Eliminate Odors, Bacteria, and Fungus From Your Feet and Shoes: Part II and A Giveaway!!!!

(Note: This post is Part II of a 2-part series on cleaning your feet and shoes for mold and bacteria. Today’s post features a Homemade Athletic Shoe-Cleaning Wash. To read Part I about making your own antibacterial and antifungal foot wash, click HERE. Read to the bottom of the post to find out how to enter the GIVEAWAY for 2 travel-size bottles of EC3 Laundry Additive.)

Today, I’m back with Part II of cleaning your stinky feet and shoes for mold and bacteria. This time, my post is all about shoes. Your shoes are constantly moist–either from sweat or from getting wet outside–and are constantly getting dirty and being exposed to bacteria, fungus and other microbes as well, just from normal wear and tear. And, as you probably know by now, moisture and dirt are a terrible combination when it comes to mold. The two create the perfect storm. Thus, knowing how to properly clean your shoes to address mold, especially your athletic shoes that your feet frequently sweat in, is imperative. Not only will using the right cleaning and antifungal ingredients on your shoes remove the current dirt, mold and bacteria, but it will also prevent additional contamination from being tracked into your home. (The minute dirty shoes touch your carpets, rugs or floors, everything that is currently on them, microbes, mold and all, is now right at home inside your house.)

Just as in my previous post where I gave you my special recipe for cleaning your feet, today, I will share my recipe and techniques for cleaning your athletic shoes. Many people I have already shared this recipe with claim that using this shoe wash got their athletic shoes sparkling clean, eradicated any unpleasant odors from them, and helped to prevent the spread and recurrence of athlete’s foot. I guess because this wash contends with the mold directly, it kills any fungus that would otherwise continue to fester inside the shoes and spread back to your feet again. Great! Another plus! Who wants athlete’s foot?!!!

Now that I have kept you waiting long enough, here is my much-refined and very potent recipe for cleaning your athletic shoes:

Antifungal and Antibacterial Athletic Shoe Cleaning Wash

(Note: This wash is for athletic shoes ONLY. Do not use this on leather shoes of any kind or any other shoes that are not made of a washable material. Here is a LINK to my post on cleaning non-washable types of shoes. )

Tools:

• Large, clean empty bucket or bowl (It is best if the bucket is large enough to fit a pair of shoes inside. You will want to pick a bucket that when filled with water, your shoes could be completely submerged.)
• Liquid Castile Soap or Fragrance-free liquid laundry detergent (I like to use my Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin liquid laundry detergent for this.)
• EC3 Laundry Additive (This will be your antibacterial and antifungal powerhouse. It is proven to remove mold and bacterial odors from any washable items.)
• Optional Finisher: EC3 Mold Solution Spray

Instructions:

• Add a splash…maybe 3Tbsps of liquid castile soap, or liquid laundry detergent to your empty bucket/bowl.

• Fill your bucket/bowl about 3/4 way full with water.

• Add 1/3 cup EC3 Laundry Additive to the water a swish around.

• Submerge shoes in solution and leave for a few hours—1 hour at a minimum.

• Set a timer for at least 30 minutes. You need to leave the shoes in the solution long enough to kill any mold or bacteria.

• After your timer goes off, if there is any remaining dirt or discoloration on the shoes, use a brush to scrub it off and then dunk the shoe back into the solution in the bucket. Continue scrubbing and dunking until you achieve your desired level of spotlessness.

• Remove shoes from solution and rinse them thoroughly with cold water. Make sure you repeatedly rinse enough to get any remaining soap or detergent off of the shoes.

Some shoes, like these, can be laundered and washed with the EC3 Laundry Additive to remove any mold that has attached to them over time.

• If possible, put your shoes in sun to dry, because the sun will give the shoes some additional UV cleaning power. Also, make sure to remove the insoles for the drying process. You want everything to be bone dry before you wear the shoes again. If the weather is not cooperating, find a well-ventilated room, and place the shoes on a towel to thoroughly dry. You may want to point a fan at them to help them dry faster. Another drying option is to throw them directly into your dryer. Just make sure you set the heat to the lowest setting, and check on them often.

• Before placing them to dry, you can also spray them with the EC3 Mold Solution Spray for added mold removal.

There you have it—Parts I and II. These are great techniques for cleaning your feet and shoes for bacteria and mold! I hope you will try both recipes and let me know how it goes.

GIVEAWAY: To enter, comment on this post about trying this wash or about how you currently clean your shoes for mold. I will randomly choose a few comments. If yours is chosen, you can win 2 travel-size bottles of EC3 Laundry Additive. I will notify winners via email. Good luck!