DS football boots smell like cat pee pls help

[Dunk19]

Never had this problem with them before but they've started stinking of a cat pissy type smell, absolutely horrendous. We have to keep them in the garage.

We are both heaving on the journey to football every week. He keeps them bagged until nearly there, then bam .

We thought it was the boots so replaced them but now new boots are stinking too, he must have come of age (14).

I've tried washing them, baking soda, disinfectant spray and trainer balls so far. Please help!

Have you washed them with bio washing powder? Thats what I used to wash shoes that had actual cat piss on them

I'd buy new boots and some foot antiperspirant to stop the sweat.

Wash with biological laundry liquid/powder.
Spray with surgical spirit mixed with 2/3rds water.

Clean them with a boot buddy after every use and then (very important) dry them well. Don't store them dirty or damp. We have a boot dryer in our hall given the number of honking football boots we've been through.

Thank you, will buy some biological washing powder tomorrow.

Hopefully only one more torturous journey to go 🤞

Has anyone tried one of those plug in boot dryers with light tech that is supposed to kill the bacteria?

I think we are guilty of not drying them properly, too quick to get them in a bag and in the garage.

It happens when the sole
of the shoes break down 'it's a known problem with a polyurethane component in the sole breaking down and/or rotting due to exposure to water.'

We use boot bananas off Amazon in DS's football boots that stunk out his whole room. Worked a treat

Buy the bananas, they work so well and turn brown when they stop working so you know when to replace, normally about 8-12 months

Ds had this with a pair that we had to bin in the end, annoying as we usually donate them to his club to pass on.
It was because they were staying wet for ages after playing 😷 the smell was revolting.

Boot Bananas are the answer!

We have a cheap boot dryer - it has an ozone setting but honestly just drying the boots has been the biggest improvement.

I've seen the bananas advertised but wasn't sure if they were just a gimmick, will order right now!

Do you have a cat? That's probably the first important question!

Ds is getting boot bananas in his Christmas stocking this year, thanks guys 😂

It's not cat pee - it's the material the shoes are made of decomposing and emitting ammonia. Best to store them in a well ventilated shed or a shoebox of cat litter (apparently it absorbs the ammonia - haven't tried it).

Boot dryers and Flash. 14yo DS' boots smell horrible without a good bleaching now and again.

Yes I do have a poor cat, who was blamed for a number of weeks until we worked out the source (also nearly ordered a new fridge freezer, as apparently that can smell similar too!).

I will wash, bleach and dry with cat litter tomorrow, bananas also due to be delivered.

So glad I asked this 🙏

Odour Eater insoles. The ones with the activated charcoal. Poundland used to do a version that weren't as durable, but they were only a quid.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/258532418

https://www.poundland.co.uk/anti-odour-padded-insoles-2-pairs

We put unused tea bags in, it absorbs the smell.

I can't believe how much the tbags worked! I'd only had them in a few hours, but didn't retch on the way to football this morning!

I'll try tea bags. And the bananas.