The Very Best Badminton Shoe Deodorization Hacks

Did you know that you probably should be wearing certain kinds of shoes for badminton? I certainly didn’t, and I’ve spent a gazillion summer evenings playing the game! Apparently, shoes with decently thin soles can help to keep athletes more stable as they sweep and swing low to the ground. For sure, I’m all for a cushier shoe, but if it makes injury more likely, then totally give me all of those fabulous thin-soled badminton shoes. I get it, like your athletic shoes ought to provide you with all the speed and dexterity that helps you to not just win, but to also do so in relative safety. I mean… yes, it’s badminton, but just like any other sport you could absolutely injure or sprain something, ya’ know? 

Like, even running shoes ain’t going to cut it! The mesh, heels, and squishy lil’ midsole can make badminton quickly become a bad idea. Stick to the real badminton shoes, I suppose.

Not that I ever knI remember hundreds of (REALLY) low-stake badminton games my sister and I used to play during the summer in our backyard. It didn’t matter that neither of us knew exactly what we were doing—in my more frustrated five-year-old moments, badminton became dodgeball as I decided to simply chuck the birdie over the net (accompanied by my rather shrill screams that my sister had cheated– whether she did or not is lost to history, of course).

But whether or not you're a pro or an amateur badminton player, the sport does come with some downsides (beyond the potentially screaming opponent, that is). Smelly badminton shoes can be a real problem if you don't know how to deodorize stinky shoes in the first place, but don’t you worry!

These next five following super quick and easy shoe deodorizing hacks ought to do the trick before your next game!

 

1. Airing Out in Some Sunshine

 

So how can simply airing out your stinky badminton shoes help you to deodorize them? And sunshine? What, are we trying to help our funky footwear get a solid tan before you go on to crush it on the badminton court? 

Nah, but trust me when I say that airing out your smelly shoes in some sunshine is a perfectly good way to get rid of all kinds of stubbornly smelly shoes (and it’s easy to boot!).

All of it comes down to some pretty rad science. Well, the science is actually just a bit rank, which is why we’re chit-chatting about it– “it” being the stink from your shoes. So, it turns out that it’s not actually your own two feet and shoes that are the cause of all of that footwear funk! It’s all actually the fault of some bacteria that lurk in your shoes and on your skin, eating up any leftover moisture from your sweat and also the dead skin cells that just naturally slough off of your feet; this bacteria in turn produces the pungent punch that we’re all rather familiar with, unfortunately enough.

As a result of all of this, airing out your shoes with a whole lot of sunshine is going to actually be a HUGE help in finally getting rid of the smelly shoes’ stank for good. The sun will help to evaporate moisture from any leftover sweat hanging out in your (hopefully soon-to-not-be smelly) badminton shoes, and all of that fresh air ain’t going to be doing any favors for that stank-producing bacteria either.

Simply store your stinky badminton shoes outside where they can get a whole lot of said sunshine and airflow, although if storing your shoes outside simply isn’t an option for you and your pungent peds (winter is still totally a thing, after all), then you can also totally feel free to just store your fabulous (if still a bit funky) footwear in a sunny spot inside of your home (perhaps near a window) and where said stinky shoes will have just a lil’ bit of airflow (ie near an air vent, or just open the aforementioned window, if at all possible).

2.  Newspaper

 

Next up we’ve got newspaper– oh, is that *news* for you? Have you never thought to try out newspaper as an easy badminton shoe deodorizing hack? Ah, well neither had I, that is until I learned that newspaper just so happens to be one of the best and most effective shoe deodorizing tips out there for shoes that just won’t stop smelling like an old dumpster fire no matter what you do. 

So newspaper– who’d have ever thought that the morning rag could actually help us to fix funky footwear in almost no time flat? It all comes down to a really cool glaze that many printers paint over the newspaper– this glaze, sometimes known simply as “sizing” basically absorbs water and then holds onto it (just like a wee sponge), protecting the ink printed on the newspaper underneath.

In essence, “sizing” helps us to actually have a readable newspaper in the morning, otherwise dew, snow, and other such condensation would make it so that our daily rag looks closer to a tie-dyed t-shirt every time it rains or something.

This all helps us out with deodorizing stinky shoes because moisture in your shoes leftover from the sweat (AKA one of the stank-producing bacteria’s favorite meals) can just be absorbed by that sizing-coated newspaper, preventing the dreaded footwear funk!

So the first thing that you’ve got to do is find yourself some newspaper– now, I know that this actually might be the hardest part of this quick and easy shoe deodorization hack. I mean, I know that even though I still read the news it’s all in an online format. BUT perhaps you have a kindly neighbor who has a paper newspaper subscription, and perhaps if you ask really rather nicely, that nice neighbor of yours will offer you their leftover paper newspaper for you to use in conquering the musty mayhem that is your shoes. IDK maybe bake them some cookies or brownies? It’s not like their leftover newspaper would go anywhere else but the recycling or something, am I right?

Once you get your hands on some newspaper, all you have to do is roll it up into some balls and then stuff it all straight on into those smelly badminton shoes of yours. Make sure that you go on and leave the rolled-up newspaper inside of the stinky shoes for at least overnight, although longer would certainly help to keep the stink away.

3. Baking Soda

 

So let’s talk about baking soda– yes, I am perfectly aware that baking soda is a solid ingredient in the kitchen BUT trust me when I say that this stuff is also absolutely incredible in deodorizing stinky shoes on top of it all.

I mean yes, you can totally use baking soda to make all of your beautifully baked goods rise to utter perfection, help give pretzels their perfect golden sheen, and even help to make your fried chicken have that utterly delectable crispy crunch (just add a dash into the flour dredge and you’ll be golden). Yeah, baking soda can literally work magic in your kitchen, that’s totes not up for any kind of debate.

But baking soda can also absolutely work magic for you and your stinky badminton shoes as well! You see, baking soda is capable of absorbing moisture really (like actually super) well. No moisture from your sweat, as we all know, means that the stinky bacteria will have to look elsewhere for the all-you-can-eat buffet they currently have access to in your pungent peds. 

Fix your funky footwear for good and deodorize smelly badminton shoes permanently with this quick shoe deodorizing hack. All you have to do is get yourself a couple of tablespoons of baking soda and dash it all right on into the stinky shoes that you’re hoping to help smell better. Now, if you’re worried about an easy cleanup for later (and for sure, who wouldn’t be?) then you can absolutely just put the same amount of baking soda into a sock, and then tie it off securely with a rubber band or something like that. Either way, you decide to go for, make sure that you’re leaving the baking soda inside of your stinky badminton shoes for at least overnight, although I would def go for longer if time allows, all so that the baking soda can have the time it needs to properly work its smelly shoe deodorizing magic.

4. Cedar Wood Chips

 

Have you perhaps cooked with cedar wood chips before? I’ll admit that I myself was rather flabbergasted the first time that I saw “cedar plank” on the list of ingredients to prepare before cooking a maple and chili pepper-flavored filet of salmon. 

I began to imagine what the heck a recipe might instruct its chef to do with a literal plank of wood. Not immediately supposing that said plank of cedar wood might be for roasting the salmon, I thought that perhaps shavings of it were supposed to go into the sauce or something– for extra fiber, I suppose? 

While you might not regularly eat cedar wood chips (even if they are smack-dab in the middle of the rest of the ingredients for a recipe), many chefs do tend to love using cedar wood chips for roasting and flavoring the meat they’re preparing. I mean, what can we say? Cedar-flavored BBQ is pretty amazing, and there’s no question about any of that.

Now, we’re certainly not planning on roasting our rank runners anytime soon (unless, of course, you want to set them on fire because of how stinky they are), but that totally doesn’t mean that we can’t chit-chat about how to use cedar wood chips to deodorize those smelly badminton shoes of yours! Start out by filling up your funky footwear with enough cedar wood chips to completely cover the floor of the shoe (especially making sure that the cedar wood chips are in direct contact with the spot where your sweaty feet go). You could absolutely put the same amount of cedar wood chips into a securely tied-off sock if you’re worried about a supes easy cleanup for your future self, or just splinters for your poor (if  perhaps a bit pungent) peds, and then stuff one cedar-stuffed sock into each of the stinky shoes. Either method will totally work just fine, as long as you make sure that you’re letting the cedar wood chips hang out inside of your smelly badminton shoes overnight, although leaving the wood chips in there for at least a few more hours (or days!), if you can, will for sure leave you and your shoes smelling like some kind of magical enchanted forest.

5. LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer

 

LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer is our fifth option for deodorizing your favorite (but sadly) set of funky footwear! Fix stinky badminton shoes easily and in no time at all with this spectacularly fabulous shoe deodorizing spray and do it all in literally less time than it takes for you to lose the badminton birdie to the depths of surrounding brush in an amateur round (so basically in a few seconds flat if you’re anything like me– if you know then… well, welcome to the club, I suppose). In all seriousness, LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer is totally one of the easiest stinky shoe deodorizing hacks and also one of the most successful as well.

Now, if you don’t want to believe just lil’ old me, then you can totally go on and check out the over 800 reviewers who gave LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer an utterly perfect 5-star review, averaging out to a solid 4.4 stars overall for the product. Amazon reviewer “akdnlavin” here says that LUMI is the “best odor eater for athletic feet” and that as a stinky shoe spray it’s way better than any sort of powder or insole that might interfere with an athlete playing their best game:

 

 

LUMI also just so happens to be a pretty rad company themselves. They’re a small, family-owned business that makes sure to source only the highest quality of all-natural ingredients for their products, never ever (then times a gazillion million evers) test on animals, and they also make everything in the United States. For real, it’s ok if you want to go find yourself the nearest large choir and glitter cannon, because they really are in fact that cool. 

All you need to fix smelly badminton shoes ASAP is a spritz or two of LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer. Just spray it right on into your funky footwear and that’s really all you’re going to need! Literally just spritz LUMI directly into your stinky athletic shoes of yours and then totally feel free to go and absolutely conquer the badminton court!

Now, I know that some of all y’all out there have a nigh-on perfect memory but ya’ see, as for myself, my own memory tends to be closer to that of a goldfish, or perhaps a hamster– I actually think I’m being a wee bit generous here, so maybe let’s just go with half of a hamster. Summaries can totes help out though, so for all of those of us who might need a quick lil’ reminder, let’s just run through all of the easy badminton shoe deodorizing hacks that we’ve been talking about.

Airing out your stinky badminton shoes and storing them outside where they can get plenty of sunshine is simply a really freakin’ good idea. I mean, all of that stank-producing bacteria need the moisture inside of your shoes (after all, a good game of badminton can work up a sweat) and sunshine can help ya’ to dry out your shoes before you have to experience the dank doom of that dreaded footwear funk. Some good airflow can also help to… clear the air, if I were to put it bluntly. I mean really, it’s as simple as that. Basically, your stinky shoes are like wee lil’ plants that just need a good amount of sunshine and air to be happy and not rank. Make sure to store your shoes outside where they can get some of that sunshine and good fresh air, or else just store those stinky badminton shoes of yours inside someplace sunny and where there’s a decent amount of airflow (ie an air vent or a plain ol’ fashioned open window).

Newspaper is another easy way for you to finally fix funky athletic footwear like those bad-smelling badminton shoes of yours. Newspaper is coated in a sort of glaze, if you’ll care to recall, known simply as “sizing,” and it can totally absorb moisture from any leftover sweat hanging out on the inside of your shoes (which is totes number one on the stank-producing bacteria’s list of all-time favorite things to eat). Just roll up some plain ol’ newspaper into balls, and then stuff everything right on into your rank badminton shoes. Leave it be for at least overnight so that the newspaper can really properly (and extra triply) absorb any and all moisture that might be sequestered away inside of your set of (sadly funky– but only for now!) badminton shoes. Leaving the newspaper in there for longer can totally help out as well, if you’d like the newspaper to really be able to pack a pungent punch and stop your shoes from stinking for good.

Baking soda works to deodorize stinky smells that stubbornly just won’t seem to go away. What baking soda is absolutely amazing at, thankfully enough, is absorption of moisture. This basically means that it can totally absorb plenty of the leftover sweat in your stinky shoes that otherwise would have gone on to feed the rank bacteria hanging out in there. All you’ve got to do is stick a couple of tablespoons of baking soda into your funky footwear (or just put the same amount into a securely tied-off sock that you can then stuff into the smelly shoes in question) and then leave everything in there overnight, at the very least (you’ve got to be patient!). If you’ve got any longer, however, leaving the baking soda inside of your pungent peds for some extra time could totally be a game changer when it comes to knowing how to make stinky shoes smell better for good.

Cedar wood chips are next up on our list, and yep they’re natural, yep they’re tasty when used in cooking (summer BBQ cookoffs aren’t all that faroff, my dear, yet funky friends!), and yep you should totally be using cedar wood chips to make your stinky shoes smell better pronto. I mean, who wouldn’t want to smell like a literal magical forest as they beat everyone else out on the badminton court? Your opponents will all obviously be super jelly of not just your athletic prowess but also of your all-natural, woodsy aroma! Without a doubt, cedar wood chips are just kind of magical lil’ things. Stuff your shoes with cedar wood chips ASAP (making sure that the entire floor of the shoe– IOW where your stinky feet regularly sit– is covered by the cedar wood chips) and leave ‘em in there to hang out overnight. Alternatively, stuff a sock with the same amount of cedar wood chips and then just jam all of that into the rank footwear for the same duration. I’d also– just to put it out there– think about maybe leaving the cedar wood chips inside of your smelly badminton shoes a wee bit longer, if you can. The longer the cedar wood chips have to hang out inside of your pungent peds, the better it’ll be for everyone who’s got a functioning schnozz (unless you want to knock out your court enemies with your super foot stank– no judgment here, of course– as that’s a totally valid strategy in the game of war that’s sometimes more gently known as badminton). 

LUMI’s Lavender Tea Tree Natural Shoe Deodorizer is the fifth of our super fabulous and totally easy-peasy badminton shoe deodorizing hacks. LUMI is  all-natural and all-fantastic my fine (yet probs a bit funky) friends, and all it takes is a spritz or two of the stuff straight on into your stinky shoes and that’s all you’ve got to do! Save time, sanity, and also your poor nose hairs (very important, that) from the dreaded dank stank coming up from your athletic shoes with LUMI!

Any and all of these smelly shoe deodorizing tricks ought to work just fine for you, and before you know it you and your stinky badminton shoes will totally smell fresh and fabulous!