10 Ways to Eliminate Shoe Odor With Things You Have Around the House

By Ashley Lall Updated: August 17, 2019

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The kids had a sweaty summer, and their shoes sure smell like it. The good news is, you already have all you need at home to fix this stinky problem, and you won’t have to replace any shoes in the process. Moisture and bacteria in shoes can be taken care of with a few kitchen, bathroom, and all natural tools that won’t cost you an extra penny or ounce of effort! Check out our easy solutions below.

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Witch Hazel Shoe Odor

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Witch Hazel

Nix shoe odor with a witch hazel spray! Simply combine about ¼ cup witch hazel with ½ cup water and a few drops essential oil in a spray bottle and spritz into your smelly sheets. Witch hazel helps to get rid of the germs causing any odor!
Dryer Sheet Shoe Odor

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Dryer Sheets

The fibers in fabric-softening dryer sheets help to absorb smells from the fabric in your shoes. Stick one to two scented sheets into your shoes and leave them in for at least four hours or overnight.
Salt Shoe Odor

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Salt

Little did you know that regular table salt can get rid of shoe smells for good! All you have to do is fill two tablespoons of salt into a coffee filter or dryer sheet and tie with a rubber band. Make another satchel, then place each one into your shoes overnight. Salt will help to soak up any odor-causing moisture!
Soap Shoe Odor

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Leftover Soap

Don’t know what to do with those useless last slivers of soap? Throw them into coffee filters or dryer sheets, just like the salt, to create a satchel and place the satchels in your shoes overnight! Be sure to use scented soap, as this will help freshen the smell of your shoes!
Orange Peels Shoe Odor

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Citrus Peels

Don’t throw away your orange peels ever again! Citrus peels are the perfect tool for removing shoe odor because not only do the fragrant oils from the peels make shoes smell fresh, but the peels themselves will also absorb any unpleasant ones up like a sponge.
Essential Oils Shoe Odor

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Essentail Oils

Essential oils can do just about anything from soothing a headache to healing a skin scrape, and now you can add freshening up smelly shoes to the list. Simply dab a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto a cotton ball or pad and stick them into your shoes. Allow to sit overnight and they will be fresh by morning! Some good scents to use are lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender!
Baking Soda Shoe Odor

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Baking Soda

Baking soda is a known odor eliminator, and you probably have some in the back of your refrigerator or in your pantry. Get it out and sprinkle generously into your stinky shoes. Let the powder absorb odors overnight and dump it out in the morning. If you’re cleaning leather shoes, use the satchel trick mentioned above to protect the material.
Sunshine Shoe Odor

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The Sun

Your mom's old trick of putting stinky sneakers out in the sun wasn’t all bologna! In fact, sunshine is a great odor nixer because the rays help to dry out odor-causing moisture. Leave your shoes outside on a dry, sunny day, and wait for the smells to vanish.
Freeze Shoes Shoe Odor

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The Freezer

This hack might seem a little strange, but hear me out. Odor causing bacteria gets killed when exposed to freezing temperatures, so place your shoes in zip lock bags and let them sit in the cold temps overnight. They will come out smelling fresh!
Black Tea Shoe Odor

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Black Tea Bags

Tannins in black tea bags absorb unpleasant odors from shoes! Steep the black tea bags as usual for two to three minutes, then place the used tea bag (you can let it dry out a little first or place in a dryer sheet) and stick them in your shoes. Allow the tea to work its magic overnight, and by morning, they should be smelling fresh and new.