Do you ever wonder why some people’s shoes smell so bad? It could be because they’re not cleaning them properly.

Stinky shoes aren’t just an annoyance; they can also cause serious health problems. Learn how to keep your shoes smelling fresh and avoid foot odor.
Stinkier than usual? You might want to check out our guide to cleaning stink shoes.

If you’re looking for a simple way to get rid of those stinky sneakers, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide to cleaning stink shoes, which includes everything from soaking them in vinegar to using baking soda. The best part? These methods work for both men and women.
Methods To Clean Stink Shoes
Baking Soda

Shoe scents might bother you and others. One of the best—and least expensive—products to conceal or eradicate shoe odor is baking soda. You may have heard to put baking soda in the fridge to absorb smells. Baking soda may do the same for shoes. Using baking soda to deodorize shoes and sandals is easy.
If you want to keep things straightforward, you may just sprinkle baking soda directly into the shoes and then walk away from them for at least 24 hours.
A more sophisticated approach, Baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch should be mixed together in the proportions of 1:1:2. Put the mixture in a pair of cotton socks or sprinkle it in both shoes and let it sit there for the night. Include a few drops of your preferred essential oil in the mixture for an enhanced overall aroma.
Bleach And Boil Water

The washing machine is suitable for cleaning shoes. Do your best to get rid of the smell beforehand using common home items. Bleach and hot water is one solution.
- Fill each pair of shoes with the hot water. Then, add some bleach.
- Please give the shoes a few minutes to rest. Throw away the used water and chlorine. The bacteria that are making the shoes smelly should be eliminated by the bleach.
Cat Litter

Just leave the cat litter in your stink shoes. In most cases, deodorizers are added to clean cat litter to help keep the litter box smelling fresh. Make careful to get odor-neutralizing cat litter, since this may be used to deodorize shoes.
- Use cat litter to line the inside of the shoes. The shoes should be left out overnight, or until the odor disappears.
- Remove any cat litter from the footwear. Shaking the shoes should remove most of the litter.
Vinegar + Baking Soda

Vinegar combined with baking soda might be used to eradicate the odor.
- You need a sink large enough to place your shoes in.
- Put one cup of baking soda in each shoe. Then, pour in a cup of vinegar. The baking soda will bubble as a result of this.
- Allow the mixture to bubble for 20 minutes and flush them away.
Don’t Forget Your Food Hygiene
Even if you learn the art of cleaning stink shoes, the most essential thing to remember is to keep your feet clean.
When washing your feet, you should take special precautions. Apply soap or a cleaner between each toe and across the sole of the foot, then rinse well. Here are some more shoe odor-removing foot hygiene tips:
- After washing your feet, make sure to thoroughly dry them. Bacterial development will be aided by any wetness left on your feet.
- Allow your feet to breathe by going shoeless and sockless whenever possible. This will allow any perspiration to evaporate without spreading germs.
- Socks should only be worn once between washings.
- Change your socks and shoes immediately after an exercise to keep odors from being trapped.