How to Clean Smelly Leather Dress Shoes

Clean smelly leather dress shoes with baking soda.

Leather dress shoes are attractive and elegant and also keep your feet warm and protected. The thick leather, while attractive, does not allow for much breathing room. This allows the development of moisture and perspiration within the shoes that leads to odor. To remove the odor from the smelly leather dress shoes, incorporate a cleaning routine that gets rid of the odor without harming the leather.

Things You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Trash can
• Leather conditioner
• Scented dryer sheets

Instructions

1. Remove the initial odor by pouring a thick coating of baking soda into the bottom of the shoes. This will collect the moisture and get rid of the bacteria that causes the odor. Let the baking soda sit overnight.

2. Shake the baking soda out of the shoes over your trash can the next morning.

3. Repeat every few days or as needed when you notice odor development.

4. Apply a leather conditioner if you notice the shoes drying out. The leather conditioner will restore the moisture to the leather.

5. In between uses, place a scented dryer sheet in each shoe to combat odor. Remove the dryer sheets before wearing the shoes.

References

• Reader's Digest: Shoe Odor