What are good essential oils for stinky shoes and feet?

Your feet are in your shoes all day long and when they sweat and mix with bacteria a horrid odor can be the result. When your feet get sweaty and are confined to a small space with little to no air flow it can get worse before it gets better. Thankfully there are some natural remedies and essential oils for stinky shoes and feet.

Ways to Fight Shoe Odor

It’s always best to prevent shoes from smelling so badly in the first place. There are three things you can do to help prevent smelly feet and shoes.

• Keep your feet clean.Properly cleaning the feet can also help keep your shoes from stinking. The problem is when your feet sweat it creates moisture that results in shoe odor. You can’t always help that.
• Keep your feet dry. Try keeping your feet as dry as you can. Spraying your feet with an antiperspirant can help keep. More natural options for keeping your feet dry include sprinkling them with baking soda, corn starch, or talcum powder.
• Fight off the bacteria. Using anti-bacterial hand sanitizer can fight bacteria growth on your feet. It might sound a little strange, but anti-bacterial cleansers help kill bacteria before it has a chance to grow. Using antibacterial soaps when showering can also be helpful.

Best Essential Oils for Fighting Foot Odors

Essential oils are extracted from various plants and plant parts. They have different therapeutic making them good for getting rid of odors. The anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties are useful for combatting microbes, fungi and bacteria that can cause nail fungus and athlete’s foot. Their pleasant aromas leave a fresh scent too. You can use a lot of the oils to combat stinky feet and shoes. You can also create blends of essential oils. Some are better at fighting odors such as these five:

• Lavender EOfights bacteria that causes odors.
• Lemon EOalso has antibacterial properties making it a good choice.
• Peppermint EOis light and refreshing and offers a nice, pleasant scent as well as being antibacterial.
• Tea Tree EOis a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal oil.
• Eucalyptus EOhas anti-bacterial properties and adds a fresh scent.

These four oils are powerful for combatting foot and shoe odors as they kill off the fungi and bacteria that are often responsible.

Top Five Ways to Use Essential Oils for Stinky Shoes and Feet

You may choose to use any number of essential oils to treat stinky shoes and feet. You may also choose a variety of methods to apply the oils to your feet and shoes. Here are five effective methods to try with your preferred oils.

1. Foot Soaks

Fill a small tub with hot water and mix ½ cup of Epsom salts and 20 drops of essential oils in the water. A recommendation is to use 10 drops each of eucalyptus and tea tree EOs. Remember if you are using a “hot” oil it needs to be diluted with a carrier oil before putting it in the water to avoid skin irritation. Stir the water until the salts are dissolved and then add ¼ cup of either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Soak your feet in the tub for 15 minutes. Do this at least three times a week to keep them smelling fresh and healthy.

2. Shoe Spray

You can make your own shoe spray to freshen up those smelly gym shoes, sneakers or other shoes. You’ll need a spray bottle to which you’ll add ½ cup of rubbing alcohol. Then add up to 60 drops of the essential oil or oils of your choice to the alcohol. One recommended blend is 20 drops each of lavender, lemon, and tea tree EOs. Shake the bottle well to mix it all together. Take the soles out of your shoes and spray the shoes well. Then, let them dry out well before wearing them again.

3. Foot Powder

A cheese shaker works well for making and applying your own foot powder. Fill the cheese container almost all the way with baking soda. Add 30 drops of your choice of essential oils. A good blend is 10 drops each of eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree essential oils. Mix it up good and then shake it onto your shoes and let it set overnight. In the morning, dust the powder out of the shoes. You can also use this powder on your feet. Sprinkle it on your feet and make sure it gets between your toes.

4. Cotton Balls and Essential Oils

What if you are on a weekend away and do not have the ingredients to make a foot spray or foot powder? Maybe you don’t prefer to spray anything with oils directly on your shoes. A simple, but effective way to combat stinky shoes with essential oils is to put a few drops of the oil of your choice on two cotton balls. Place an essential oil soaked cotton ball in each shoe and let them work while you sleep.

5. Shoe Deodorizer

Sometimes, you don’t have stinky feet, but you’d like to protect your feet or shoes from becoming stinky. There are two ingredients to this simple, but effective, shoe deodorizer. All you’ll need is two tablespoons of baking soda and five drops of the essential oil of your choice. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and odor eater. Simply mix the baking soda and the oil together in a small glass container. Then sprinkle the mixture in your shoes and let them set. Overnight is the best option as it allows time for the mixture to work. Just dump it out of your shoes the next morning. You can also use any essential oil you’d like. One of the five odor busters is good, but you could choose among your favorites too.