We have a lot of people living in this wild and crazy house. I’ll be conservative and say that we average about 6 pairs of shoes each (yes, the girls are throwing off the rule of averages on this, but whatever). That’s at least 40 pairs (80 total shoes) in 4 bedrooms and sometimes the living room and oftentimes the garage and even the car trunk. Take three minutes to make our Shoe Deodorizing Powder Recipe and you’ll be able to kill foot odor like a pro!
That is a considerable amount of smells to combat. How do we do it? How can we even walk from one room to the other without passing out from the smell of feet?
4 Easy Tips to Kill Foot Odor Naturally
Tip #1: Shoes need to be put away
- The shoes are SUPPOSED to live in the closet. Yes, everything in its place. This at least helps contain the issue to a small area. We stock those closets with several Deodorizing Disks [1] to help fight the mustiness of a closed space full of sweaty foot covers.
Tip #2: Genius sock washing hack
- If socks are really clean, then the shoes are less smelly. My husband came up with a genius system for socks. He attaches a lingerie bag to the dirty laundry basket in each room. The socks all must go in there together. This not only keeps the socks from getting mysteriously lost in the laundry, but it keeps the pairs in the same bag. Genius! This probably saves us an hour of laundry time a week matching socks for 8 people.
Since the socks usually carry a ton of smells, we wash them with the Homemade Detergent [2] and ALWAYS use the Musty Laundry Trick [3] to get them smelling really great! (*Don’t skip the Dryer Balls [4]! They save time and money and add an aroma-therapeutic touch!)
Tip #3: Stepped in a puddle?
- If the shoes get wet, dry them. Leaving them out in the sun will help kill germs in the sunlight and also get rid of moisture which will cause mold and mildew. In a pinch, you can also throw most sneakers in the dryer with a Dryer Sheet [5] for a quick tumble to help keep them from going gross.
Tip #4: Shoe & Foot Deodorizing Powder
- Store the shoes with a sock full of Foot Deodorizing Powder. Just make the recipe below and fill up a spare sock. Storing that sock in the shoe will absorb moisture and odor. The Peppermint and Eucalyptus Radiata essential oils leave your shoes fresh and clean. Check it out below!
We make batches of this Foot Deodorizing Powder, store it in this adorable lidded round bamboo box [6], and sprinkle it inside sneakers and athletic shoes to pull out the gross odors and dry up the moisture.
The box we use has a magnetic lid that creates a tight seal. This is important for protecting the integrity of the blend. This will stay fresh smelling for months if stored in a cool place.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well. [7]
Shoe Deodorizing Powder Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 10 drops Peppermint essential oil
- 5 drops Eucalyptus Radiata essential oil
- clean socks
- cute container with a tight sealing lid [6]
Directions
- Mix the baking soda, cornstarch, and essential oils in a glass measuring cup or stainless steel bowl with a stainless steel spoon.
- Pour into your box or another lidded container.
- To use: Place a few tablespoons in a clean sock and tie off the end. Place the sock into a shoe and store the shoe as normal.
- Store unused portion of deodorizing powder in a cool place out of reach of children.
Bonus Tip
Instead of sprinkling the powder directly in the shoe, leaving a mess when you put on your shoes next…spoon a couple of tablespoons of the powder INTO a clean sock! Knot the end of the sock and place it in an empty shoe that needs deodorizing. Then, when you are ready to wear your clean-smelling shoe, simply remove the sock and set aside for using again, then put on your shoes – with no mess! This Shoe Deodorizing Powder Recipe is a game-changer.
Once you are ready to wash your sock, empty the remaining powder in a trash can, and throw your sock into the wash as normal.