Do you wear slippers regularly and find that you are sometimes faced with an unpleasant odor? There is nothing worse than stinky slippers which can put you off wearing them. So we want to show you how to stop slippers from smelling and releasing bad odors so that you can wear your footwear without putting up with the lingering smells.
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Why Do Slippers Smell?
Smelly slippers are usually caused because of bacteria from your feet working their way into the slipper fabric and causing a bad odor. This typically happens when you walk in your slippers in bare feet.
Bare feet especially if they are not scrupulously clean can generate this bacteria which starts to permeate into the slipper. Also if you suffer from sweaty feet the moisture can enter the slipper and create an ideal breeding ground for the smelly bacteria to thrive.
With our simple hacks, you are going to learn how to stop slippers from smelling with some basic hygiene tips and products that can help to neutralize the bacteria and their odor.
Preventative Measures To Stop Slippers From Smelling
The first approach to preventing smelly slippers involves stopping the problem from happening in the first place. Often your slippers will smell bad because you have created the perfect conditions for bacteria to breed. Taking action to stop the odors should start as soon as you buy a new pair of slippers.
If you are going to walk around in your slippers with bare feet then you are going to have to be fastidious with your hygiene. When you come home and have sweaty feet from walking all day take the time to wash and dry them carefully first before putting on your slippers. Use a Tea Tree Oil Foot Soak to get your feet clean. This won’t just help with odor but problems such as fungus or dry skin as well. If you wash your feet regularly before putting on your slippers you are going to significantly reduce the problem.
If you can think about wearing a pair of moisture-wicking socks before putting on your slippers. If you wear socks it will help to eliminate the sweat and stop it from seeping into the fabric of your slippers.
These two simple tricks can make a world of difference and stop the unpleasant smell that builds up over time.
If Your Slippers Stink Use The Freezer
Our next solution to stop the smelly slippers costs nothing and is a great way of getting rid of the smell caused by your feet. It involves using your freezer compartment.
When your freeze shoes or slippers for a reasonable period of time it kills off any bacteria that cause the bad smells. Just take this simple step first.
Place your slippers into a freezer bag and seal it tightly shut. This is to stop the smell from your slippers from getting onto the other foodstuffs in your freezer and making them inedible. Now leave them in the freezer compartment for 48 hours to stop the odor.
When you remove the slippers allow the package to come back up to room temperature and then open up the bag. You should find that the slipper stink has disappeared.
Eliminate Smelly Slippers with Baking Soda
Another handy household trick for getting rid of smelly shoes and slippers is by using baking soda. Baking soda can be found in most kitchens and is a relatively cheap way of helping to remove bad smells caused by your feet.
Just sprinkle baking soda into the footbed of each of your slippers and allow the product to work its magic. You will need to leave the product to sit overnight inside the slippers at the very least. If you can try and leave the backing soda for 24 hours or even slightly longer.
When the time is up shake out any excess product from your slippers. If you need to use a vacuum to remove any additional baking soda so that you aren’t spreading clouds of powder around your house.
Use Our Favorite Shoe and Slipper Deodorizer
If you want a really simple method to deal with stinky slippers then you can’t go far wrong with Odor Drops Shoe Deodorizer Balls.
This is such a simple product but a highly effective one to shoe the smell that you can get in your shoes, sneakers and even your slippers.
These balls are incredibly simple to use. You just need to twist them to allow the vents to open and then pop them in the problem footwear and allow them to do their work. You can do this at night when you go to bed.
The following morning just take the balls out of your slippers and retwist the balls to lock the vents and stop the smell. Nothing could be easier and there is absolutely no mess involved!
Each ball lasts for 1 year and you get six of them in the pack. They cost very little so they are a great cost-effective solution to get your slippers smelling fresh.
How to Remove Odor From Rubber Slippers
Rubber slippers are becoming more and more fashionable with people especially in the summer time. The problem is that they can get just as smelly as any other type of slippers.
Handwashing your rubber slippers is a great way of helping to counteract the smell. All you need is some water and detergent and then give them a good scrub with a brush to get them really clean. Air dry them before wearing and that will generally do the trick.
If you still have a problem you can try using rubbing alcohol as a way of getting your slippers clean. Rubbing alcohol helps to kill any bacteria when it is sprayed onto the footbed. Just make sure you test your slippers first as it could cause discoloration in some shoes.
Your Slippers Stink So Use The Washing Machine
Our next tip to help you learn how to stop slippers from smelling is to think about using a washing machine in order to deep clean your footwear. Before you even attempt this however you will need to make sure that your slippers can be machine washed. Most slippers should have a label on the inside that gives you washing instructions. Make sure you read the label on your slippers before attempting to do this.
If you have more expensive slippers that are made from leather or even suede there is a high likelihood that this method won’t be possible. Some of our other suggestions are more likely to work if that is the case.
If you are going to put your slippers in the washing machine then make sure you use a gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Also, make sure that you choose a cold or warm water wash. Water that is too hot can have a detrimental effect on your slippers.
If you are worried about your slippers getting thrown around in the washing machine you can use a shoe wash bag to protect them. When the slippers are removed from the washing machine let them air dry until they are ready to wear.
How to Get the Smell Out of Slippers With Shoe Sprays
There are a significant number of feet and shoe sprays out there that claim to get the smell out of slippers. These are a great way of tackling odors in slippers that can’t be easily washed.
Elite Sportz Shoe Deodorizer is a great example of a product that you can spritz on your feet or your shoes to get rid of smelly feet or stinky footwear. It smells of peppermint and counteracts those nasty pongs to make your feet and shoes smell fresh again.
Sprays are simple and easy to use and are an effective way of making a difference especially when you are in a hurry. Whilst these sprays won’t clean your slippers they can help to make them more wearable as the spray tends to absorb the bad smells.
The Best Home Remedy for Smelly Slippers
We actually have a number of home remedies that you can use if you find that your slippers are starting to smell. As with any home remedy you may have a little bit of trial and error in getting a result depending on how bad your footwear was in the first place and the type of fabric your slippers are made from.
The first home remedy involves putting tea bags in your shoes or slippers to absorb the odor. Pop a couple of unused tea bags in each slipper and then leave them to do their work overnight. You can use different types of tea bags to make a difference. Obviously stronger smelling tea bags are likely to have more of an impact than ordinary ones.
If the tea bag trick doesn’t work then the next thing to try is dryer sheets. Many brands of dryer sheets are incredibly strong smelling so if you place them in your slippers overnight they are going to neutralize the bad smells and replace them with a fresher cleaner dryer sheet smell.
Finally the last of our home remedies for smelly slippers involves white vinegar. To make this method work get a spray bottle and fill it with a mixture of water and white vinegar. Then spray the mixture onto a paper towel and rub the towel on the footbed of your slippers. You can also leave the towel in the bottom of your slippers overnight.
Vinegar doesn’t just neutralize smells but also can kill the bacteria causing the problem allowing you to get rid of the bad pongs. Just remember to air dry your slippers before wearing them as the smell from the vinegar is sometimes as bad as the original smell.
Read More Articles About Cleaning Smelly Shoes or Sneakers
How to Clean Smelly Sheepskin Slippers
How to Clean Non-Removeable Insoles
How to Clean Smelly Flip-Flops
How to Clean Smelly TOMS Shoes
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