While I love buying shoes, I just can’t stand the stench of footwear especially after wearing them for hours. Sometimes the smell is so bad that it affects my appetite, even if you ask me to eat beef consommé on a cold day.

But surprise, surprise---you don’t need to go to a grocery to buy a deodorizer for your shoes. Simply look for these kitchen ingredients that are proven effective in getting rid of unpleasant shoe smell.

Baking soda

When it comes to cleaning, baking soda is peerless. From getting rid of fishy odors to cutting the toughest grease, baking soda can do it all. You can even use it to eliminate bad odors coming from your shoes.

Simply sprinkle baking soda in a sneaker or loafer with an unpleasant smell. Allow it to sit overnight. In the morning, dump out the powder before you wear the shoes. You would be surprised to notice that the stench would be gone.

You can also combine baking soda with other ingredients like tea tree oil and cornstarch. Mix three tablespoons of baking soda with five drops of tea tree oil and one tablespoon of cornstarch. You can then sprinkle this DIY deodorizer into your shoes and let it sit overnight.

Aside from baking soda and cornstarch working to absorb odor, this DIY shoe deodorizer also benefits from the odor-killing properties of tea tree oil.

Besides getting rid of shoe odors, you can also use baking soda for these common home issues.

Vinegar

It’s very likely that you have vinegar in your kitchen right now. After all, this is a common kitchen ingredient that you can use for making salads, improving the flavor of dishes and even preserving meat. You can also use it to make soups less salty.

And yes, vinegar will come in handy when you clean your shoes. After washing shoes made of fabric in the washer, you can use vinegar instead of fabric softener. White vinegar is capable of killing bacteria that causes the odor. Let the footwear air dry fully before using them.

We all know that smelly shoes may have been brought about by sweaty feet. A simple vinegar solution will do wonders for your sweaty feet. Simply soak your feet in plain vinegar bath consisting of 1/3 cup of vinegar and a bowl of warm water. Soak your feet in this vinegar bath for 15 minutes 2-3 times a week.

Black tea bags

Do you have plenty of black tea bags in your kitchen? I know that drinking black tea has plenty of benefits. It can also prove handy when you want to keep your shoes fresh smelling. Black tea is high in tannins, a substance that can kill odor-producing bacteria in shoes.

After sipping a cup or two of tea, reuse the tea bags by drying them out and then putting them close to the shoes of the sole of the shoe. This is very much effective in getting rids of odors in tennis shoes or any footwear that absorbs moisture.

Essential oils

Essential oils like peppermint oil can also do the trick.

Simply get a cotton ball or two and then soak these with peppermint oil. Stick the cotton balls in your smelly shoes and let them sit there overnight. The following morning, the essential oils will make your shoes smell less offensive.

You can also use eucalyptus and tea tree oil for this purpose.

I know that there are people who are very sensitive with their shoes that they don’t want to put oil directly on their footwear. If you’re one of them, you can simply drip essential oil onto a piece of tissue. Then slide the tissue in your shoe and let it sit overnight.

Lemon or oranges

After eating lemon or oranges for dessert, don’t throw away the peel of these fruits. You can use the citrus peel for deodorizing your shoes. The citric acid found in lemon or orange peel is very good at killing bacteria and molds.

You can simply leave lemon or orange peel in your shoes overnight. By morning, your shoes will no longer smell like rotten fish.

Onion

It’s possible you don’t have lemons or oranges in your kitchen, but I highly doubt you don’t have onion in the pantry. After all, you need for sautéing dishes, right?

Onion also is very useful in eliminating stubborn shoe odors. Simply cut a couple of onions and keep them inside the shoes for a few hours. Similar to black tea bags, onions are effective in absorbing the foul smell of tennis shoes.

Conclusion

These six kitchen ingredients are powerful enough in getting rid of odors lingering in your shoes. I suggest you try any of these ingredients and for sure, those odors would go away very soon.

A lot of people love using leather. Who wouldn’t? You can incorporate it into your daily wardrobe, accessories, home furniture, footwear and even your car.

The look and feel of leather exudes elegance, style, and strength. It makes any plain object appear extraordinary. This is how powerful a leather is.

If you own a piece of leather item, you should know how to take care of it properly. Although this type of material may be durable, you still need to maintain its condition so it doesn’t dry, fade, crack or get damaged. When you are dealing with this kind of material, there are ways to improve or alter its appearance by knowing how to darken leather.

Manipulating the color of your leather to make it look darker is a fun way to update its look. This technique is especially great for pieces that have faded over time. If you’ve been wearing your favorite old boots on a regular basis, then chances are, your shoes are probably worn out and faded.

Instead of spending on buying a new pair of shoes, why not update its look by learning this technique. It will not only save you on expenses but it will bring life to your old favorite leather pieces. This way, you get to keep and use your leather items instead of throwing it away.

Technically, there are different ways to darken leather. We’ll show you the different methods to help you decide which one may work best for your leather piece.

Technique #1: Olive Oil

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Olive Oil
• Washcloth
• Leather conditioner

Steps:

1. Before you begin, test a small amount of olive oil on your leather item. If you are altering your boots, apply it in the inner part or the heel where it is less visible. Observe how the leather will react to the olive oil and let it dry for at least 24 hours.

Some leather materials don’t immediately respond to darkening methods. In the case of olive oil, it can darken your leather boots and give it a deeper shade than you may expect.

2. Apply one tablespoon of olive oil on a washcloth and rub it gently on your boots. You can begin at the toes of your shoes and work your way up to the heels. If you notice that the darker shade starts to fade a bit, you can add another tablespoon to the washcloth to maintain the consistency.

3. Make sure you properly distribute the oil in the surface. Otherwise, if you put too much oil in one area, then it will appear darker than the rest. Just reapply the olive oil until you achieve the tone that you want.

4. Let it dry for another 24 hours and if you feel that the leather is still not dark enough to your liking, you can repeat the process. Your newly coated boots don’t require any maintenance. However, using a leather conditioner treatment can keep the leather moisturized and in good condition to prevent cracking and drying.

Technique #2: Shoe Polish

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Shoe polish
• Rags

Steps:

1. Another simple method of darkening leather is by using a shoe polish. It’s easy and uncomplicated. All you need to do is to apply the shoe polish with a rag over the leather in small circle strokes.

2. Make sure that you cover the surface evenly and allow the polish to dry. Once the material is dry, use a new rag to buff the surface. This method is also inexpensive and acts as an easy fix for darkening any leather.

3. When you’re using a shoe polish to darken leather, use a shade with the same color as your leather material but it should be at least two shades darker in order to get an instantaneous effect. Another advice is when you are purchasing a shoe polish, it’s better to go to a leather store and look for a good quality leather polish instead of buying a commercial shoe polish in the supermarket.

Did you find this article useful? Hopefully,this tutorial can help solve your dilemma of how to darken leather as how to darken leather boots or shoes.

So, before you throw out your old worn out leather, you should try these simple and easy techniques. This may help you decide which method may work best for you.

If you have any feedback or would like to ask questions, feel free to send us a message or leave a comment. We’d be delighted to answer you. Please don’t forget to share this tutorial with your friends.