There’s nothing more repulsive than a pair of smelly shoes, but one household guru has shared a nifty trick to eliminate stubborn odours using a kitchen cupboard essential
Nothing makes your nose scrunch quite like a pair of smelly shoes, but one expert has shared a helpful hack to eliminate pungent odours without a washing machine.
The unpleasant aroma is caused by a combination of sweat, bacteria, and lack of aeration, which can develop over time. According to VeryWell, the bacteria ‘Staphylococcus epidermis’ breaks down an amino acid in sweat called leucine, resulting in a cheese-like smell that lingers in shoes.
Fortunately, household expert Mr Rice has revealed a clever trick that will banish foul shoe scents using a kitchen cupboard essential. Taking to TikTok, the content creator said: “I’m going to share with you what my grandma did to my shoes when I was in South Korea.”
Pulling out a pair of sturdy walking shoes, Mr Rice explained that he uses green tea bags to remove any bad odours. He continued: “I also put them in my golf shoes after playing golf and cover them with newspaper, that’s how you get rid of the smell of the stinky shoes, use green tea. Thank you grandma.”
It is recommended that the tea bags are left to sit in the shoes for 24 hours, and more than one in each is advised if you’re working with an extra smelly pair. The ‘Queen of Clean’ Lynsey Crombie explained that tea bags – which are extremely absorbent – soak up the moisture from the shoe and leaves a fresh-scented fragrance in its place.
While standard tea bags may make a slight difference, shoe expert at Pavers Vittoria Wellen‑Bombelli suggests green tea works best. She said: “Opt for a scented tea bag, such as green tea, to deodorise your shoes instead of regular tea bags, as this smell isn’t particularly favourable and you’re unlikely to notice any benefit.”
The expert urges people to avoid this trick after a wet walk, as this could cause the tea bag to leak inside the shoes, leaving unwanted stains. Shoppers can pick up 40 green tea bags from Aldi or Lidl for 59p, working out as 3p for a pair of shoes.
Impressed followers flocked to the comments section of Mr Rice’s video, as one user gushed: “As a gold pro and caddie, thank you!” A second asked: “Any remedies for smelly feet?” To which Mr Rice responded with: “Do not wear your same shoes every day, you should switch and also spray ethanol inside shoes overnight.”
If tea bags aren’t on your shopping list this week, baking soda will also work quickly to eliminate odours by absorbing smells. Simply sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda directly into each shoe, and shake around to distribute the product. After 24 hours, your shoes will be left smelling fresh once more.
