smelly shoes

marmiterulesok

Sprinkle the inside of the shoe with bicarb and leave at least overnight before knocking/vacuuming out.

Don't wear the same pair of shoes every day.This will ensure that they dry out properly between each use.

You could maybe try 'odor-eating' insoles.I use these if I'm wearing shoes without socks.

HTH.

lushlifesaver

apparently popping a thin layer of cat litter (not something everyone has lying around I know) in each shoe then leaving it overnight before knocking/vaccuuming it out and disposing of the cat litter works wonders (I know someone who buts small bags of cheap litter just for this) (I haven't tried it myself though)

MaggieBaking

Not very OS but you could consider doing as the bowling arcade does and keeping a can of cheap shoe de-oderiser in the cupboard and as you put the shoes in you could give them each a quick spritz?

On How Clean is Your House I've seen them use a pop sock and filled with with cheap coffee granuals to absorb smells. I've heard similar about charcoal.

In the fridge I keep a small pot of bicarb, perhaps you could do the same with your shoes if you don't knock it over!

This appears to be well rated http://www.lakeland.co.uk/3525/Fridge-It

beemuzed

I often do the bicarb left in the shoes overnight trick - it really does work.

jackieglasgow

I put bicarb in shoes and it does work, but I saw somewhere - probably on here - to make a wee bag or pouch with bicarb in, out of old tights, and slip one in each shoe, which might work better for your rack, you could leave a wee box or basket with them in, and make sure everyone puts one in each shoe when they take their shoes off.

delain

Thank you everyone

I will start trying some of these out today!

guineapig

I have cut off the ends of old laddered tights and filled them with bicarb and put them in the shoes, they do "leak" a bit of the powder out now and again, but it really DOES cure the smell problem.

I have had the same ones on the go for about 2 years now and they still work great!

RENEGADE_2

First let me tell you about me:

I wear one pair of flipflops from about early Spring to Autumn and that's all. That or barefoot!

I use sport jaccuzis and saunas and even inside them I keep those flipflops on, protecting me from other people's muck!

The exception is such as now - when I work as a security guard and I must wear a uniform along with its paraphernalia such as real shoes!

But you'll aprreciate that although I have men's heels (reinforcing the fact that I am indeed a man!), which are not the most pleasant to look at, bit cracked, etc., I don't have an odour problem because the skin breathes nicely, plus I wash regularly.

Despite this, I swear by one solution. Air fresheners, Magic Tree or whatever they call it now, from Wilkinson you can still get them at less than £1; use them for their intended purpose until you think the aroma has gone (about 2-3 days later) but then squeeze the life out of them by putting them inside resting shoes/slippers, even coat pockets, purses, inside compartments, anything. I keep a nice vanilla "tree" in the case where my dongle is, has kept it fresh since October 2010. Some date back to 2006 when I discovered this, lasts indefinitely!

Simple cheap solution! Don't believe this nonsense about it not supposing to come into contact with skin. In the first place, it is not harmful, in the second, by the time you do handle it and place it in shoes, you're still not really touching it and most of its juice has gone.

Ida_Notion

I always use odour eaters inside shoes that get regular wear. The offcuts from cutting them down to size are put inside other shoes to absorb any minor whiffs while they're resting, and then just taken out when I want to wear them and replaced when I'm done. I suppose you could find the cheapest pair of odour eaters around and cut them into bits to divide amongst all your shoes while they're resting, just to give them a bit of 'recovery time'. An air freshener near to the rack could give you the added confidence that visitors won't be overcome by the power of any shoes which might be temporarily 'condition critical'

RENEGADE_2

Ida_Notion wrote: »

An air freshener near to the rack could give you the added confidence that visitors won't be overcome by the power of any shoes which might be temporarily 'condition critical'

Who said just one?!

With me it is a cocktail but the strongest predominate and together they are sweet. Concerning shoes (I'm gathering most of the posters are female as most blokes don't seem to care, I'm an exception), it really doesn't matter if the taller girls with longer feet need two or three fresheners in each shoe nor whether the new pleasant smells are unmatching because you use vanilla/cocunut in one and pine/black ice in the other.

See? There are lots of solutions! Nobody need have a stale cupboard close to the entrance!