So this is a bit embarrassing. I noticed yesterday my daughter had no socks on when she came home from school. I told her she needs to wear socks because A) it's winter, B) Tennis shoes are not something you can wear without socks, and C) Her feet will stink.
Sure enough, today, when she got home from school, I smelled the worst smell of my life. A cross between skunk, garbage, and vomit. No joke. I sniffed around until I found the culprit. It's my daughter's feet dangling below her while she's doing her homework. She showers nightly, so that part of her hygiene I am not worried about, but it is unbelievable that such a horrible smell could come out of someone so beautiful!!
SO here's the dilemma. How can I get rid of the smell? Are the shoes toast? Can I put them in the washer? Do I just air them out for a few days? HELP!!
M. G. I have a perfect solution to stinky shoes in my home because I own a Sargent Steam steam cleaner. This machine is one of my most favorite things in life. It solves so many problems for me and makes my cleaning faster, easier and cheaper. You can visit this companies' website at www.sargentsteam.com
J.
Just because she showers nightly doesn't mean her feet are getting washed. As a massage therapist I have smelled some rather disgusting smelly feet. One client told me she had showered, but there was a watermelon seed stuck to the bottom of her foot. Which, when I asked about it, she told me she had stepped on it the day before. She then said her feet were in the shower with her so they must have been cleaned. What she had failed to do is actually wash her feet with soap and water. After I brought this to my client's awareness, she now actually washes her feet and they smell so much better than before. So, just because your daughter's feet are in the shower with her doesn't mean she is washing them with soap and water. Then wearing the same shoes everyday, especially without socks, compounds the problem. You could try using "odor eaters" in her shoes.
I hate wearing socks and I work for the post office so I do A LOT of walking....I tried everything from creams, sprays, powder, and the only thing I've found that will work is a pedicure every other week. I also invested in a Ped-Egg that can be found at Walgreens that exfoliates? feet. The point is that you get the dead skin off your feet. I rarely wear socks, so I go through a billion pairs of shoes and my husband won't rub my feet unless I've recently had a Pedi or used the Ped-Egg.
My dad and my daughter had the same problem. Dad alway put powder in his boots and shoes and it would work for a while but then that didn't even work. Mom watched a program on TV that said to soak your feet in water that is as warm/hot as you can stand it and put in 2 family size tea bags. Do this every night for 2 weeks and it stops the smell. When you notice the smell again do it again. It has to be repeated but it does work.
Good luck.
Hi, this is not so bad. I often have this very problem. What i do is put som powder in my shoes. She does need to start wearing socks but the smell will not be bad with just a little powder.
When I was a nanny one of the children I took care of hated to wear socks too, the only kind that she finally liked were very thin dress socks, so her parents bought her a bunch of them and ta-da! No more arguments about wearing her socks! As far as the smelly shoes, they may be "toast," it is so hard to get rid of that awful smell!
I have the same problem with my daughter, they say to use cat liter over night and that takes the smell away.
I know how you feel. My husband's snow/work boots are the same. I would walk around the house trying to find the smell of rotting trash, and could not figure out what the source was. THE BOOTS!! We could not wash them, but we found a product called Solumel that we sprayed inside them. It cut the smell by 2/3. It is a non-toxic product, and it really worked. When i wash my tennis shoes/running shoes, and put in 1-2 capfuls of Solumel and it helps to whiten them as well as de-odorize them. If you would like more info let me know. www.livetotalwellness.com/wyn. I started out as a customer with this wholesale company for a year, but I am now a rep because I wanted the company to pay for my products. (Not a bad deal!!) I hope this helps. Good Luck :-)
Hi M.,
Oh have I been there! My 4 year old princess had a pair of ballet flats that did the same thing. I Put everything including leather shoes in the washer. You can add vinegar & baking soda to rid the shoes of stink. And make sure she wears those socks for extra protection & she should be set.
I like to use Odor Eaters powder in my shoes. The bottle says you can put it on your feet, too. Also, maybe she would wear socks if you let her pick out some cute, novelty ones. They aren't too expensive and may be worth it if she will wear them.
I know that smell. I used to sprinkle my shoes with baby powder because it absorbs the sweat (main source of stink) and it freshens the shoes at the same time. Have to sprinkle them every day, though.
Had the same issue with my daughter. There is foot spray you can spray in the shoe, not to mention on her feet. And if she sweats excessively, the shoes will have to be replaced more often. You could also talk to her about consequences with her peers possibly making fun of her or choosing not to be near her if her feet smell so bad. Yes indeed, it is embarrassing!
I wash my girls tennis shoes all the time. I normally do it on a Friday so they can wear other shoes over the weekend and then they are good to go. I just toss them in the washer with a couple of towels. Works great.
