smelly birkies ..is there a cure?

[ggirl]

or shall I chuck

Have tried freezer ..didn't work

Have you tried bicarbonate of soda? That lifts most dodgy smells.

To clarify, you put smelly birkenstocks in your freezer?

yup...somewhere i heard it would get rid of the odour, put smelly shoes in a bag in the freezer?? Anyway is bollocks..they still stink .

Forgot about bicarb ..so I'll rub some into them lovingly tonight ..thanks

Mine stink!! Let me know if it works, I bought a new pair because my last pair smelt so bad but this pair is worse if anything and I have only had them for about six weeks

I scrubbed mine with neat Persil bio washing liquid and a toothbrush then rinsed a lot. Helped a bit.

hmmm persil..good idea..might mix with the bicarb..double whammy

spray vodka inside? It's what dance companies do to clean tutus because they're too delicate to wash lol

I have just sorted out a pair of leather sandals - first I covered the soles in a load of bicarb and put them in ziploc bags for a couple of days.

When I took them out most of the smell was gone, but not all. Then I sprayed the soles liberally with an antibacterial cleaner spray, put them back in the bags and left them for another two days. After that I left them out to dry in the sun.

They are now odourless. Now, before I wear them, I rub anti-bac hand gel on my feet and between my toes to try to stop the smell coming back, because the smell is bacteria.

Found mn thread..you can wash in the machine !

I washed my last pair in the machine, thanks to here, and it ruined them! The cork all disintergrated. Although I didn't use the hand wash option which I probably should have.

The smelliest shoes I have ever owned have always been Birkenstocks. I've put then in the wash, freezer, sprayed bicarb, vinegar etc. Nothing has ever seemed to work for me. Now I just get a couple of pairs of fake Birks to get me through the Summer. I refuse to buy expensive shoes that pong so quickly.

Anne, do you make a paste with your bicarbonate or do you sprinkle it on dry?

My fitflops smell pretty bad too. I've tried all of the above ideas with no luck. I'd put it down to the rubber soles, so its interesting to hear the cork soles also become smelly.

ah ..WhichJob..ok will refrain then and try the paste instead, thanks

I would try that first and then try a softer cycle than I did - think I went straight in at 40.

Zoflora is recommended on other threads but I would have thought that would just mask the bad smell with another one.

I just sprinkle them with baking soda and leave them outside overnight. I live in Birkenstocks. It really works well. But you have to do it regularly to keep them from becoming too smelly.

Bin them. I tried everything and nothing worked. Smelliest thing in the world.

Dunno if it would work on Birkinstocks but the anti odour spray you can get from sports direct definitely works on trainers and any other shoes I've used it on. Costs around seven quid and you only need to use it once (at least ime so far - well over a year in one case).

Which - I just put it on dry. When it came to spraying on the antibac cleaner though I really went to town and drenched them!

take them in the shower with you and scrub the footbed with a nail brush and soap. Air dry or dry in the sun.

Or walk in the sea with them on.

My fitflops smell pretty bad too. I've tried all of the above ideas with no luck. I'd put it down to the rubber soles, so its interesting to hear the cork soles also become smelly

I have cork Fit Flops,only had them about 3 weeks and they REEK and I never get smelly feet usually. I've scrubbed with a baby wipe which helped a bit.

Weird I've had several pairs of birkies and they never stink.

Maybe you have particularly fragrant feet? Just looked and the stuff I use is Karrimor Antimicrobial Deodoriser. It really works even on the most honking items. And very easy - just spray it on.

I've just come back from holidays and popped mine in the washing machine. Short cycle. With three pairs of trainers. All came out as new!

Mine were ok smelling until I wore them one day and it rained heavily. They got soaked and from then on reeked.