How To Disinfect Shoes – Tips For COVID-19 Situation

Shoes protect your feet by shielding from injury & cut, but also blocking harmful pathogens when you step in. Exposure to germs is an occupational hazard that is unavoidable to you if you work in the health care industry. Recent research suggests the insoles of your shoes work as a carrier of most of the infectious germs & bacteria in the hospital setting which can live on your shoes for several hours or even a few days.  According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the illness causes microorganisms may survive even after implementing some of the hospital sterilization techniques to kill the infection. That’s why disinfect your shoes and nursing shoes as important as washing your hands so that you don’t carry to your home & spread the infectious germs & bacteria to your family & loved ones. There are some easy tips to disinfect your shoes effectively without causing any damage to the materials.

Washing the shoes where possible: 

The least labor-intensive way of disinfecting your shoes is by throwing them in the wash & putting some laundry detergent & some bleach if they are white shoes.

If your sneakers are made with thin leather or fabrics like mesh or canvas, you can be cleaned them in warm water with strong detergent in the washing machine.  The UK's NHS suggests washing fabric’s shoes at a 140 ° F with bleaching powder to enhance the disinfect.

Wash insoles of your shoes by hand if they are made with thick leather or synthetic plastic materials. Use a soft brush to gently scrub your shoes with a soapy mixture of warm water & liquid laundry detergent.

Be sure, you must wear gloves when washing or disinfecting your shoes.

Using rubbing alcohol:

If you need to get rid of infectious germs in your shoes, rub alcohol is an effective solution to your problem.  If your work shoes are sneakers or made of cloth, you can soak the shoes for about 30 minutes in a tub or large bowl with enough rubbing alcohol to kill all the germs. If your shoes are made with more sensitive materials like leather men’s shoes or high heels, use a rag to gently scrub them down the entire shoes with rubbing alcohol.

Use of bleach & water mixture:

Some research recommends the use of bleach is a great tool for disinfecting your shoes. If your shoes are white, you will spray a mixture of bleach & water on the inside & outside of your shoes with a small spray bottle.  But if your shoes are non-white, you can carefully spray bleach water solution only on the inside of your shoes.

Using anti – bacterial spray:

You can use Lysol or Clorox brands of anti-bacterial spray to keep your shoes in hygienic conditions as well as disinfect your shoes. You can thoroughly use this disinfected spray into the entire insides of your shoes & using a sponge brush to scrub the outer part of your shoes.

Use baking soda:

Baking soda is very effective in decreasing the activity of fungal spores & killing the infectious germs.  You just dump 2 – 3 teaspoons of baking soda in your shoes & then vigorously shaken your shoes for one minute to ensure it reaches the entire insides of your shoes.  You can also disinfect your shoes by using baking soda to make a paste.

Using plain old vinegar:

Plain old white vinegar is one of the most effective antibacterial substances. You fill a spray bottle with a mix solution of diluted 3 tablespoons white vinegar and one glass of warm water & spray it in the insoles of your shoes. You can also use this mix solution in a bucket & soak your shoes in that for a while.

Use steam:  

Steam is a powerful method to kill all the bacterial germs due to its high temperature. Nowadays, in the market, special anti-bacterial cleaners are available which are clinically proven to kill 99% of bacterial germs. If your drier or washer has a steam function, you can use it to destroy any bacteria in your shoes.

Disinfecting with sunlight:

Fresh air & sunlight are the natural destroyers of all bacteria. You put your shoes upright against a wall or window in the sunshine for 3 – 4 hours to perfectly disinfected your shoes.

Ultraviolet shoe sanitizers:

Instead of using powder or liquid, you can put this small machine into your footwear & within 25 minutes its will destroy 99.9 % of fungus & bacteria.