Stinky Smelling Cleats

I'm the wife of a rugby player, so I am right there with you! I actually got into my car a few weeks ago and jumped out about before I even sat all the way down - I seriously thought that an animal had crawled into my car and died, the smell was so bad! Turns out it was his rugby cleats (and jersey, shorts, socks) that he threw in the back of my car after the game, and forgot them there for the weekend, roasting in the sun! UGH!!!

The answer is, store everything in the garage or outside on the patio. You can wash them and put that athlete's foot powder in them, but don't expect it to help that much. I make my husband take his shoes off immediately after the game and put them in a plastic bag - then when he gets home, hose them off in the front yard using the power nozzle and put them out to dry. The trick is to train the athlete do his own clean-up. You will be saving his future wife a lot of headaches! =)

try a boot dryer. shoes stink from mildew and fungus from being damp, a boot dryer fans cold air into the shoes overnight and keeps them dry. you can get them at bass pro or redwing shops, online, probably walmart even. good luck!

What about baking soda? That is used in refrigerators and is a standard ingredient in carpet powders. I would try putting the powder on the inside of dry shoes, and maybe put them in a paper bag for the night.

Hi K.,
I know it's really important for shoes to dry out completely between wearings, so a sunny spot would be best. I'd also get a big bag of baking soda and load those cleats up with it when you know they won't be worn for a couple of days. Good luck!

Hello K.: Having 13 plus years with 3 sons in baseball I found that if you can get to the shoes, uniform (stains), and equiment within a reasonable time from getting home from practice / game helps alot. I know that after a 2-4 hour game its not on the top ten things to do right? I kept a bottle of spray desenfectant in the car and my guys could take off the shoes put them in the bucket and I could spray, put baking soda, or dryer sheets in the shoes and with the equiment bag and it helped alot.
We had to agree NOT to keep the stuff in their bedrooms because it was to much for me with 5 practices a week & 3 games a week to smell. I know that if you have an experianced coach, they usually have great ideas from their eperiances . Good Luck and enjoy the games. I know I got alot of needlework, reading, working in the snackbar time,but most important is the great memories we have of those years. In fact I still have our sons Catchers Uniform hanging on the wall of the family room. Enjoy the adventure, Nana Glenda

I used to play soccer and I would knock off the mud or wash off the mud and then place the cleats in front of the fireplace, near a vent or sometimes outside until they dried. They would still have some earthy smell once my feet warmed them up.
I like the dryer sheet idea especially for cleats that are stored in an athletic bag after they are dried.
Do you think Febreeze might help?

I'm not sure about the shoes, but someone told me about peroxide helping bacteria. I think I got the info and googled peroxide and found a whole list of things to do with the stuff. You might try it on his shoes and on his feet.

Try putting dryer sheets in his shoes before and after the games.

Hi K....

I had some odors and was able to get rid of them with Zeolite...locally I had to buy it from a pool supply store in the form of Zeosand...put it in a knee hi and stuff in shoe...you can recharge the zeolite in sun to keep it working...all natural and amazing...

Good Luck...
T.

http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Your-Shoes-from-Stinking

Good luck! :)

I have heard putting a dryer sheet in each shoe between uses works well.

Hi K.,

I can sympathize with you. My 13 year old has been a soccer player for 10 years and his feet have stunk so bad that I almost could throw up. I tell him he can't take his cleats/shin guards off til we get home...I can't drive with the smell. I had not heard of the dryer sheet so I'll try that. And really, his feet just stink so bad from just wearing regular shoes too. I'm not sure what the smell is but it's BAD!!! I'll keep watching to see if anyone gives any other good advice.

It is the bacteria coming out of their feet. Have your son get the dirt and mud off, then put them in direct sunlight. I often have the same problem with my yoga clothes but the sun kills the bacteria. For his socks, dry them in the sun then wash with tide.

Good luck!

M. S.

My cycle instructor swears by dryer sheets being stuffed in the shoes after each use.

Another possibility is to get some of the Odor Eaters inserts for his shoes.

Hi K.

Sports shoes should be left outside to air out, after your son gets all the dirt and grass out of them. (Hit the shoes on a brick or some hard surface to do this). Sprinkle some baking soda inside the shoes. Sox should go into a soaking bucket right away.

Blessings....

PS, Men and boys can really stink up a place with their sports activities and sometimes other habits. (I say this with LOVE). You've got three, so better get them involved in keeping clean so everyone will be happy.

You might try soaking a slice of bread in vinegar and then putting it gently in his shoes for a few hours and then leave time for them to dry... I'd also try stuffing them with newspaper to absorb the wet and help them dry. That's what people up north do... or just leaving them outside in the sun for a day? Good luck!!! I have a sensitive nose, so I totally understand!!! ;)