Forum: bicycles.stackexchange.com
Tags: <shoes><cleaning>
Title: How do I get rid of odor from cycling shoes?
Question: So I have a pair of: Diadora X-Country 2 MTB Shoes (pic below)  How would I go about cleaning them, primarily to remove odor? I am tempted to put this in the washing machine- but the cleet is totally stuck to the shoe (imagine 7,000km, mostly in the wet). Brush + washing up liquid? What about the inside sole etc?  Any tips?   Update:I ended up using some handwash (with anti bacterial) and a brush/toothbrush and got the following results:

Answers:
sents: text: Simple, yet powerful solution - pour max 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, found in any store) into the shoes before or after wearing them.
text: It will kill the bacteria and any other "stuff" that produces bad smell.
text: It has no negative effects on skin whatsoever, except when applying it to freshly shaven skin - as it may cause inflammation of the skin (but, hey - everything does under that conditions).
text: It also doesn't paint socks or shirts (if you use it as a deodorant replacement).
text: I use it on daily basis.
text: Also, it's great if you don't want the irritations on skin from the deodorants.
text: Sodium Bicarbonate is odorless itself.
text: More info on Sodium Bicarbonate Cheers!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/3937/Nikola
score: 8
sents: text: If odor is your main concern, I can highly recommend the so-called boot bananas .
text: You put them in your shoes whenever you are not using them, and it slowly kills all odors.
text: I have a pair of boot-bananas for a year now, and I am very enthousiastic about it, all odors are gone since I use them.
text: It did not use them for my cycling shoes though (they don't smell as far as I know), but for other sporting shoes.
text: It is not cheap, but certainly worth the money.
text: Some people put their shoes in the freezer, as it also kills a lot of the bacteria, which cause the bad smell, but I do not have first hand experience with that.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/7525/Bernhard
score: 6
sents: text: I try to not wash cycle shoes.
text: I have found a boot/shoe dryer to be effective with odor.
text: The old style without a fan seems to work better for shoes.
text: Leave the dryer in for a day and cook that bacteria.
text: No I don't have medical information the dryer gets hot enough to kill bacteria but it seems to work.
text: It gets rid of the odor and the next time they get wet they don't seem to stink up as fast.
text: And a fresh set of socks with every ride.
text: According to this link you can kill odor bacteria with heat Foot odor Remove odor causing bacteria with Ozone, Sunlight, UV, Chemical, or Heat.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/7785/paparazzo
score: 5
sents: text: Soaking them in a bucket of very diluted bleach water (~1 cap in a 5 gallon bucket)
text: overnight should help with the odor.
text: As far as drying, either grab a fan, or there are a lot of commercial solutions available.
text: They're mostly marketed for winter/ski boots, but they'll obviously work for any type of wet shoe.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/12725/stranger
score: 4
sents: text: Start by replacing the insoles.
text: Typically this is what smells the most in old bike shoes.
text: After that you can also clean the shoe itself following any one of the many suggested methods outlined in this thread.
text: But be sure to remove you nice new insoles first before cleaning the shoe itself.
text: Also try to thoroughly dry the shoe as fast as possible, leaving the shoe damp for prolonged period will encourage growth of bacteria.
text: Good luck!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/4534/Rider_X
score: 3
sents: text: Dettol Liquid contains Chloroxylenol.
text: It kills bacteria and provides protection against germs which can cause infection and illness.
text: Dettol kills 99.9% of bacteria, such as E.coli and Influenza virus (H1N1).
text: Always read the label.
text: Serious, the smell is caused by bacteria and your mission is to kill them!
text: Put hot water, plenty of Dettol and your bacteria/shoes in a bucket.
text: Let it soak for one night.
text: Rinse and dry.
text: Enjoy the new smell!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/10337/allcaps
score: 1
sents: text: You probably do not know this but baking soda can act as a good deodorizer for the shoes and sometimes even for the feet.
text: -
text: After using your shoes, sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on each one.
text: - Leave on the baking soda on the shoes overnight.
text: - Take off the baking soda from the shoes in the morning especially if it is already going to be used.
text: More info
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/19657/John
score: 1
sents: text: This is a bit unconventional, but stay with me.
text: Take the shoes and place them in a plastic bag.
text: Remove as much air as you can from the bag and seal.
text: Place the bagged shoes in to the freezer.
text: Leave the shoes in the freezer at least overnight.
text: I based this on the idea that the cold temps of the freezer would kill most of the odor causing bacteria and it worked the times I've tried it, but your milage may very.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/1552/CyberKnoy08
score: 0
sents: text: Buy a boot dryer.
text: Put your wet shoes and gloves on it after good rides.
text: It drys them out fast and prevents odors.
text: Great for winter commuting as well.
text: When my MTB shoes are covered in mud.
text: I just take them to the sink with a scrub brush.
text: Do a quick rinse and scrub the outside (about 2 min tops) to get the mud off and then toss on the dryer.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/2997/Benzo
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
A number of methods are recommended for removing the odor from cycling shoes. Shoes can be washed but should be dried wuickly with a fan or a boot dryer. Boot bananas can be placed in the shoes. Alternatively, a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate can be placed in teh shoes before or after wearing. This also has the advantage of killing bacteria.
Avoid letting the shoes stay wet, and dry wet shoes quickly with boot dryers or a fan. Baking soda helps to eliminate odor. Freezing shoes is also said to kill bacteria that causes odors.