Easy Sneaker Fresheners

Easy Sneaker Fresheners

I was in the bookstore the other day with my family and ran across the coolest book: The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs by Reader’s Digest.

It’s filled with beautiful pictures and a lot of great ways to use herbs. I flipped through it a few moments and saw these sneaker fresheners (which they called “Smell Busters”) and thought: “Brilliant!” I bought the book, came home and made some that very night.

My hard working hubby lives in his work boots from dawn to dusk; he wears them so much & in so many messy situations, that a pair only lasts him a few months before they are completely worn out. By then, they aren’t always so pleasant to have around. However, I’m quite happy with the improvement these sneaker fresheners have brought so far!

The best part about these is that you can use them multiple times, periodically refreshing the essential oils as needed. Then, once you’re done with them, you can wash and re-use the socks again or as cleaning rags, depending on their condition. Also, the contents of each sock can be dumped and used for a single toilet scrubbing. No waste!

baking soda to freshen sneakers

All you need to make these are:

  • 2 old socks
  • 16 ounces (or more) of baking soda
  • 30 to 50 drops of essential oils (use more or less per your smell preference)

Dump the baking soda into a bowl. Add essential oils. Some great ones to try include: peppermint, tea tree and rosemary, but experiment around with the scents you like. I like to buy my essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs, but use whatever kind is easiest for you to procure.

Mix well and put half of the mixture into each sock. I used somewhat thick socks to make sure the baking soda stayed contained.

Tie the tops closed and place in your shoes overnight.

One thing I want to try in the future is mixing herbs in with the baking soda. Dried rosemary, mint and lavender might work well, I think.

Anyway, I thought I’d share that great idea I found with you all today. I hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

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Jan Berry is a writer, herbalist, soapmaker, and bestselling author of The Big Book of Homemade Products, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, and Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family and a menagerie of animals, where she enjoys brainstorming creative things to make with the flowers and weeds that grow around her.

31 Comments

  1. Pingback: DIY Sneaker Fresheners

  4. An other way to kill bad smell in your shoes is to put them in freezer. It may not always be convenient but it is efficient to kill the bacterias that create the smell.

  5. I’ve heard something similar for freshening your car… old nylons with coffee grounds :) Sounds like a great way to reuse coffee grounds after brewing and your car will smell great and wake you up :) I suppose if you added baking soda it might help rid your car of odors while leaving a coffee scent, but I’d be afraid it would soak up the scent of the coffee and your car would still have that musty smell ???

    1. Coffee is a great odor neutralizer, but I see what you mean about worrying the baking soda would absorb the coffee smell too. At least all of the ingredients are cheap, so I guess you could always experiment and see! :) One thing I like to do for my car (It’s a 1997 so not in rosy condition!) is take a damp rag with a few drops of peppermint essential oil and wipe down the dashboard and inside of the car doors. Adds a nice scent! :)

  7. Sounds brilliant! I’m all set to try it. How can this be used as a toilet cleaner, do I need to add anything else?

    1. Baking soda makes a good toilet cleaner. When you’re done with the sock after a bunch of uses, untie it and dump out the baking soda into your toilet. Scrub it with a toilet brush and flush! You could add a little borax and let it sit all night after scrubbing or you could add a few extra drops of essential oil for freshening/disinfecting, but you can also use the baking soda, just as it is. :)

  8. Thank you!!
    Now I can walk into my 16 year old boy’s bedroom without a clip on my nose!

    2. If only I knew this when my son was a teenager, I made him leave his boots outside the house!!!

  9. I make shoe fresheners with fresh-dried rosemary and sage along with their essential oils and baking soda – they work great!

    1. Oh, they sound wonderful – I can’t believe I completely forgot about sage! Thanks for sharing your great idea! :)

  10. Thanks so much for this info. Thankfully I have mint, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender herbs growing in my NJ garden so I will throw some into the mix. I love my garden state. You’re website is really neat. We appreciate all your knowledge and sharing with us. I ordered one of each of your balms. Love them!

    1. Hi Isabella! Thank you for ordering the balms, so happy to hear you like them! :)

      Mint, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender all sound like great herbs to throw in the mix. I just planted some eucalyptus in my garden today – it’s the first time that I’ve tried growing it. Can’t wait to experiment with it, when it’s bigger!

  12. Thank you so much for this great idea, hot weather is a disaster for sweaty feet, and this is a perfect remedy for smelly shoes ao all description! Tried it, works wonders, thanks again. X

  13. That’s so cool – thanks for posting! Now maybe Dh’s boots won’t be quite so…potent. Mine either, for that matter. We shared this with our readers at homesteadlady.com!

  14. you can also put a couple used dryer sheets inside shoes and slippers. They still have odor in them.

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