How do you remove odour and bacteria from shoes?

Gym trainers, everyday leather shoes, boots, and sandals all trap sweat and bacteria in the insole, lining, and foam. Spraying the inside with fragrance doesn't remove the bacteria, so the smell returns as soon as you wear them again.

The fix is to treat the interior properly, not just the outside of the shoe.

Remove insoles if possible and let shoes air dry fully between wears, never store damp. A light interior wipe with appropriate cleaner can help on some linings, and baking soda left overnight can absorb mild odour in trainers, though it doesn't replace a proper clean on heavy smells.

Don't machine wash or heat-dry to 'kill' bacteria, that often damages the shoe before it fixes the smell.

Our Clean 'Em package includes odour elimination and UV sanitisation as standard, so the pair is treated inside and out. That matters for gym shoes, football boots, kids' trainers, work shoes, and any pair that's been worn heavily. It's part of the flat £60 service with tracked UK postage.