Do you feel really bad and unhappy at the nasty smell coming out of your work boots? Are you tired of having to put up with the shame and indignity of people twitching their noses and throwing awkward glances in your direction whenever you take off your work boots at your workplace?
Well, this article will be focusing on how to clean and remove those terrible smells out of your shoes. We’ll also be helping out with quick and easy techniques that you can use at home to keep your work boots clean and fresh.
WHY DO YOUR WORK BOOTS SMELL?
To be able to protect our feet effectively, even in the most hostile of environments, our work boots are tightly and heavily padded. One of the major downsides of this is that it causes heat and humidity which then makes our feet sweat. And, even though sweats are odorless, they create an environment that enables bacteria to thrive which then turns out to be the source of the foul odor. These bacteria are called BreviBacteria.
Wearing non–breathable shoes and socks that trap moisture is another cause of work boots oozing out a foul odor. We wear our work boots for long hours every day, and if they lack breathable mesh linings in the right places, our feet would end up all sweaty and messy. This is why it will be expedient to always go for quality boots with breathable mesh linings.
How to wash and get the smell out of your Work Boots?
Using Baking Soda in Work Boots
When it comes to combating the menace of work boot smell, this is one of the easiest tricks in the book. Mix some baking soda and corn starch every day before going to bed and sprinkle the mixture inside your work boots.
Leave it overnight and wake up the next morning to see the amazing wonders that this simple hack can pull off. Simply drain and clean up the inner of your work boots and you have a fresh pair of boots ready for use.
Teabags can do the trick too
If you are the type that loves to begin your workday with a cup of tea but just trashes up the used teabags as usual, well you might wanna rethink that from today on. This is because the answer to your questions might just be what you have been neglecting all along. Haha!
Teabags contain Tannins which have antibacterial components, and since the main cause of the bad odor you get is bacterial, they can help serve as the disinfectant you need.
All you need do is take them out after boiling for tea and place them in your boots for 2 – 3 hours. When you’re done, simply take them out and clean up the mess in the boots. You’ll be amazed at the outcome.
Making use of Homemade Sprays
You can take advantage of this simple, yet effective formula to make your homemade spray. This highly effective formula would be more expedient for those with work boots that are very difficult to wash.
Add half a cup of water into equal amounts of vinegar, together with five drops of Tea tree oil. Get a used spray bottle to store your mixture and you’re good to go. This formula is not just proven to be more effective than some other commercial brands of shoe spray, it comes at a ridiculously cheaper cost too.
FREEZE!!
Well, they say desperate times call for desperate measures, don’t they? If all other methods prove ineffective then this is one radical, yet scientifically-proven approach you can bank on never to fail you.
Take off your work boot when you get home from work and dust them off properly. Then, get a bag to put your boot in before placing it in the freezer. Leave the bag in the freezer overnight and thaw before use the next day.
Freezing works to kill off the bacteria responsible for foot smell so you can expect a bacteria-free work boot by the time you take them out the next morning.
Using Lemon or Lime Peels
Citrus fruits are known to possess anti-bacterial qualities and lime and lemon are two of the most blessed among them.
Crush the peels and put them in your boots overnight. The essential oil inherent in the peels will also help counter the foul odor in your boots.
You can always count on the Lemon and Lime approach to be FRUITFUL.
Alcohol Solution
Alcohol works against bacterial and fungi. It’s a great idea to make a mixture of it and water, and sprinkle in boots to kill off the bacteria in them. Ensure the amount of water and alcohol are of equal measure and get a spray bottle to use. You can also use a cotton swab.
Final Thoughts
Smelly boots have been a huge source of embarrassment to many. It has also made a lot of people spend money unnecessarily by changing their work boots more often than they should.
All the methods in this article are proven hacks that have been used over the years by others to combat this menace of foul work boots odor. You can also avail yourself by trying out some of these techniques and picking one that works best for you.