Smelly feet or, to give it its more technical name, bromhidrosis, is a problem that anyone can experience and it can be really embarrassing problem too. It is caused when sweat from your feet, has nowhere to escape and bacteria start to feed on the sweat and multiply in the dark, damp conditions inside your shoes. So, to save your friends and family turning a shade of green every time you take your shoes off, read these ten great tips on how to stop your feet smelling.
1. Wear a different pair of shoes every day
Our first tip is simple: don’t wear the same pair of shoes two days running. The bacteria that cause smelly feet loves damp places and, if you wear the same pair of shoes two days running, then your shoes won’t get the time that they need to dry out properly.
2. Keep your feet clean
Our second, rather obvious, tip on how to cure smelly feet is to make your sure you wash your feet every day. In fact, the best thing to do, if you do suffer with particularly bad smelly feet, is to wash your feet twice a day with and antibacterial soap or baking soda. There are plenty of over-the-counter anti-bacterial soaps that you can buy that will do the job.
3. Sprinkle baking soda in your shoes at night
When you put your shoes away at night, give the insides of your shoes a light dusting of baking soda. Baking soda is a natural deodoriser that will kill the bacteria that cause smelly feet. If you do this every time you take your shoes off, and you wash your feet regularly with an anti-bacterial soap, the problem will soon disappear.
4. Put trainers and sneakers in the freezer
Sneakers and trainers are the worst culprits for causing smelly feet. Not only do they hold the moisture in, you also normally wear them when you sweat the most, so they might need more drastic action to kill off the bacteria. Put your trainers into a sealable plastic bag and leave them in the freezer for a couple of days and that will kill all the bacteria stone dead.
5. Essential oils
Essential oils have strong antibacterial properties and they also smell great too. So our next tip on how to cure smelly feet is to treat a pair of shoes with an essential oil, soak a strip of paper in the oil and then leave it inside the shoes overnight. Most of the essential oils will work, but tea tree is often said to be the best for beating foot odour.
6. Vinegar foot soak
Putting vinegar on your feet when they already smell may not seem like a great idea, but it does kill off the bacteria very effectively. Just soak your feet in a solution of half a cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with five cups of water for fifteen minutes and then rinse your feet with cold water afterwards.
7. Exfoliate your feet
Exfoliating your feet regularly is another useful tip on how to cure smelly feet. It will clean away the bacteria from your feet and it will remove dead skin, which can become a breeding ground for the smell making bacteria when it becomes damp. The best thing to use for this would be olive oil, sugar and a few drops of essential oil. That would exfoliate your feet and you would have the antibacterial properties of the essential oil too.
8. Sage leaves
Another good tip on how to cure smelly feet is to use sage leaves. If you grind up some dried sage leaves and sprinkle the powder in your shoes, it will reduce the sweating and fight the bacteria that cause smelly feet. Sage is an astringent, so it will close up the sweat glands slightly. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which will also fight the bacteria that cause foot odour.
9. Black tea foot soak
A black tea foot soak is another wonderful tip on how to cure smelly feet. Black tea contains tannic acid that is very effective at killing bacteria and tea will also close up your pores to help to stop the sweating. Steep two teabags in three cups of boiling water, then add some cold water to cool it down and soak your feet in it for about ten minutes.
10. Salt water soak
he simplest of all foot soaks for smelly feet is salt water. Add half a cup of salt to warm water and soak your feet ten minutes in the solution. The salt will dry out your feet and kill off the bacteria too. This is a great solution for foot odour when you have nothing else to use in your cupboards.
Do you have something else that has worked for you? We would love to hear what you have done!
Our first tip is simple: don’t wear the same pair of shoes two days running. The bacteria that cause smelly feet loves damp places and, if you wear the same pair of shoes two days running, then your shoes won’t get the time that they need to dry out properly.
2. Keep your feet clean
Our second, rather obvious, tip on how to cure smelly feet is to make your sure you wash your feet every day. In fact, the best thing to do, if you do suffer with particularly bad smelly feet, is to wash your feet twice a day with and antibacterial soap or baking soda. There are plenty of over-the-counter anti-bacterial soaps that you can buy that will do the job.
3. Sprinkle baking soda in your shoes at night
When you put your shoes away at night, give the insides of your shoes a light dusting of baking soda. Baking soda is a natural deodoriser that will kill the bacteria that cause smelly feet. If you do this every time you take your shoes off, and you wash your feet regularly with an anti-bacterial soap, the problem will soon disappear.
4. Put trainers and sneakers in the freezer
Sneakers and trainers are the worst culprits for causing smelly feet. Not only do they hold the moisture in, you also normally wear them when you sweat the most, so they might need more drastic action to kill off the bacteria. Put your trainers into a sealable plastic bag and leave them in the freezer for a couple of days and that will kill all the bacteria stone dead.
5. Essential oils
Essential oils have strong antibacterial properties and they also smell great too. So our next tip on how to cure smelly feet is to treat a pair of shoes with an essential oil, soak a strip of paper in the oil and then leave it inside the shoes overnight. Most of the essential oils will work, but tea tree is often said to be the best for beating foot odour.
6. Vinegar foot soak
Putting vinegar on your feet when they already smell may not seem like a great idea, but it does kill off the bacteria very effectively. Just soak your feet in a solution of half a cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with five cups of water for fifteen minutes and then rinse your feet with cold water afterwards.
7. Exfoliate your feet
Exfoliating your feet regularly is another useful tip on how to cure smelly feet. It will clean away the bacteria from your feet and it will remove dead skin, which can become a breeding ground for the smell making bacteria when it becomes damp. The best thing to use for this would be olive oil, sugar and a few drops of essential oil. That would exfoliate your feet and you would have the antibacterial properties of the essential oil too.
8. Sage leaves
Another good tip on how to cure smelly feet is to use sage leaves. If you grind up some dried sage leaves and sprinkle the powder in your shoes, it will reduce the sweating and fight the bacteria that cause smelly feet. Sage is an astringent, so it will close up the sweat glands slightly. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which will also fight the bacteria that cause foot odour.
9. Black tea foot soak
A black tea foot soak is another wonderful tip on how to cure smelly feet. Black tea contains tannic acid that is very effective at killing bacteria and tea will also close up your pores to help to stop the sweating. Steep two teabags in three cups of boiling water, then add some cold water to cool it down and soak your feet in it for about ten minutes.
10. Salt water soak
he simplest of all foot soaks for smelly feet is salt water. Add half a cup of salt to warm water and soak your feet ten minutes in the solution. The salt will dry out your feet and kill off the bacteria too. This is a great solution for foot odour when you have nothing else to use in your cupboards.
Do you have something else that has worked for you? We would love to hear what you have done!
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