Tips on How to Prevent Mould on Your Shoes
Shoes may stink or smell foul after it has been worn. Avid hikers are very familiar with it since they wear boots for hours to cover long distances. The cheesy stench that is uncovered in shoes is a common issue, especially in a humid environment. However, by applying a few tips, prevent moulds from growing in footwear and avoid the unpleasant smell.
What Causes Mould
Mould is a ubiquitous microorganism or fungus, which grows on everyday household objects or even wearables such as shoes. Boots, shoes, or slippers are especially vulnerable to mould invasion when stored in hot and humid conditions. Shoes are susceptible to encounter spores, and together with conditions for growth, spores spread rapidly. Moisture, along with the warm temperature, encourages the spores or fungus to multiply, and once the mold accumulates inside the shoes, they begin to protrude the stench.
Places like closets, shoe racks, and shoeboxes are ideal locations with the desired temperature for mold growth. Moreover, when shoes are worn for too long under humid conditions, sweat provides moisture and causes mold accumulation, hence the smell. The shoes’ insoles are damp, moist, and quickly intensify in heat according to the environmental temperature. Thus, the best way to prevent the moldy smell is to keep your shoes away from the conditions that exacerbate mold growth. Moreover, spores of fungi are microorganisms that can attach to the inner lining of shoes.
They can enter from the surrounding air or stick to your feet and eventually the inside. Hence, frequent cleaning and maintenance of footwear are pivotal to keep them mould free. Sometimes, the mould can transfer from the clothes into the wardrobe and then eventually inside the shoes. Therefore, keeping shoes near dirty clothes makes them susceptible to mold growth.
Get a Dehumidifier
Humidity is one crucial factor that promotes mold growth. Thus, getting a dehumidifier can prevent shoes from molding. This device reduces humidity from the surrounding air. In other words, it is one way to reduce excessive moisture in the air. Additionally, the dehumidifier can also improve humidity at home.
Use a Silica Gel Pack
Silica Gel packets are often found inside items as a part of the packaging. Boots especially come with these packets inside their packaging. Silica Gel, more precisely, refers to the compound silicon dioxide, which is a desiccant. A desiccant is a compound that manages to absorb and hold water vapour. When using silica gel packs inside a shoebox, the water molecules in the surrounding air retain inside the gel pack. As a result, they help reduce the overall moisture around the shoes. The desiccant takes away the main ecological factor that paves the way for mold accumulation. By taking away moisture, you can prevent moldy shoes. Put the silica gel packs inside your shoes or spread them around your shoe cupboard or even inside your shoebox. The use of silica gel is widespread and diverse mainly because it is a nearly harmless, cheap, and easy mold prevention method. It is recommended to use silica gel bags in an enclosed environment. Silica gel desiccants can also help moisture control by removing humidity from furnitures and textiles.
Clean Shoes after Use
Shoes are naturally going to get dirty after you wear them. Therefore, the simplest, most effective, and most basic way to preserve your shoes is to clean them after returning home. Ensure that it is clean properly to make sure that it is free of dirt particles. Cleaning the shoe also helps you eliminate any spores that can later grow into a bad smell.
Keep Your Shoes in a Cool and Dark Environment
The storage area is one of the most crucial mold prevention tips. Keep your shoes in an environment that is either cool or just below room temperature. Make sure that you shut the lights off and draw the curtains. The cool temperature is not the best temperature for the fungus to multiply, and daylight can ultimately increase the shoe’s temperature. This method is better than keeping shoes in airtight bags since they need airflow to maintain their dexterity.
Wipe them with Alcohol
Alcohol can act as a tremendous anti-bacterial tool to get rid of mould on shoes. Dampen a cloth with alcohol or use alcohol wipes to clean shoes. This method is highly effective on leather shoes.
Conclusion
Many people love collecting expensive, branded shoes and sneakers; they are pricey material objects. After investing in an extravagant shoe, ensure that it can be maintained and conserved to last longer.