Worn shoes will stop smelling with 1 cupboard essential

If you’re struggling to rid your shoes and trainers of a foul odour, an expert from Which? says the solution lies with a product you probably already have in your kitchen cupboards. “Cakes, smelly trainers and white t-shirts – what do they all have in common? she asked in a TikTok video.

Revealing the secret product to help get rid of odours for good, she said: “Whether you know it as baking soda, bicarb or indeed, bicarbonate of soda, it’s not only for baking.” The expert elaborated that the product can also be used to deodourise mattresses and carpets as well as shoes. So how is it done?

“Sprinkle the powder and leave it for an hour and then vacuum it up from within the shoes,” the expert continued. “It even works as a fridge or wardrobe freshener.”

To do this, add a couple of scoops into a dish and place it at the back of your appliance of furniture. Meanwhile, for stubborn stains on dishes and grout, the expert again advises using baking soda. “Mix it with a little water until it turns into a paste-like consistency,” she said. “Then gently scrub to lift the dirt.”

Closing her clip, the expert added that baking soda is a useful tool in brightening white clothes that have become slightly dull. “Add a cup to your washing machine and it’ll brighten your whites,” she said.

However, she stressed the importance of always carrying out a patch test beforehand. “As you can see, it’s the affordable and versatile ingredient you might just have in your kitchen cupboards,” the expert said.

And she summarised in a caption: “Baking soda’s name hardly does it justice – it’s useful for far more than cooking. It’s excellent at eliminating unpleasant odours and works very effectively as a cleaning agent too.”

Audrey Pariés of Aspen Clean explains how the product does the job. “Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an alkaline substance, and when it comes into contact with acidic odors, it reacts to neutralize them,” she states.

“This chemical reaction between the baking soda and the acid neutralizes or produces a less odorous compound. The change in pH helps eliminate the smell.”

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.