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Can Cinnamon Save Your Stinky Shoes?
By MICHELE WANKE
Shoes can smell due to a mix of sweat, bacteria, fungus, dirt, and yeast. To neutralize the odor, head to the kitchen and grab this simple ingredient from the cupboard: cinnamon.
According to the journal Nutrients, cinnamon contains antibacterial properties, which help curb the formation and spread of microbes that contribute to shoes' sulfurous odor.
To start, select either the stick or ground version of the spice; wrap it in cheesecloth, coffee filters, medical gauze, or an old pair of pantyhose; and tie with a string.
Then, place the shoe deodorizing packets inside your foul-smelling footwear. Depending on the size of your shoe, you may have to add more than one cinnamon sachet to each side.
Allow the spice bundles to sit overnight. If the nasty scent hasn't neutralized by morning, make a new batch of cinnamon pouches and repeat the process until the smell subsides.
For very rancid footwear, mix 1 ounce of distilled water and 2 ounces of witch hazel in a spray bottle, then add 30 to 40 drops of the cinnamon bark oil. Spray and wait 12 hours.