How to Make Sneakers Smell Better

From running to running errands, sneakers provide stability and comfort, making them appealing to wear anywhere. Over time, as these comfy shoes take on dirt, moisture from rain and sweat, and other debris or spills from above lead to ugly stains and foul odors. If your sneakers don't smell clean, the unpleasant odor can detract from their comfy, convenient appeal. Freshening them up doesn’t take long, so you can wear them again without embarrassing odors to worry about.

Powdered laundry detergent
Toothbrush
Damp cloth
Spray bottle
Tea tree oil
Baking soda
Fabric softener sheet
New shoe laces (optional)
New shoe inserts (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the laces from the shoes and set them aside. If they are stained, old, and frayed discard them and replace with new laces.
- 2
  Remove old inserts from the sneakers and discard them. Replace old inserts with odor fighting inserts or new clean inserts.
- 3
  Dip a toothbrush into warm soapy water. Dissolve 1 to 2 Tbsp. of powdered laundry detergent into 1 quart of warm water and use this solution with the brush to clean the shoes.
- 4
  Wipe the shoes off with a damp cloth to remove residual soap.
- 5
  Pour tea tree oil into a small spray bottle and mist the shoes inside and out. Tea tree oil is anti-fungal and will kill any lingering bacteria, which may cause odors.
- 6
  Set the shoes in well ventilated area to dry. If the weather is nice, set them outside for a couple of hours.
- 7
  Move the shoes indoors and sprinkle baking soda inside them. Leave the baking soda in the shoes at least overnight and dump it out in the morning.

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