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Odor in the Shoe Cabinet? The Best Home Remedies for Musty Shoes

To eliminate unpleasant odors in the shoe cabinet, you can use simple home remedies.
To eliminate unpleasant odors in the shoe cabinet, you can use simple home remedies. Photo: Getty Images

May 5, 2025, 9:26 am | Read time: 2 minutes

A clean and tidy entryway is the calling card of any home. But what can you do if every guest is greeted by unpleasant odors from the shoe cabinet? No worries! You can neutralize the smell with simple home remedies.

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In the shoe cabinet, various odor-causing factors come together. These include sweat and the bacteria in the shoes that arise from sweating while wearing them. The combination of moisture, bacteria, and a poorly ventilated area results in an unpleasant smell. As a preventive measure, regular cleaning of the cabinet is essential. Additionally, the following home remedies can help eliminate bad odors in the shoe cabinet.

Home Remedies for Bad Odors in the Shoe Cabinet

Instead of searching for special shoe cabinet fresheners at the supermarket or drugstore, you can first look in the kitchen. Here, you’ll find various home remedies that help eliminate bad odors in the shoe cabinet.

1. Baking Soda

Baking soda is known for effectively absorbing moisture and neutralizing odors. To make this home remedy work effectively in the shoe cabinet, you can place it in a bowl or a sachet. Since baking powder contains baking soda, you can use that as well.

2. Coffee Grounds

Whether as beans or grounds, coffee is ideal for getting rid of odors. By the way, it doesn’t have to be fresh coffee. You can also use dry coffee grounds. Simply place them in a bowl or sachet and put them in the cabinet.

3. Vinegar

A home remedy that many have at home is vinegar. After all, you can clean many areas in the household with the liquid. Not only that, Vinegar also helps neutralize bad odors in the shoe cabinet. Simply soak a cloth in vinegar and leave it in the open cabinet overnight. If it’s a wooden cabinet, the cloth should not be placed directly on the wood.

4. Herbs

Fragrant herbs like lavender, rosemary, or even dried lemon peel can be placed in a sachet and put in the cabinet. This way, the smell is masked with natural scents.

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5. Tea Bags

Similar to herbs, tea bags can also neutralize the unpleasant odor in the shoe cabinet. Simply place a used, dried tea bag in the cabinet.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.

Topics Home remedies
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