08 April 2023 , 12:06
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If you've got a football lover in your life, then you'll know what a pain it can be to keep boots clean and odour-free.
Whether it is you or your child who loves the game - nobody can step off the pitch as clean as they walked on, and most of the time you'll return home traipsing muck behind you.
It's understandable; your boots work hard, and playing conditions are often pretty damp and muddy on account of the Great British weather.
So anyone tasked with keeping boots smelling fresh has a tough task ahead of them, and that's before you even think about all the sweat swirling around inside of them.
Parents found a solution to the stinky problem (stock photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Luckily, a mum has shared a simple hack she uses to son's boots from smelling, one she discovered after getting a whiff she compared to 'cat's pee' wafting from his shoes.
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The solution for smelly boots came to light after a fellow parent took to Facebook looking for help.
Posting to Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips, the woman explained: "My son had left his wet and muddy football boots in a plastic carrier bag for nearly a week, I only found out as they started to stink!
"Anyway he’s washed them twice, in hot soapy water and again in a mixture of washing powder with a splash of white vinegar…they still stink.
"Any suggestions to get rid of this awful 'damp' pong. I don't want them in the washing machine as they have metal studs on them."
In response, commenters were quick to share their commiserations, as many had faced the same problem.
"Smells like cat wee. Most football boots smell like this when wet or damp. Nothing will take smell out. My boys say it has something to do with the material," read one reply.
Another mum wrote: "My son's boots were also smelling like tom cats pee. Every time he takes them off I stuff them with scrunched up newspaper & it works," and it turns out she's not the only one who swears by the tip.
Seconding the newspaper trick, someone replied: "I do this with my grandson's and it's the only thing that works." A third person added: "I remember when we were growing up my father & grandfather used to do it with the work boots."
If you don't have a newspaper to hand, leaving fresh tea bags in the shoes emerged as another popular recommendation.
Replying to the original petitioner, someone else advised: "Try some bicarb sprinkled on the inside.. you might want to put some tea tree oil on the bicarb first.. as it is a natural antiseptic etc. If this doesn't work.. repeat and leave outside for the fresh air to get into them."
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