Buying used shoes can save a lot of money, as they are usually cheaper than new shoes. Even you may find often designer shoes at a fraction cost.
It’s beneficial for the environment to purchase second-hand shoes because this is a great way to recycle, keep garbage out of the landfills and most importantly reduce carbon emissions.
Are you worried about purchasing used footwear considering health issues? Proper cleaning can eliminate your tension.
Let’s know how to disinfect used shoes-
Clean the used shoes
When you buy used shoes, it’s important to clean them properly to get back freshness. A few scuff or dirt spots to deal with depends on the age and usage of the shoes.
Bacteria, fungi and other viruses potentially fall you in health risk.
Clean the Insoles
The first thing you need to do after bringing old shoes home is to clean the insoles. Remove the insoles and wash them.
Take a few cups of warm water in a small bowl and mix laundry detergent. Make sure that the detergent dissolves completely.
Now, you need to place the insoles in the bowl and scrub away the smell, dirt, and stains them with a sponge or a rag. Don’t scrub them aggressively because it may damage the materials.
When you’ve finished scrubbing the insoles, rinse them off with running water. To dry them, you should lay them near a window or fan. You may lay them on a towel too.
However, replacing new insoles will ensure your goodliness. So, if possible replace your insoles.
Clean Your Used Shoes With Washing Machine
If your shoes are machine washable like sneakers, canvas footwear, running shoes, fabric flats, spin them on the warm cycle with laundry detergent.
When you’ve finished washing your shoes, let them air-drier.
It would be better to remove the shoelaces before placing your shoes in a washing machine.
Keep in mind that suede, leather, plastic, or any other delicate material shoes aren’t machine washable. So, if you have such shoes, avoid putting them in the washer.
Wash your shoes by hand
If your shoes are made from nicer or delicate materials, wash them by hand.
Prepare a soapy mixer of warm water and a liquid detergent. Scrub gently the shoes with the mixer using a rag or a brush.
After scrubbing the shoes with the mixture, get a fresh rag and wipe the shoes down with warm water. It will rinse the soap away.
You can wash leather shoes by hand. To scrub properly, use a rag with your mixer.
In terms of washing suede shoes, you should be more careful. Are you nervous about washing suede shoes? My suggestion for you to take them to an expert cleaner.
How to Disinfect Used Shoes Using Chemicals
Use Rubbing Alcohol
Are you looking for a way to get rid of the smell and bacteria of your footwear? Then rubbing alcohol might solve your problem.
If you need to clean cloth shoes or sneakers, soak them in a big bowl of rubbing alcohol.
When your shoes are more sensitive, use a rag and scrub gently with rubbing alcohol.
Use a bleach
For disinfecting old shoes, using bleach will get the job done easily.
Do you know how efficiently bleach disinfects your shoes? To be honest, it’s a powerful tool for cleaning shoes.
Spray bleach with a small spray bottle on the insides of the shoes to clean them.
Be more careful while you spray, if your shoes aren’t white.
Use Antibacterial Spray:
The antibacterial spray is a good option to sanitize all kinds of shoes. Spray the insides of your shoes and let them dry fully.
It is to be noted here that antibacterial spray is a useful thing to remove bad odors from your shoes.
What to Do To Eliminate Bad Spell
Some effective methods will support you to remove bad smell and add a fresh scent to your shoes. Here they are –
Using Vinegar:
Vinegar works very well to eliminate stubborn odors from various things including shoes. Add a bit of vinegar to the mixer of soap and water. When you’ve washed your shoes, use a rag and rub them with pure white vinegar. It will get the smelly odors out.
Baking Soda:
Baking soda is one of the best ways to deodorize your shoes. Don’t know using baking soda? Ok, let me know you. You need to pour 2 or 3 tablespoons baking soda into each shoe. To spread out the baking soda evenly insides the shoes, you have to shake them. After letting the shoes sit overnight, pour out the excess baking soda of the shoes.
Dryer Sheets:
Dryer sheets are very useful for giving freshening up smelly shoes. Ensure placing 2 dryer sheets in each shoe and leave them for a few days. Before putting your shoes, remove the dryer sheets. This will give your shoes a fresh smell.
Many consumers use it in all types of shoes, I recommend you to apply this method particularly in dress shoes.
Final Thoughts
This article possibly has provided you with all key points regarding cleaning used shoes. I think, now you know very well how to disinfect all types of used shoes. Now, it’s your turn to disinfect your shoes.
0 Comments