Help..DS just ruined £43 school shoes by weeing in them!!

[BooseysMom]

DS is only 4 and couldn't get to the toilet in time while at school..result stinky shoes! I tried wiping with disinfectant and drying on the radiator but if anything they smell worse! He obv didn't just trickle but flooded them!! I've googled putting leather shoes in the washing machine and it's a def No. So what should I do? I need to wash and dry before Mon. We can't afford another pair..these were £43!! Gutted!! Thanks for any help out there x

We had this happen a lot in nursery! Urine soaked leather. Nice!

I hand wash with warm water and a tub of leather & saddle soap!
Every parent should have a tub of saddle soap. I've had mine for a decade (three kids, lots of urine soaked leather). So you wipe/wash with a warm cloth and the soap. Then sprinkle bicarbonate of soda inside the shoe. Stuff with kitchen roll or newspaper. Put outside (though the foxes took off with one shoe which magically appeared in the garden again a few days later- all chewed up). So just be sure to bring the shoes back inside overnight to avoid them becoming a midnight feast for the foxes. Bring shoes in and put them underneath the radiator. The smell won't go immediately but it will be greatly reduced and does eventually go completely.

Don't buy new shoes. It'll happen again.

Don’t know how to clean the shoes but it’s refreshing to see a post where the parent is not storming down to school, furiously blaming the teacher for not getting him to the loo on time and worrying about the social and emotional impact wetting themselves in public will have on their child.

Good luck with the shoes

Happened here. We put them in the wash (in a pillowcase) as I figured they were ruined if we couldn't get rid of the smell. They were fine.

You need to wash the shoes with urine properly either using a washing machine (gentle cycle) or by hand and then spin the washing machine. The urine soaks so much inside of the shoes that the sooner you wash it off the better.

"spin In the washing machine"

I think all little boys wee on their shoes.
Don’t bin them. The smell does go and the teacher is hardly going to go round sniffing them.
I personally wouldn’t put in the washer (they will take days to dry) but would bury them in good quality catsan then give em a good polish.

I'd also suggest that after the washing/ drying that you polish them with proper old fashioned polish. Not just a sprajy or wipe on stuff.

£43 is a lot to spend on a 4 year olds shoes when you can’t afford to replace them. Can you look for a similar pair on eBay second hand? Kids shoes don’t have to be brand new, it’s also better for the environment to buy second hand.
My DS feet have grown from size 11 to size 13 in the last two months (massive growth spurt) and the only way I could afford trainers/togs/ school shoes is by selling his and buying second hand.

I would follow instructions as per above.

But dont worry not being able to get them dry for Monday. Email the school on Sunday, briefly explain and request that child wear trainers, other shoes etc on Monday and possible Tuesday. That then gives you time to properly clean.

If he’s 4 years old, he’ll have grown out of them by Christmas anyway.

Maybe buy cheaper ones next time.

Tea tree oil works wonders

Try this

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/simple-solution-stain-and-odour-remover-for-cats

It worked to get rid of a hidden cat wee that was sticking the place out until I found it several days later!

i'd just put them in the washing machine - they're smelling because they've still got remnants of wee on them!

have you got a sports shoe cycle on your machine? or a gentle wool wash? put some of the laundry dettol stuff in with it.

once they dry they'll be a bit stiff for a day but they will soften up.

trust me, i have ocd and do this to cleanse my own leather shoes every so often and they were fine.

Can you look for a similar pair on eBay second hand? Kids shoes don’t have to be brand new, it’s also better for the environment to buy second hand.

Not everyone can wear second-hand shoes even if they want to. Some feet like flat or with lax ligaments need shoes with very good support and most second-hand shoes don't offer it unless they are like new.

Be careful with the washing machine. I did that with some trainers and all the metal bits inside came off 😥 If the smell won’t go, maybe get a cheap pair in ShoeZone.

I've put ds's school shoes in the washing machine before.

Hi everyone...a huge thank you all for the advice. I've ended up using tea tree and vinegar and sponge washed them. If this doesn't work, in the machine they'll go!! I'll email the school if they don't dry by Monday which I can't see happening as It's rainy all weekend. Putting them on the radiator last night after trying to wash them out with a cloth did no good at all. The house stinks of wee now just from the cloth alone and tomorrow is his birthday party!! .. So thanks very much ..very much appreciated xx

Ps. I did try Zoflora neat on a cloth and omg that stuff is strong!! I thought that's got to work but no, the next day the wee smell was back. Urine seems to be indestructible. But the weirdest thing was when DS wee'd in his car seat and the smell magically vanished!! We cleaned it as best we could expecting it not to work and the next day it was like it never happened! It must have soaked right into the seat prob rotting the insides!

Maybe buy a cheap pair of plimsols for now. Sun definitely helps with wee smells which might explain the car seat.

be careful radiator not too high when drying can crack the leather.

Maybe buy a cheap pair of plimsols for now.

I wouldn’t, with all the rain we’re having at the moment. His feet will get soaked. Don’t bother emailing the school either. We wouldn’t mind a child being in any comfortable shoes if their school shoes were unwearable.

@SuburbanRhonda indeed no sensible school would mind. But a Yr R is unlikely to be able to communicate this. So much better a parent shows that they recognise this to be outside the norm and are dealing with the situation. Email - quick and easy - job done!

Email - quick and easy - job done!

Better to speak to the teacher at drop-off. No-one else in the school will care what he’s wearing on his feet!

I’ve washed clarks leather shoes in the washing machine before with no ill effects - probably for the same reason. I reckon I’d try the bicarb one first tho. Good luck!

I put Clark's shoes in the washing machine. It's fine.

DD wee-ed in her brand new Clarks school shoes at a similar age. I think I put vinegar in (didn't work), bicarb (didn't work) and finally I put them in the washing machine (did the trick!). She wore them until she out grew them.

I thought that as they were ruined anyway, I'd risk the machine. I did put them in a small laundry bag though, so they didn't get stuck anywhere.