“Are you leaving your shoes smelling bad?” → An easy way to eliminate odors: simply crumple up some aluminum foil you have at home and throw it away

One common shoe problem is odor. A life hack using aluminum foil can help with this. Knowing this method makes it easy to deodorize shoes that are difficult to wash. Here's a popular odor-fighting method that's trending on social media.

Pattern 1: Throw a rolled-up piece of aluminum foil into your shoe!

Roll two pieces of aluminum foil, each about 1.30 cm long, into fist-sized balls.

2. Place one rolled-up piece of aluminum foil in each foot and leave it overnight.

<Points I noticed after actually trying it> The loosely rolled, large ball of aluminum foil had a noticeable presence and stability. If you roll it up a little more tightly, to about the size of a 500 yen coin, it will look like a commercially available deodorizing ball. The deodorizing effect doesn't change much, but for people who often put on their shoes in a hurry at the front door, a larger, more noticeable ball is recommended because you'll notice "There's something in there!" when you're fumbling to put on your shoes!

Pattern ② Take a foot shape with aluminum foil and put it inside the shoe.

1. Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap your feet in, place it on the floor, and then place your feet on it.

2. Wrap aluminum foil around your feet to make a mold (for both feet).

3. Remove the aluminum foil from the feet to prevent it from losing its shape.

4. Place the foot-shaped aluminum foil inside the shoe and leave it overnight. <Points I noticed when actually trying it> When taking the foot shape, it was easier to remove the aluminum foil if you wrapped it around the heel area like a slipper, leaving it open. Similarly, putting it back into the shoe was also easy. It takes a little more effort than pattern 1, but this is recommended for those who want to thoroughly combat moisture and odor in the entire shoe.

Which shoe odor control product is the best? A comparison of shoe odor solutions.

I compared the deodorizing effects of two identical shoes: one with a coin-sized piece made using pattern ①, and the other with a foot-shaped piece made using pattern ②. Comparing the shoe odors the next day, pattern ② seemed slightly more effective. However, pattern ① was overwhelmingly easier to use, so I think you could get a similar effect by putting two rolled-up pieces in the shoe.

Why can aluminum foil be used to deodorize shoes?

The metal ions in aluminum foil have an antibacterial effect, which helps to suppress the growth of odor-causing bacteria. Shoe odor is caused by "moisture" and "sweat." Bacteria on the surface of the skin on your feet combine with sweat to produce odor. Since bacteria thrive in damp places, it's good to be able to take measures every day using an easy method.

It is also effective for combating odors in leather shoes that are difficult to wash.

Leather shoes, in particular, are not easy to wash. Since typical leather shoes are airtight and tend to trap air, using aluminum foil to combat odors seems like a very good approach.

Let's quickly tackle odors using things we already have at home!

Even in winter, not just in the sweaty summer months, shoes tend to get stuffy inside. Since we wear them every day, it would be great to be able to use aluminum foil effectively. This might even help say goodbye to unpleasant odors in your entryway. Aluminum foil can be reused after just one use, so give it a try!