I’m looking for some cleaner of sorts to get rid of the awful sweaty foot smell that’s living on my sandals. Any ideas? How do you do battle with sandal foot stench?
Hans
Let me guess – they’re Tevas. Great sandals, but stinky.
Yeah, exactly. Tried putting them though a cycle in the washing machine and that seems to cut the stink a little but it’s not really good enough. I want them to smell fresh. You think this is possible?
Hans
I used to think my Tevas were great sandals but never figured out how to get rid of the stench. I scrubbed with bleach and left them out in the sun, etc., to no avail.
Now I’ve got a pair of Merrils that I really like and I haven’t worn the Tevas in a year. They don’t cling to the feet as securely as Tevas, but they also don’t stink at all.
I find anything that isn’t leather AND well-ventilated will stink. I’ve had to throw away a couple pairs of really comfortable sandals because the smell was so bad it was stinking up the hallway outside my front door. 
Dress as the Englishman on holiday: white socks and sandals at the bottom, long shorts at the top, and a stretch of milk-white unattractive, bandy leg in the middle. 
Maybe you can try one of those anti-fungus anti-bacterial shoe sprays, available from Scholl and Boots at selected shops and pharmacies. The latter one smells better and less agressive.
why not soak them in a 20-40% bleach solution for a few days. rinse them out with clean water. then chuck’em in the dryer on HIGH temp. repeat this cycle several times. i’m not sure what kind of toll this would have on the rubber portion of the sandals…but it should do something positive for the stanky sandal aspect.
-chris
Rascal’s tip works for me.
Alternatively, you could soak 'em in a hydrogen peroxide solution, then give them a good rinse, then soak again in a mix of bicarbonate soda and the juice of a few lemons.
I did this for my 10-year-old highly offensive (read biohazard) Chaco’s and they came out smelling like roses. Now all I need to do is give them a scrub once in a while and spray lightly with some kind of anti-bacterial footspray and there’s no smell at all.
Thanks! I really don’t want to throw these sandals away. They are too comfy, but the stench… makes me gag. augh. I’ll go and find some of this anti-bacterial stuff and soak 'em.
Much appreciated.
Hans