Ask around and everyone's got a trick. Bicarb in the toes. A night in the freezer. Tea bags. Cat litter in an old sock. They're cheap, they're already in the cupboard, and some of them genuinely help. Others are a complete waste of a freezer drawer.
So we've ranked them, from most useful to least. First, though, it's worth knowing what you're actually up against.
The short version: why shoes smell
Sweat on its own is odourless. The smell comes from bacteria in the damp lining and insole breaking that sweat down. What those bacteria need more than anything is moisture.
Every home remedy does one of three things. It soaks up moisture, it neutralises the smell for a while, or it covers it up. Only the first gets anywhere near the cause. If you want the full picture, our guide to smelly shoes goes into it properly.
1. Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
The best of the bunch. Bicarb absorbs moisture and neutralises acidic smells, which is exactly what comes off a sweaty shoe. You'll notice the difference the next morning.
How to use it: don't tip it straight in. Pour a tablespoon into an old sock, tie a knot in it and push it into the toe overnight. You get the same effect without white powder all over your feet. Swap it every few days once it stops working.
The catch: it only works while you keep doing it. It can't reach the moisture deep in the lining, so on a pair that's smelt for months it takes the edge off rather than fixing it. Loose powder can also leave white marks on dark suede and leather.
2. Cat litter, rice or silica gel in a sock
Unscented cat litter, uncooked rice and those little silica gel sachets you find in new shoe boxes all pull moisture out of the air. Put them in a sock, tie it off and leave it in overnight.
The catch: good at drying, useless at smell on its own. And never use them loose. You'll be shaking rice out of the toe for weeks.
3. Kitchen roll or newspaper
Stuffing a soaked shoe with paper gets the worst of the water out. Swap it every couple of hours and you'll speed things up nicely.
The catch: it only dries the surface. The toe box and insole stay damp longest, and that's where the smell lives. Newsprint can also rub off on pale linings, so kitchen roll is the better bet.
4. Tea bags in your shoes
Dry, unused tea bags absorb a little moisture, and black tea contains tannins that some people reckon dull the smell. For a pair that's only had one day's wear, it's worth a go.
The catch: the effect is small, and it's not going to touch a pair that's been festering since summer. Never use wet, used tea bags. You'd be adding moisture, not removing it.
5. Leaving them outside
Fresh air and a breeze will dry the outside and blow off some of the smell. Fine on a dry, windy day in spring.
The catch: in a British autumn or winter, very little dries outdoors. Strong sun isn't great either, as it can dry out leather and soften the glue.
6. Vinegar or alcohol spray
A mix of water and white vinegar or rubbing alcohol, sprayed inside the shoe. It's all over social media.
The catch: you swap the smell of feet for the smell of vinegar, and you're spraying liquid into a shoe that's already damp. Alcohol evaporates faster, so it's the lesser evil, but it can dry out leather. If you do use a spray, make sure the shoe is properly dry afterwards.
7. The freezer
Last place, and it's not close. The idea is that the cold kills the bacteria. It doesn't. Freezing slows them down, but most survive and wake up again as soon as the shoe warms up on your foot.
The shoe smells better straight out of the freezer simply because smells don't travel well when they're cold. Give it an hour on your feet and you're back to square one. Put wet shoes in and it's even worse: the moisture freezes, then thaws back into the lining.
Home remedies compared
| Remedy | Removes moisture | Effect on smell | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking soda in a sock | A little | Noticeable | As long as you keep it up |
| Cat litter / rice / silica gel in a sock | Yes | Small | As long as you keep it up |
| Kitchen roll or newspaper | Yes, surface only | Small | Only while drying |
| Dry tea bags | A little | Small | A day |
| Leaving them outside | Depends on the weather | Small | A day |
| Vinegar or alcohol spray | No, adds moisture | Masks it | A few hours |
| Freezer | No, can add moisture | Almost none | About an hour |
Why the smell keeps coming back
If you've tried half of these, you'll know the pattern. It works for a day or two, then it's just as bad again. That's because nearly every home remedy works on the surface. The lining and insole stay damp underneath, and that's where the bacteria carry on.
What actually stops it is getting the shoe completely dry, from the inside, after every wear. Rotating two pairs helps. Taking the insoles out overnight helps. A shoe dryer that pushes lukewarm air right into the toe and heel does it in a few hours instead of two days.
Our Shoefresh Opod (€129) dries with lukewarm air and uses active oxygen to tackle the bacteria and fungi inside the shoe. The Opod Detect (€179) adds a moisture sensor, so it switches itself off when the shoes are dry. A refurbished Opod starts at €119.95.
"It does a great job. I'm especially happy with the automatic switch off when they are dry." Damien, September 2026
On a tighter budget, the ShoeDry Airo (around €50) is a simpler option, though it doesn't have programmes for different shoe types, a heel dryer or auto-start. Whatever you buy, avoid anything that sells itself on UV light. The little blue LEDs in cheap dryers do very little for odour, and proper UV-C isn't something you want in a gadget at home.
If your feet are part of the problem too, have a read of how to stop smelly feet and our piece on sweaty feet. Football boots and trainers get their own plan in smelly football boots and trainers.
FAQ
Does baking soda get rid of smelly shoes? It helps. Bicarb absorbs moisture and neutralises acidic odours, so shoes smell noticeably better the next day. The smell comes back if the lining stays damp, though.
How long should you leave baking soda in shoes? Overnight is enough. After that the powder is saturated and does very little, so replace it every few days.
Does putting shoes in the freezer kill bacteria? No. The cold slows bacteria down, but most survive and become active again once the shoe warms up. Wet shoes can end up damper than before.
Do tea bags work in smelly shoes? Dry, unused tea bags absorb a small amount of moisture and can take the edge off a mild smell. They won't fix a pair that's smelt for a while.
What's the best home remedy for smelly shoes? Baking soda in a sock overnight, plus letting shoes dry fully between wears. For the smell to stay gone, the inside of the shoe needs to dry out completely.
Why do my shoes still smell after using baking soda? Because it mostly works on the surface. The moisture and bacteria deeper in the lining and insole are still there.
Home remedies are a decent start. Dry shoes are the fix. Ready for a fresh start!