For most people working outdoors and in places where they have to deal everyday with different kinds of hazards boots are considered as their best friend. Boots help us comfortably face whatever conditions we work through and make the work quite easy. So when I say that after a gruelling day’s work our boots don’t smell fresh, it is hardly very surprising. Check out the best work boots for smelly feet>>
The number of sweat glands in our feet is greater than any other organ in our body and when they sweat, it can stink. Thanks to the bacteria! The perspiration from your feet is inevitably soaked in your boots. While in some cases it might be a minor annoyance which you can keep to yourself, in others it can turn out to be truly embarrassing. People can literally smell it and can run away from you.
Your boots are really an investment and you just can’t throw them. That’s why I am going to share some interesting hacks for eliminating odors and deodorizing your work boots and if not eliminated, it will at least slow down your boots from smelling. So here we go!
1. Have a proper foot care routine
One of the main causes of stinky boots is your stinky feet. Therefore, the foremost step to keep the odor at bay is washing your feet everyday. If you are thinking that washing your torso drip down to your feet will count then you are wrong.
If you feel like your feet are really troublesome then you should wash them more than you wash the rest of your body. Moreover, exfoliating the bottom of your feet with a pumice stone might be of great help. You’ll be surprised to know that the heels are the epicenter for a perfect bacterial growth. That is why it is advised to apply some antibacterial lotion after rinsing your feet.
Washing your feet in most cases turns out to be successful in eliminating foot smell and the stinky boots that follow, altogether.
2. Use Homemade Spray
Although there are a variety of foot and shoe sprays available in the market, nothing can beat the homemade version since it’s not only natural but pocket friendly as well. If you are an avid user of leather or suede boots then this is definitely the right choice for you.
Ingredients:
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- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vinegar
- 5 drops of tea tree oil.
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How to use it?
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- Mix all the above mentioned ingredients in a small spray bottle and shake it well and you are all set.
- Spray this mixture in your boots when they have become offensive.
- You can also use it after taking your shoes off once you have finished with your work.
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3. Use a Boot Dryer
Dry boots are the key to freshness and this can be achieved by using boot dryers which keep your work boots from smelling. These are quite simple to use. All you have to do is just take off the inner padding or footbed and place your work boots on the dryer and plug it in. This supercool appliance slowly passes the heat and dry the sweat out of your boots hence making them fresh again. 
This amazing device removes wet, sweat and odor from your footwear and keeps your feet not only dry but healthy and comfortable. Not just this, it preserves your gear by putting an end to moisture, mold and mildew. Deodorizing boots in just 3-8 hours, boot dryers are subtle yet effective.
4. Try rotating the boots you wear
This particular advice is for those who want to extend the lifespan of their boots which is equally applicable for eliminating odor. If you have a job that requires standing on your feet all day long then I am sure that you have no other option but to wear the same boots for more than 8 hours per day for multiple days in a row.
In such cases, your boots don’t get a chance to completely dry or air out. Infact, you just keep adding more and more sweat to it, making the odor just intolerable. That’s why, I highly recommend rotating your boots with another pair and giving them a full day or two to air out, freshen up and breathe a little.
5. Wear sweat-sucking socks
Everything is getting advanced nowadays and so are our socks. There are a lot of socks in the market which have got inbuilt moisture wicking properties. It’s time to invest in them. If you are still stuck with the cotton socks then replace them with these.
One more thing, never go sockless in a boot. It’s truly a recipe for stank! If you are still thinking of wearing your boots like these then at the end of the day just give your boots an antibacterial wipe as soon as you take them off and don’t forget to give your boots ample airing between wears.
6. Use the classic baking soda technique
A bit old fashioned but it is a natural and sure shot method to deodorize your boots. All you need is baking soda and just follow these simple steps.
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- After finishing your work just take off your boots and sprinkle some baking soda into them.
- Spread the soda evenly by shaking the boots.
- Leave the work boots like this overnight.
- In the morning, shake off the excess baking soda and just put your fresh boots on.
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This method is quite effective and cheap with natural and impressive odor elimination. Although don’t forget to take out the baking soda from your boots otherwise it’ll give you a grainy feeling all day long.
The other option is to put some baking soda in a sock which is better than putting it in your boots. The porousness allows the soda to work without creating much of a mess.
7. Odor Checks/Charcoal Deodorizer Bags
Another method to eliminate odor is by putting charcoal bags in your boots overnight. How are they useful? Well, they absorb the excessive moisture from your work boots by night and are nice and dry in the morning.
These are quite simple to use and the charcoal in these bags are completely recyclable. And the best part is, these bags can last upto two years depending on how much you use them.
The bag helps in maintaining a breathable and fresh environment and effectively removes smelly odor from your work boots. For rejuvenation of the bag, all you have to do is just put it in the sun once in a month for at least one hour and it is good to go.
8. Try using essential oils or citrus peels
If the smell from your boots is more of an annoying phenomenon rather than a truly embarrassing problem then you can take this easy route which is applying some essential oil to your boots.
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- Take your boots and put about 5 drops of tea tree, lemon or lavender oil right into them.
- Leave them for some time, say about an hour or so.
- Take a newspaper or tissue and wipe the excessive oil from your boots.
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Though this method is not used for killing bacteria but it’ll help quite a bit with the smell. If you don’t have essential oils with you, you can also use citrus peels which are known to contain a lot of natural essential oils. All you have to do is just stick a peel or two in the shoes overnight and see the magic in the morning.
Conclusion
The given methods are not readily available but are so easy to perform that you don’t even have to worry about anything. Following these practices will not only reduce the bacterial build up in your boots but will also keep them fresher for longer thus increasing their life. But even after following all these hacks you can’t get rid of the odor then think again. Maybe it’s time for new boots?
