or overnight.

3. Shake Out Any Excess Powder

   Make sure to shake out the excess powder before wearing your shoes again. If your shoes still smell, you can repeat the process to try to remove any remaining odor.

How to Make Shoe Odor Removal Sachets With Baking Soda

If you are removing odors from leather or suede shoes, then a baking soda sachet is a safer way to prevent the baking soda from damaging these materials. You can reuse these sachets multiple times.

1. Add Baking Soda to an Old Sock: Use an old sock or any piece of cloth that can be tied together to make your sachet (the sock provides an easy-to-fill pouch!). Pour baking soda inside the sock and tie it closed with ribbon or string.
2. Drop in Essential Oil: Add a few drops of essential oil to the sachets, such as lavender, to help add a pleasant fragrance to the sachet.
3. Place the Sachets in Your Shoes: You can place these sachets in your shoes each time you take them off. You can keep the sachet in the shoes until you wear them again or leave them for 24 hours for a quick odor-eliminating job.

How to Clean Odors From Sandals Using Baking Soda 

Sandals worn with bare feet are particularly susceptible to odors and are particularly stubborn when it comes to freeing them from odors.

1. Prepare a Plastic Bag: Place 1/2 cup of baking soda into a large zip-top bag.
2. Insert the Shoes: Place the sandals in the plastic bag and seal it.
3. Shake the Bag: Shaking the bag will distribute the baking soda over the sandals. Leave the sandals in the bag for at least 48 hours.
   
4. Remove the Sandals: Take the sandals out of the bag and shake off the excess baking soda before you wear them again. With leather or suede sandals, make sure to wipe off the baking soda from the straps. Your sandals are now freshly clean and ready to wear.

Benefits of Using Baking Soda in Shoes 

When you use baking soda rather than a commercial odor eliminator, there are multiple benefits, including a more natural product that is less likely to irritate. Plus, it is an affordable way to remove smells.

• Using baking soda to remove shoe odors reduces the chance of a sensitive skin reaction that might occur with other products.
• Baking soda removes odors without adding other fragrances that linger and mingle with your shoes.
• Baking soda also acts as a fungicide and has mild antibacterial properties.
• Baking soda is by far the cheapest way to treat and clean smelly shoes.
• Dry baking soda powder absorbs humidity, which reduces the conditions by which odor-producing bacteria thrive.

Tips for Preventing Shoe Odor

• Air out your shoes regularly by opening the laces and placing the shoes in a sunny spot. Sun is a natural disinfectant.
• Wet insoles, orthopedic inserts, or other wet parts of a shoe encourage bacteria growth (and odor). Remove any wet parts of the shoe (if you can) and air-dry the shoe in a warm spot or a clothes dryer set on low heat.
• Don't wear the same shoes every day. Alternating pairs of shoes gives the offenders time to air out and dry completely.
• Wear socks with your shoes whenever possible. Socks will absorb the sweat moisture that fosters odor in shoes.