If you're an avid football player or play the sport from time to time, you may know the pain of having both dirty and smelly football cleats after a lovely afternoon of playing the game. Your once spanking new, freshly scented cleats somehow transform into the musty, disgusting things you've flung in the corner of the room. To make matters worse, not only are you painfully aware that your cleats smell after every football game, but you know others are as well.
While smelly football cleats are a pain many football players far and wide endure, we'll let you in on a secret- you don't have to! Why inconvenience yourself if there is an effective and straightforward way to tackle and eliminate football cleat odor? We'll talk you through the dos and don'ts of cleaning your football cleats to get rid of that smell forever.
Firstly, let's dive into what you shouldn't be doing to clean your football cleats.
Don't #1:
Do not throw your football cleats in the washer or dryer as this could potentially damage them. Remember, you've spent hard-earned cash on those cleats.
Don't #2:
If you've cleaned your football cleats, do not store them in hot or humid areas or your house afterward. This is counterproductive as excessive humidity tends to attract odor.
Don't #3:
Don't allow moisture to sit in your football cleats. Moisture will attract odor to your cleats and intensify the stench.
Don't #4:
Don't use extreme heat (hairdryers, direct sunlight, etc.) to dry your football cleats. You risk potential cleat damage by doing so.
Now that we've gotten the don'ts out of the way, let's address what you should be doing to clean your football cleats.
The secret to having fresh-smelling football cleats is cleaning your cleats as soon as you're done playing a game of football. Don't throw them in a corner and say you'll get to them tomorrow- that's a rookie mistake.
What you'll need: Warm water, laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid, a clean towel, washcloth/ soft brush, papertowels/newspaper, and shoe spray.
The proper steps to clean your football cleats are outlined below:
Step 1:
Remove the insoles and laces of your football cleats and gently wash them. You can either soak them in laundry detergent before washing them or put them in the washer on a delicate, cold cycle- you decide. After you've washed your laces and insoles, lay them on a towel in a well-ventilated area and allow them to dry.
Step 2:
Ensure all dirt, mud, or grass are removed from your cleats by banging them against each other, sole to sole.
Step 3:
Fill a container with laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid and warm water. Dip a toothbrush or soft brush in the solution to remove any remaining mud and dirt stuck to the bottom and exterior of your cleats.
Step 4:
Similarly to step 3, mix some laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid in warm water. Using a washcloth, gently wipe away dirt and stains from the interior of your cleats.
Step 5:
Air dry your football cleats at room temperature in a well-ventilated area of your home.
Step 6:
To accelerate the drying process, you can stuff bits of paper towels or newspaper to help absorb moisture in your football cleats.
Step 7:
To seal the deal, spray your football cleats with an all-natural, essential oil shoe spray. We've suggested three, so you can choose the ones you think would be a good scent for you!
1. Lemongrass Eucalyptus Shoe Spray:
This shoe spray is odor eliminating and contains ingredients like witch hazel, eucalyptus oil, lemongrass oil, to name a few. Its ingredients are all-natural, so you can not only rest assured that your cleats will be smelling great after use, but that you're also environmentally friendly. After following the previous six outlined steps above, spritz this lemongrass shoe spray in your cleats a few times and allow them to absorb the lovely lemongrass fragrance. The next time you're ready to play football, your cleats will be smelling as fresh as ever.
2. Citrus Tea Tree Shoe Spray:
Did you know that generally, citrus is one of the most effective ingredients to fight all types of odor? Citrus can seriously fight even the strongest of odors, your cleats included. It contains ingredients such as lemon oil, orange oil, and lemongrass oil, which blend beautifully together to leave your cleats smelling fresh. Think of this as a superhero trio, but for your cleats.
3. Lavender Tea Tree Shoe Spray:
This lovely lavender shoe spray is also made from all-natural ingredients, some of which include lavender oil, witch hazel, and rosemary oil. If you're not a massive fan of citrusy fragrances, this is a great alternative.
One of the best things about these shoe sprays is their versatility. You can spray them in your cleats before playing football if you'd like or after you're through with the game- this, of course, depends on the level of odor you're trying to tackle. These shoe sprays can be sprayed in your football cleats or directly on your feet. To take it a step further- even your socks! The versatility of these sprays also extends to them being usable on many different types of cleats or other forms of shoes (running, hiking, tennis, baseball, etc.). The icing on the cake is that these shoe sprays can also be used as air fresheners for other foul areas of your home.
We all love a good game, and we shouldn't have to give that up because of smelly cleats. Nor should we have to be painfully aware of the fact that our shoes reek after we've just finished playing our favorite sport. Let's not kill the vibe. Be sure to use the tips we provided to clean your cleats, whatever the game – and play on!
