Want to know 5 easy ways how to stop your football boots from smelling? Read our list of pro tips and you’ll never have to recoil from your boots again!
We’ve all stuck our nose into our boots after a long (and often soggy) 90 minute slog on the pitch and leaped back from the power of the odour inside.
No matter how rugged a player you aim to be on the pitch, nobody likes the smell of a football boot that resembles year-old soggy clothes – and we’re confident in saying your teammates won’t either!
Want to know the best ways how to stop your football boots smelling, and maintain your reputation for hygiene in the changing rooms? Look no further, we’ve got you covered.
5 pro tips on how to stop your football boots from smelling…
Tip one: Bicarbonate of Soda
Our first tip on the board for ways to stop your boots from giving off an almighty pong is something of a classic, which you may have already heard from the older generation of players.
Simply sprinkle bicarbonate of soda into the inside of your boots’ sole, leave for 15 minutes and wipe clean / hoover out.
This method removes any lingering odours from the inside of your football boots and lets you play another day without having to wear a peg on your nose.
Warning: Be careful not to rely on this technique too often, as sustained use can affect the quality of the sole of your boots.
Tip two: Tea bags
Another top trick that has been used by football players for years, and often passed down through generations, is the use of tea bags to remove unpleasant odours from your boots.
Place 2 or 3 tea bags into the soles of your football boots and leave for 24 hours.
The tea bags will absorb the unpleasant smells lingering in your footwear – however, they do not get rid of the bacteria that causes them.
This is a quick fix if you’ve got a match the next day, but won’t work as a long term solution for your smelly football boots!
Tip three: Newspaper
Another trick used by the old boys back in their day to remove nasty smells from their football boots involved your humble newspaper.
Similarly to the tea bag trick at No2, this process involves leaving scrunched up newspapers in your boots for 24 hours to absorb nasty smells.
It is worth mentioning that, as with tea bags, newspaper doesn’t get rid of the bacteria responsible for the smells, and so isn’t a fix all approach.
Also be aware that leaving newspaper in your boots for too long could result in ink leakage into your soles!
Tip four: Freezer
The last of the cheap, quick, old school tricks on how to stop your football boots from smelling is using the humble freezer.
Bacteria are the cause of unpleasant odours in our football boots, and bacteria hate the cold.
Leaving your boots in the freezer overnight will kill off any bacteria responsible for your boots ponging, leaving them smelling fresh as a daisy!
Warning: If your boots are made of leather or plastic (as most are nowadays) there is a risk that this method could result in the material cracking.
Tip five: Anti-bacterial spray + Probiotic deodorisers
Now that we’ve given you 4 cheap, quick fixes for your smelly football boots, you’re probably wondering what is on offer in the long term.
There are specific products out there that have been created to address the very issue of smelly footwear.
Probiotic deodorisers and antibacterial sprays both work in similar ways, and are available by the hundreds when searching for available options.
Both of these sprays eliminate bacteria inside your boots, and usually within 10-15 minutes of application. Probiotic deodorisers, however, also fight off bacteria after they’ve eliminated the initial problem.
Anti-bacterial sprays will simply eliminate existing bacteria.
Note: Although highly effective, probiotic deodorisers will not fight off bacteria forever, and will need to be applied as and when you (or your nose) deem it necessary!
There is a huge number of these products on the market, so we’re confident that you’ll find one to stop your football boots smelling! Popular brands include Odour Eaters, Envii Kit fresh, and Boot Buddy.
In the market for some new football boots?
If you’re on the lookout for a new pair of boots, why not take a look at our Top 5 men’s football boots for under £60?
