You know the feeling, it’s not raining when you leave the house, so you decide to go for the cute pair of shoes that goes perfectly with your outfit, only to start raining the minute you leave the house and you can’t go back and wear something else.
Unless you can avoid the rain altogether, you’re fine. You can cover your styled hair and most of your outfit with an umbrella, but that’s about it. Your shoes, poor things, are the ones who are going to pay the price. Chances are, when you get back home and take them off, they will stink, and no matter what you do, they will always have that funky smell you can’t seem to get it off.
That’s because moisture in your shoes allows for bacteria to grow and thrive, hence the smell.
We laid out these simple tricks to help you get the stench out of them. Hopefully, you’ll have a fresh smelling pair that could never tell they went through a monsoon and survived. Give them a try and if the shoes are beyond help, you might have a valid excuse to shop for new ones!
How To Dry Them:
First things first. Never leave shoes to dry under the sun or using a blow dryer. It will cause materials to dry up and shrink, damaging the pair even further. Leave them to air dry and if possible, take the insoles out and let them dry separately. Do the same with the shoe laces.
If You Need To Dry Them Faster, Try These Methods Instead:
- Place them in front of a fan on low.
- Stuff and wrap them with old newspapers. Secure it with a rubber band and leave it overnight.
- If you’re afraid the ink on the newspaper might damage your shoes, fill a small plastic bin with 1 inch of uncooked rice and place your shoes upside down on them. Close the lid and leave it overnight.
- Pour some unused cat litter inside an old sock or pantyhose and leave it overnight.
How To Deodorize Them:
- Baking Soda
Sprinkle baking soda liberally inside the shoes, place the pair inside a bag, put it in the freezer and leave it overnight. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and it kills germs. DO NOT use it on leather and suede shoes since it may become brittle due to direct contact with the chemical agent.
- Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets not only remove moisture from the shoes but also gives it a fresh and clean smell to it. Stuff some rolled up dryer sheets inside the shoes and leave it for a whole day inside.
- Citrus Peel
Place a few orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit peels inside of your shoes for a few hours to make them smell amazing.
- Tea Bags
Putting two to three bags of your favorite tea will help absorb the unpleasant odors and replace it with a clean herbal scent. Leave them for a whole day inside the shoes in a cool and dry place.
- Essential Oils
Mix together ¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ Arrowroot powder and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (we love lavender). Split the mix and fill two old socks with it, tying a knot at the end. Leave it inside the shoes for 24 hours.
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