10 Simple Ways to Get Rid of Foot Odor Without Much Hassle

So, let’s take an example, shall we? So, you are here sitting and minding your own business and all of a sudden, your nose detects some tedious and bad smell but you just don’t know where the smell is coming from, right? Well, look around, sniff like a dog. Still nothing? Look a bit down, a little more, yeah, yeah, right there – YOUR FEET! That terrible smell is probably your foot odor.

Shocked, aren’t you?

Because, how come you have stinking feet when you always shower and that too with the expensive shower gel, correct? Wrong! Foot odor can occur because of a number of reasons, some which you are not even aware of at times.

In this article, we are going to be talking about the common causes as well as home remedies for foot odor that will help ensure your foot hygiene and not make you feel like something diet in your shoes. So, hop on and keep reading!

What Causes Foot Odor?

The smelly feet causes can stretch on too many but the most common one include:

• • Lack of proper foot care

• • Not changing socks even after multiple wears

• • Excessive sweating

• Buildup of bacteria and other microbes in the feet

Before we jump to the prognosis and the easy home remedies of the smelly feet, let me just clarify for a fact that this specific condition has a scientific name to it, termed as Bromodosis.

How to Get Rid of Foot Odor?

Bromodosis, or smelly feet, is actually a medical condition that results from excessive sweating which results in the buildup of bacteria growth in the feet, thereby causing the stinking in the feet. This can just stick to bad odors or even cause infections in the severe conditions.

Now, let us walk ourselves through the common smelly feet home remedies that can help alleviate the problem.

Check Out the Most Popular Self Care Tips on Foot Odour With Easy Hacks

1. Apple Cider Vinegar for Foot Odor

As weird as it might sound, the apple cider vinegar remedy actually does works wonders. The antimicrobial properties (R) in the apple cider vinegar is actually very beneficial in getting rid of any kind of microbial growth in the feet that could be the possible reason behind the smelly feet.

What To Do?

1. 1. Mix two parts of water and 1 part of apple cider vinegar in a bucket

1. 1. Soak your feet in it for 10-15 minutes

1. Wash your feet under running water

How Often?

Once a week.

2. Baking Soda for Foot Odor

Baking Soda is yet another factor that helps stop foot odor and gets rid of the stinking feet that you have been constantly complaining about. Apart from having good antimicrobial (R) properties, baking soda also has amazing absorbing properties which help absorb the excess sweat and even the odor that has been bothering you since long.

[Read more about Baking Soda and Lemon Benefits]

What To Do?

1. 1. Fill a bucket with warm water halfway through

1. 1. Add 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda to it and dissolve everything

1. 1. Soak your feet in it for 10 minutes

1. 1. Wash off the remnants under running water

1. Alternatively, you can also directly sprinkle baking soda on your feet or keep a bag of baking soda in your shoes to help absorb the excess moisture

How Often?

For the foot soak, do it twice a week.

3. Tea Tree Oil for Foot Odor

Tea tree oil has natural antimicrobial as well as antiseptic properties (R) which combined have amazing benefits to eliminate foot odor. It also has rejuvenating properties which help moisturize the feet and helps get rid of the dead skin cells on the feet.

What To Do?

• • Fill a bucket till its half filled

• • Pour a few drops of tea tree oil into the water

• • Soak your feet in that for 10-15 minutes

• Towel dry your feet

How Often?

2-3 times a week.

4. Boric Acid for Foot Odor

Boric Acid has antimicrobial as well as antiseptic properties (R) which are actually very good as a foot odor remedy primarily because it helps in getting rid of any kind of microbial growth and abstains the excess sweating as well.

What To Do?

1. 1. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of boric acid powder in a half filled bucket

1. 1. Soak your feet in that solution for 10-15 minutes

1. Alternatively, you can also make a small bag and keep it in your shoes to help absorb the excess moisture

How Often?

For the foot soak, do it twice or thrice a week.

5. Corn Starch for Foot Odor

Corn starch, much like boric acid and baking soda have amazing absorbing power which helps in not just absorbing the stanching smell of the foot odor but also helps in absorbing the excess moisture left behind in the shoes.

What To Do?

For the First Hack

1. 1. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch, 1 tablespoon of talcum powder and a few drops of lavender essential oil

1. 1. Pour this in an empty talcum powder jar and sprinkle this on the feet after a long day out

1. 1. You can also sprinkle this inside the shoes to get rid of the stinking smell

1. Do this every time after coming home

For the Second Hack

1. 1. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch and a few drops of lavender essential oil

1. Pour some of it into a small pouch and place it inside the shoe

6. Coconut Oil for Foot Odor

Coconut Oil has amazing antibacterial properties (R) which is something that has amazing antifungal benefits. This remedy is beneficial good for conditions related to Athlete’s foot because it helps in absorbing the excess sweat produced by the feet. It also helps moisturize the feet and keeps it healthy.

What To Do?

Massage a decent amount of coconut oil all over the feet.

How Often?

You can do it on a daily basis or even one day after the other, whatever works best for her.

7. Black Tea Foot Bath for Foot Odor

If you thought tea was just for drinking, you are slightly mistaken because they actually are way more than that. Now, you must be here thinking how does tea help with foot odor, right? Well, the tannic acid in the black tea poses antimicrobial properties (R) which are beneficial in killing off any kind of bacteria or fungal growth in the feet. Not just that, it also helps close the pores in the feet to lessen the excessive sweating to eliminate foot odor.

[Read more about Black Tea Benefits]

What To Do?

1. 1. Boil some water in a pot and steep two black tea bags in that for 10-15 minutes to extract the maximum

1. 1. Dilute the tea with some more water and let it cool down a bit

1. Soak your feet in that for 15 minutes and wash your feet under running water after that

How Often?

Do this twice or thrice a week for noticeable results.

8. Zinc for Foot Odor

Zinc is yet another factor that influences the condition of stinky feet. While the exact reasons behind the same is pretty unknown, it is believed that the deficiency of the zinc in body is what influences the feet to not just profusely sweat but also end up being the reason behind the stench and bad smell. With all that being said, it is necessary to understand for a fact this is a very rare case that comes with limited resources that back the claims up.

What To Do?

Ensure to increase the intake of food items that are rich in zinc. Some of them include meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains, eggs etc.

Side note: Make sure to not necessarily dive head first into the zinc supplements because the same can actually inflict negative impacts which is not something you want for your body.

9. Epsom Salt for Foot Odor

Epsom salt is known for its amazing antimicrobial properties (R) which is what plays a crucial role in getting rid of the smell from the feet that is caused because of the excessive sweating. The Epsom salt foot soak not just helps get rid of the unnecessary microbial growth in the feet, it also helps in getting rid of the dryness and the dead skin on the foot. The soak helps get rid of cracked heels as well and keeps the feet squeaky clean.

What To Do?

1. 1. Get a foot soak tub and fit it with warm water

1. 1. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Epsom salt and make sure it dissolves completely

1. 1. Soak your feet in the water for 10-15 minutes. Additionally, you can even use a pumice stone to scrub off the excess dead skins on the feet and help it feel moisturized and rejuvenated.

1. Rinse off the excess salt water by running some normal water on the feet

How Often?

Do this 2 times a week.

10. Listerine Foot Soak For Foot Odor

As weird as it sounds, yes, the Listerine that you use as a mouthwash does actually work amazingly to get rid of foot odor as well. Listerine is very beneficial in getting rid of any kind of antimicrobial growth (R) which could be a primary cause behind the stinking feet. Not just that, even the minty freshness of the Listerine foot soak actually does help in getting rid of the stench as well as regulates the amount of sweat that your feet produce.

What To Do?

1. 1. Fill a foot soak tub with some lukewarm water

1. 1. Pour 3-4 caps of the Listerine liquid and mix it well

1. 1. Soak your feet in that for 10 minutes

1. Towel dry your feet after that

How Often?

2-3 times a week.

How To Prevent Foot Odor?

Foot odor is not a condition that can’t be prevented because even though it is a medical condition, it is a preventable one. That being said, while we tend to pay extra care to our normal day to day hygiene, our feet are always the most neglected part of our body.

Some of the common preventive measures to get rid of foot odor include:

• • Foot hygiene is one of the most important factors that helps ensure that your feet are not just clean but actually rid of any kind of excess sweat or bacterial growth that could actually hamper the overall foot hygiene and thus induce the condition of smelly feet.

• • Much like how your exfoliate your face; the same is necessary with the feet as well. The legs and feet are probably the parts of the body that not just get the minimum care but tend to also have a very high microbial presence which is why you need to ensure that you exfoliate your feet and heels at regular intervals.

• • Keep your feet dry and that should cut out the majority of the problem itself. If you have less sweaty feet, there are chances that the rate of bacteria and other kinds of fungal growth in the feet will comparatively be a lot lesser than what you would normally expect. Use talcum powder or even baking soda to keep your feet dry and you can even keep them in your shoes to get rid of the excess moisture from the shoes as one of the best remedies for smelly feet.

• • Use of antiperspirant on feet can actually be a blessing in disguise, primarily because of the fact that they can help in removing the stench off of the feet temporarily and mask the bad foot odor. But, this is not something that is very effective in the long run which is why it is best to stick to some long lasting preventive measures for effective results in the long run.

• Wearing socks is not something that many people like doing and sometimes, that is where everyone goes wrong. Make sure that you are not just wearing socks but wearing the right kind is the key. Wear something that has a breathable material and is not to constricting on the feet because that’s where many of us tend to go wrong.

Foot odor can be a very embarrassing condition which is why it is necessary to ensure that you take the necessary steps to ensure that you prevent this problem in the first place and be done with it for good. These above mentioned easy hacks are exactly what one needs to help get rid of the unnecessary stench off of their feet.