What to do about smelly shoes?

[daisyduck123]

I know some DISers will have answers to this...

We're leaving Wed. night for a 13 hour car trip to WDW & DH insists on bringing his favorite shoes. Well...to put it bluntly, they stink!
He wants to bring them on our trip!
Can anyone recommend anything to spray/sprinkle in them? We've never had a "foot/shoe odor" problem before.

They are the land/sea type shoe that you don't wear with socks.
They might be Lands' End, but I'm not going close enough to them to determine that...and I'm definitely not PICKING THEM UP TO LOOK!

Please help...we leave in 48 hours

 

[Nienor]

Febreeze? I use it on my sneakers than I don't wear socks in. You'll probably need to use it again everytime he wears them though.

 

[Nanu57v]

You could try fabreeze or baking soda, but the baking soda didn't work on my smelly shoes..I never tried fabreeze...but you could also try putting them in the deep freezer (in a ziplock bag) for 24 hours to see if it works. Someone told me it did, and I had my stinky sandals in storage over the winter (outside) and it worked. But I tried putting DD's stinky sandals (yes, my 2yo has stinky feet) in the freezer overnight and it didn't work. So you might try a little longer.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

You're going to think it's crazy, but it works:

Put them in the hot wash with a few white towels, and bleach. Put the bleach in the dispenser, not on the clothes. Add detergent and a really powerful smelling fabric softener. Put them on the heavy duty wash, if you've got it.

Shoes are made to take moisture, and I kid you not, I run my family's leather shoes, sandals, flip flops, crocs, etc. through the hot wash about once a month. I wash my leather Adidas tennis shoes, too. No problem.

Just don't dry them. Set them out in the sun to dry.

This is the only real way to remove the bacteria that causes the odor.

The shoe closet went from smelling like a crypt to being "snuggle" fresh!

 

[barkley]

get multi cat cat litter and put it into a sealed plastic bag with the shoes ofr as long as possible beforehand. all the odor should get absorbed.

 

[freckles and boo]

You're going to think it's crazy, but it works:

Put them in the hot wash with a few white towels, and bleach. Put the bleach in the dispenser, not on the clothes. Add detergent and a really powerful smelling fabric softener. Put them on the heavy duty wash, if you've got it.

Shoes are made to take moisture, and I kid you not, I run my family's leather shoes, sandals, flip flops, crocs, etc. through the hot wash about once a month. I wash my leather Adidas tennis shoes, too. No problem.

Just don't dry them. Set them out in the sun to dry.

This is the only real way to remove the bacteria that causes the odor.

The shoe closet went from smelling like a crypt to being "snuggle" fresh!

When I was a kid my mother bleached my brother's shoes, too. There was no choice. Bleach em or trash em.

 

[tweedlemom]

Stick them in an air tight, oversized ziploc bag, shove dryer sheets down inside the shoes, zip 'em up and throw the bag in the trunk!

 

[daisyduck123]

You guys have some very interesting tips to try!!
Tomorrow I will get busy with some!
I told DH tonight that I started this thread & that tomorrow I would be de-smelling his shoes. He gave me such a look!!

Thanks...and keep 'em coming!!

 

[Boo'sMom]

stuff newspaper in them overnight. works great!

 

[Stephres]

Wow, I hope they are not Lands End becauase they are supposed to be treated not to smell! I would try the tips here: start with febreeze and baking soda and if that doesn't work, throw them in the wash. That's what I would do. Good luck!

 

[klineyqueen]

accidentally lose them on garbage day!

My DH had a pair of mickey ears that were mega stinky...they found their way to the garbage before we left...ooops had to buy a new pair!

 

[mommylicious]

put them in a trash bag and tied it closed them put them in the freezer overnight.

 

[familyS]

I would run then through the washer with bleach added via the dispenser.

I do this with the kids running shoes and it works great!

I use Tide with Febreeze, but it worked before they started making that product.

 

[Disney Ron]

Newspaper works for taking odors out of tupperware! I would try stuffing them with paper putting them in a giant sealed ziplock in the sun for a couple of days.

Mrs. Disney Ron

 

[pezheadmeg]

I spent 9 summers camp counseling and I'm the type of person that can't stand socks if it's over 45. So my perfect method is:

1. Wash them in the washing machine with a towel or two, normal detergent, warm water, extra spin cycle to get fairly dry.
2. Take them out of washer, into each shoe place two halves of a fabric softener sheet one in the toe, one in the heel. Then stuff with crumpled newspaper and let them dry in a warm dry place overnight.