This simple recipe is an easy solution for stinky shoes that uses baking soda and essential oils. Baking soda is a fantastic odor absorber and neutralizer, and adding essential oils makes it even more effective.
The Recipe:
¼ cup baking soda
20 drops essential oils*
Stir essential oils into baking powder until thoroughly combined. Store in a sealed container or zip lock bag.
*Cedarwood, lavender, and tea tree are my favorites for this recipe, though any essential oils or essential oil blends will work. Tea tree oil is especially good to use as part of your blend since it has strong antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Liberally sprinkle the mixture on the inside footbed of the shoes (you should use enough that there is a fine layer covering the entire inside of the shoe). Let sit overnight and shake excess baking powder out in the morning. For especially stinky shoes, let the mixture sit in shoes for 24 hours or longer before removing.
Sprinkling works great for shoes like gym shoes or boots which are worn with socks since if there is a tiny bit of baking soda left in the bottom of the shoes, it’s unnoticeable when wearing socks. For shoes that are worn barefoot like ballet flats, you can put ¼ cup of the mixture in a piece of cloth (or inside a thin sock) and tie, making a sachet. Place the baking soda filled cloth in shoes overnight to soak up odors without leaving any baking soda residue. It’s also best to use the sachets for leather shoes since baking soda can damage leather with repeated use.
Over time, the sachets will need to be refilled with a fresh baking soda and essential oil mixture to retain effectiveness, but they can be used a number of times before they start to lose effectiveness.