After daily use of your favorite pair of Converse, you may find a recognizable foot odor emanating from the depths of the shoes. This funky fume is often a sign that the shoes have foot-related bacteria building within them.
Fortunately, there are several household solutions for treating odors within Converse to freshen the shoes and remove any foot stench. By following the deodorizing solution below, you can add a freshening touch to your pair of Converse and have them smell like new.
Converse Smell Removal Solutions
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1. Rotate Shoes
Smells often develop within Converse shoes when they are worn too often. Constant use can have the effect of not allowing the needed airing out time required to dry out the odorous residues. As a preventative solution to this problem, the shoes can be rotated with another pair to ensure that one pair is being aired out while the other is being worn. This method can also help with maintaining a fresh appearance on a daily basis, as Converse shoes come in a range of colors and styles.
2. Sprinkle Baking Soda
As an old tried and true method, the use of baking soda to absorb difficult foot odors can work well in deodorizing Converse shoes. Measure 2-3 teaspoons of the deodorizing powder and sprinkle within the interior of each shoe. Proceed to shuffle the Converse lightly to ensure that baking soda makes it all of the way down to the toe area where the smells are at their worst. Continue this practice nightly until the baking soda has effectively absorbed all your foot odor to leave your Converse smelling fresh.
3. Cat Litter
This solution may sound strange, but these odor-absorbent granules can work wonders in pulling in difficult odors from the interior of your shoes. Measure a quarter cup of cat litter to be poured into the interior of each Converse shoe. Proceed to shuffle the granules along the bottom, making sure that some cat litter reaches the toe area of the shoe. Allow this product granule solution to sit within Converse overnight. Proceed to pour the cat litter contents into a spare bedside cup for reuse during subsequent nights until the odor has been lifted.
4. Enzyme Spray + Newspaper
If the odors living within your Converse are especially repugnant, an enzyme-cleaning solution can be used to eat through the smelly foot residues. Begin by spraying down the interior of your shoes with an enzyme-cleaning spray. You will want to ensure that the spray makes it all the way down to the toes area of the shoes and that no area is left untreated. Next, you will need to stuff the shoes completely full with newspaper balls and allow them to sit overnight. By morning, the newspaper balls can be removed from the interior of the Converse, and the shoes can be placed outside in the sun to air dry any remaining enzyme moisture.
5. Activated Charcoal Inserts
As a final solution, the use of activated charcoal can be an effective one for treating odor and maintaining freshness for long periods of time. To apply this solution, you will need to cut an old pair of nylon leggings in half to separate the legs. Next stuff 3-4 activated charcoal briquettes within each stocking and tied a knot to enclose them within the foot area. Nightly, you will want to place these nylon-enclosed activated charcoal inserts within each shoe to allow them to absorb as much smelly odor as possible.
Photo credit: Martin Thomas
