When the temp outside gets above 60°F, my sig other insists on wearing all his shoes (both dress and athletic) without socks.
Listen, I totally get the desire to let your feet breathe and that’s why I wear flip-flops and sandals whenever possible. But wearing closed shoes without socks ends up being a funk-tastic situation…meaning his shoes stink to high heaven after wearing them sock-less for several days!
And he thinks it’s super funny to chase me around the house with them, trying to shove them up under my nose. GROSS!
Now that I’ve thrown him under the bus, I’ll admit he’s not the only one in the house whose shoes get a little funky from time to time…
My walking/running shoes can get a bit fragrant after many uses, too. And I always wear socks with them, so it’s not even an issue of going sock-less.
Sure, you can easily find powders in stores to sprinkle in your shoes to deodorize them. But most of them have toxic ingredients, and you end up tracking the powder all over when you take your shoes off.
So I set out to find a natural remedy that actually works without making a total mess.
Guess what? I found it…and it’s so easy to make yourself!
THE NATURAL REMEDY
Here are the few simple items you need to make these natural shoe deodorizers:
- A pair of cotton socks that you don’t plan on wearing anymore.
- Baking soda.
- Germ-busting essential oil. (I prefer this one.)
- String or twine.
To make the deodorizer:
- If you’re using long socks (like knee socks), you’ll want to cut them down to about the length of an ankle sock.
- Fill the socks 1/2 – 3/4 of the way with baking soda.
- Add 5-10 drops of essential oil. I like to use the Germ Fighter synergy from Plant Therapy, because it’s good at fighting funky smells and germs at the same time. Or, you can recreate this odor-busting blend on your own by combining lemon, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon and rosemary essential oils.
- Tie the tops of the socks closed with string or twine. Make it tight, so the baking soda doesn’t leak out.
- Insert the sock deodorizers inside the funky shoes.
The finished product will look something like this:
Yep, it’s that easy!
You can also use these deodorizers to de-funk gym bags, vehicles (just put them under the seat) and other stinky spaces. SCORE!
Cheers to de-stanking your shoes in a natural, effective and mess-free way!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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