Even with extensive care, damp shoesin an unventilated areacan lead to smelly odors and sections of the home.

Here are 12 different ways to remove bad smells from every kind of shoe.

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a person sprinkling baking soda inside shoes

The Spruce / Taylor Nebrija

Spray the inside of your shoes and let them air dry.

For shoes, sprinkle it inside your smells footwear and leave overnight.

Just don’t forget to shake it out before you put them on again!

letting shoes air dry

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Just be sure it’s fully dry before using again.

Some scentslike clove, cinnamon, and cedar woodhave natural deodorizing properties.

Bunch these together in a handkerchief or sock and leave inside your shoes overnight.

using vinegar to deodorize shoes

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Doing so regularly will ensure your shoes are fresh for any occasion.

Because bar soap is porous, it will absorb and eliminate any odors.

Leave the peels of your chosen citrus(es) inside your closed-toe shoes and boots overnight.

Baking soda inside labeled glass container in front of folded white towels

The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

Place stinky shoes in a protective bag and leave them in the freezer overnight.

The following day, remove them and allow them to air dry.

This works because the freezing temperatures will kill any odor-causing bacterial, leaving your shoes with a neutral smell.

person adding essential oil to baking soda sachets

The Spruce / Taylor Nebrija

Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets absorb odors and leave shoes feeling fresh and new by the morning.

Place half of a sheet in each shoe and leave overnight.

Try different things to see what works best for your shoes.

Overhead view of a bar of soap next to a scrub brush and latex gloves

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Citrus peel scraps

Jennifer A Smith / Getty Images

freezing a sap stain on a shoe

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

bottle of rubbing alcohol

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

dryer sheets

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida