Cleaning smelly Birkenstocks

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

How?

Ive tried bicarbonate but it didn’t do much. I’ve had a pair for 2 weeks and they stink already. How do l clean them? Well, not clean but un-stink.They’re soft bed ones.

Rub them with handgel and leave to dry

That seems odd. Do you have particularly stinky, sweaty feet? I've been wearing Birkies barefoot for years and they have never got smelly and i am a fairly sweaty person.

No, no t particularly smelly feet. The soft bed ones seem to be worse.

softbed ones are worse! very fine sandpaper will work, you basically need to file off the sweat and grime.

As above, fine grit sandpaper works the best in my experience.

I've fucked about with making a paste with bicarb etc and scrubbing with a tooth brush and it just made a mess of things. Also leave them outside to 'air' if they start stinking.

I've got about 5 pairs and you're right that the soft footbed ones do have a bit of a pong to them, Vs my pairs that are around 8 yearskld and don't (but then I do wear them all on a rotation)

Bicarb and vinegar, scrub with a toothbrush worked for me.

I bunged mine in the wash!!!
Mine don't usually get stinky but several weeks of red hot weather wear...
I figured they'd live or survive and they came out fine!!!!!

Fine sandpaper it is then!

What temp do you wash them at?

Don't wear for 24 hours so they're nice and dry, dust with bicarbonate and leave for a bit to deodorise then fine sandpaper on them.

Apparently in theatres they spray the shoes with cheap vodka to kill bacteria - worth a try?

As in for costumes in theatres, not in surgery 😂

I do the bicarb paste. Scrub with toothbrush. Leave. Rinse off

Works for me. Long term wearer who usually has several pairs on the go each summer.

You can also get cork re-sealer from Birkenstock which prolongs the life.

https://www.birkenstock.com/gb/cork-renew/solitairecork-shoecare-0-0-00-u_0.html

@TrishTrix Thanks for that info; I didn't know that product existed. Off to order some now!

@Gensolain operating theatre land we put our shoes through the clogwasher which is basically a miele dishwasher with an altered rack.

Don't put crocs in though. They shrink!

My Birki plastic clogs love it provided I take the cork insoles out. The issue is making sure I get my shoes back!

Oh I'll try the vodka trick was about to post similar asking for advice for smelly soles on my leather sandals

They smell if you wear them after applying foot cream