Comments on: How do I clean Tevas?

Question: How do I clean Tevas?

leafwoman — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 14:19:49 -0800

Tevas & rubber(plastic) garden clogs plus bare feet smell like old cheese after a while (many wearings, not one wearing of many hours.) What is the best way to clean the footware? (The feet are clean, it's the footwear.)

By: andrew cooke

andrew cooke — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 14:37:59 -0800

wash them in a washing machine, or leave them in the sun. use deodorant powder when you wear them in future.

By: Happydaz

Happydaz — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:17:10 -0800

Take an old toothbrush and scrub them with lots of baking soda. Wash off, leave outside to dry.

By: zadcat

zadcat — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:22:36 -0800

I've splooshed tea-tree oil on the foot side of my Teva soles, let it sit a little while, rinse off. But the sun sounds like a plan too.

By: Mercaptan

Mercaptan — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:32:51 -0800

Had some of this problem on a long trip in the tropics I just took. I was wearing Tevas alot, which would get muddy or soaked with river-water and then end up smelling funky the next day. The best solution was a good washing with a detergent/camp-soap and lots of water, followed by a long exposure to direct equatorial sun (wonderful what UV will do to smelly bacteria) until fully and completely dried.

I noticed that the worst smell arose when we'd come back from a long day, give the sandals a rinsing, and then let them sit damp overnight. That amount of damp darkness was just the thing to cultivate the sort of funky bacteria that made shoes reek. So a complete sun-baking seemed to be the most important thing for keeping shoes smelling good.

By: clarahamster

clarahamster — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:41:41 -0800

if you use soap make sure you get it completely rinsed out, or your shoes will start to foam the next time they get wet.

By: jewishbuddha

jewishbuddha — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:52:10 -0800

Tea tree oil is a popular remedy. I've heard of (but not tried) just using a regular deodorant stick on them. And of course, the fine people at Teva have thoughts on the issue.

By: jrhyley

jrhyley — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:55:16 -0800

I've found the best way to keep mine clean is the top shelfm of my dishwasher. Seriously. I'd suggest running the idea by your signifigant other or roomates first, though.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 16:12:18 -0800

I've always been a sucker for Simple Green and a stiff nylon brush.

By: Orrorin

Orrorin — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 16:14:26 -0800

The smell is usually caused by bacteria.. putting 'em in a plastic bag and tossing them in the freezer for a couple days works pretty well.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 17:49:48 -0800

Don't know about Tevas, but sometimes plastic and rubber items just get incurably funky. It seems to be some chemical breakdown that gives off eau d' crap. I had a set of plastic-handled nut drivers (settle down over there!) that became too stinky to use. I have also had sandals that would not stop smelling, regardless of what deodorant/detergent/bleach treatment I gave them. Other similar sandals don't have the problem, so it's not my feet doing it.

I'd be interested in hearing a chemist's explanation of what's going on, or better yet, how to recognize future stinky items before I buy them.

By: schroedinger

schroedinger — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 20:12:16 -0800

Scrub them with laundry detergent and a scrubbing sponge. Let them dry.

Then soak them (strap/foot pad side down) in hot water with as much baking soda dumped in as will dissolve. Rub any extra baking soda paste into the straps and foot pads. Let it soak for a good while, maybe overnight. This eliminated the smell in my Merrells. Unfortunately it'll eventually come back.

I think you can buy sandals with anti-bacterial stuff built into them to prevent smells.

By: RikiTikiTavi

RikiTikiTavi — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 21:15:55 -0800

I always used Doc Bronner's peppermint soap. Wish they didn't pick up the funk, though.