5 proven means for disinfecting shoes against fungus

We have put together 5 simple but effective ways to help get rid of fungus in your shoes and speed up your recovery.

Vinegar essence

For lovers of folk remedies, vinegar essence is suitable: it has a fairly strong effect against fungi and bacteria, but its effect on the shoes themselves cannot be called gentle.

• Regular vinegar is not suitable for treating shoe fungus. You need exactly 40% essence to effectively get rid of fungus.
• Soak a cotton swab in vinegar, place it in your shoes, and place the pair in a sealed bag or plastic container for 1 to 3 days.
• After this, leave the shoes to dry and ventilate. Due to the acrid smell of vinegar, this may take several days.

It is important to say that vinegar essence, although safe for skin and fabric, can harm rubber parts of shoes, such as heels or soles, so it is not very suitable for use after every wear. It is also not recommended to spray shoes with vinegar for the same reason.

Advice

Considering that you need to treat all the pairs you wore during the infection period, there is no question of throwing it all away. But it’s still better to throw the socks in the trash, as most manufacturers of anti-fungal products advise.

Chlorhexidine

This product is considered more gentle and is suitable both for spraying shoes from the inside using a spray bottle, and for the method with a cotton swab, described using the example of vinegar essence. But to fight the fungus, you need a 1% solution, which is sold in specialized medical stores, since the concentration of the active substance in pharmaceutical solutions (0.05%) is too low.

Chlorhexidine is suitable for frequent disinfection of shoes and has no odor at all, which will reduce ventilation and drying time. An excellent product to use throughout the entire course of treatment.

Advice

The importance of preventive disinfection cannot be underestimated, because it will help prevent re-infection and protect your family from fungus. Use one of these products at least once a season or twice a year on shoes you wear year-round.

Miramistin

Miramistin is also suitable for use after each wear and has no destructive effect on shoes. The recommended method of application is slightly different from previous products: instead of placing them in a sealed bag, the shoes are simply wiped from the inside with a cotton swab soaked in a 0.1% solution and allowed to dry, although to enhance the effect, it is quite possible to additionally place the shoes in a sealed package. You can also pour the product into a container with a spray bottle and spray the inside of your shoes: this way you don’t have to come into direct contact with the fungal growth environment.

The only drawback is the price of the product, and for daily disinfection throughout the entire treatment, as well as for prevention, you will need quite a lot of it.

Advice

To enhance the effect, it is recommended to treat the laces and insoles separately, regardless of the product you choose.In this case, it is the insoles that should be given special attention: be sure to wipe them on both sides. It would be a good idea to even soak them in the chosen solution for several hours.

Formidron or 15% formaldehyde solution

This product not only has a strong antifungal effect, but will also help get rid of unpleasant odors due to its deodorizing effect. Many people note the specific smell of the solution, but for the sake of the result it can be tolerated, especially since it dissipates quite quickly.

The method of application is still the same: treat the insoles and shoes from the inside with the solution, not missing even hard-to-reach places and seams, place the pair in an airtight container for a period of 24 hours, then dry and ventilate. By the way, it is better to place the package in a warm place, since in the heat the strength of any of the indicated substances will be higher.

Advice

Disinfection of shoes using pharmacological agents can be supplemented with the use of ultraviolet drying of any brand. Moreover, its use is often quite sufficient to prevent fungus. Dry your shoes after each wear for 8-12 hours, and the chances of fungus reproducing will be minimized.

"Mikostop" or "Gorosten"

If the advice on how to disinfect shoes using multifunctional products does not seem effective enough to you, try more narrowly targeted preparations, such as Mycostop or Gorosten sprays. It is used only to combat fungus and is also very convenient to use.

• Spray the solution generously inside the shoes.
• Let it dry thoroughly.
• Repeat for 3-5 days.

Note that the instructions for use of the products do not say anything about placing shoes in a bag or plastic container, but such a measure will not hurt and will only enhance the effect of the active substances, being a universal method of processing for most drugs and folk remedies.

Advice

During storage, you can put a cotton swab in seasonal shoes, slightly moistened with essential oils of cloves and any coniferous tree: they have a slight antiseptic effect that will not harm the material.

It’s possible to forget about fungus forever: just supplement the main course of treatment with these simple procedures for disinfecting shoes, and you can again wear open sandals without embarrassment, flaunting a flawless pedicure!