How to Deoderize Your Sneakers

Smelly sneakers can be embarrassring.

Your shoes serve many different purposes, such as protecting your feet from impact on hard surfaces and contact with undesired substances. The close-fitting confines of your sneakers creates a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria. It’s important to tend to your shoes to keep them odor-free, especially in instances where you are expected to take off your shoes in public. There are many options available to alleviate your sneakers of odors, so you can save yourself from being embarrassed.

Things You'll Need

• Soapy, hot water
• Soft-bristled brush
• Dryer sheets
• 3 tablespoons baking soda
• Commercial shoe odor powder
• Stain remover pre-treatment
• Towels

Instructions

1. Scrub the bottoms of your sneakers using soapy, hot water and a soft-bristled brush to remove any smelly substances you may have stepped in. Remove the laces and place dryer sheets on the inside of each sneaker. The dryer sheets themselves will deodorize sneakers.

2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of baking soda into each sneaker and let it set overnight. In the morning, turn the sneaker upside-down and pat the soles to remove the baking soda. Commercial shoe odor powder can also be applied according to the directions on the label.

3. Throw your shoes in the washing machine on a cold wash cycle. "Good Housekeeping" recommends that you pre-treat any stains with stain remover pre-treatment and remove the sneakers’ laces before machine washing sneakers that are not made of leather.

4. Take the sneakers from the washing machine and either let them air-dry naturally or throw them into the dryer with a few towels on a “cool-dry” or “no heat” cycle.

References

• "Good Housekeeping": Shoe Cleaning Guide