Natural And Effective Home Remedies for Foot Odor

Natural And Effective Home Remedies for Foot Odor

Baking Soda
Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is an effective remedy to eliminate foot odor. It neutralizes the pH of sweat and reduces bacteria.

Add baking soda in warm water (one tablespoon for every quart of water) and soak your feet in it for 15 to 20 minutes every night for about one week.
You can also sprinkle baking soda in both your shoes and socks before wearing them.

Lavender Oil
Lavender oil not only smells good but also helps kill bacteria. Plus, it has antifungal properties that are effective in treating foot odor.

Put a few drops of lavender essential oil in warm water.
Soak your feet in it for 15 to 20 minutes.
Repeat twice daily for a few days.

Alum
Alum powder has astringent and antiseptic properties. Thus, it inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Mix one teaspoon of alum powder in one cup of warm water.
Wash your feet with this solution.
After 15 to 20 minutes, dry your feet thoroughly and then sprinkle some alum powder on them.
Do this once daily.

Alcohol
If there is one liquid that bacteria hate the most it is alcohol. It is quite apparent that bacteria and alcohol do not mix and this is one good reason why it should be used as a home remedy to help get rid of shoe odor. Aside from the fact that it can help remove the smell of the shoes, it can also act as a disinfectant and can kill bacteria and remove dirt at the same time.

Place enough alcohol on the inside of the shoe. Do remember to avoid placing alcohol on the outer area of the shoes especially if it is made out of leather because this might just proceed in ruining the area.
Leave the shoe coated with alcohol in an area where enough amount of air can help make the bacteria disappear.
Do this process as often as possible because this will help eliminate the possibility of bacteria growing at a steady pace.

Black Teabags
If in case you would like to get rid of the bacteria that is living inside your shoe, what you can do is make use of black teabags. The main reason why they can be effective is because of their content. Black teabags contain tannins which are very effective in killing bacteria that can be found inside the shoe.

Place the tea bag on boiling water for a few minutes.
Remove the tea bag and let it cool for about 5 minutes before placing on the shoe.
Leave on the shoe for an hour or so.
Wipe off the excess juice left on the shoe by the tea bag.

Vinegar to Remove Foot Odor
Vinegar,as you know, is acidic. When you soak your feet in water mixed with vinegar, it creates an acidic environment which is unfriendly for bacteria as they cannot survive in such an environment. You can use the regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar for this home remedy to get rid of foot odor. However, there is one concern here as vinegar has its own smell and while you get rid of sweaty odor you may smell vinegary! You may thus use some essential oil in your vinegar foot soak to keep this smell away from you.
Get this:
Vinegar or Apple cider vinegar- ½ cup
Warm water- 7-8 cups
Thyme essential oil (optional)- 2-4 drops
Foot bath basin or a big bowl
Do this:
Fill the basin with warm water.
Add vinegar and thyme oil, if using, to this water.
Soak your feet for 15-20 minutes.
Dry your feet with a towel.

Salt
Add table salt or Epsom salts to water for a foot soak. Pour a few teaspoons of salt into a tub of warm water. Soak for ten minutes.

Borax
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax is white, consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax is a disinfectant that kills odor-causing bacteria, thereby eliminating foot odor.

Mix one-half cup each of borax and vinegar in two cups of water. Spray the inside of your shoes with it.
Alternatively, you can dust the inside of your shoes with borax powder before putting on your shoes.