How To Disinfect Shoes From Athlete’s Foot To Prevent Future Infections

Foot fungus or Athlete’s Foot is not only uncomfortable but also embarrassing. It dries up the skin of your feet, makes it red and itchy, and often bears the possibility of spreading to the rest of your body through contact, giving rise to problems like nail infection.

Do you know how to disinfect shoes from Athlete’s Foot? 

For this, you can use anti-fungal products, baking soda, vinegar, or bleach and also let out your shoes in the sun. These precautions will prevent possible reinfections in the future.

In this article, you will learn how to keep your shoes clean and fungus-free as a part of your overall foot care and prevent the infection from returning. coming back.

Read also: Best Shoes For Athlete’s Foot

How To Disinfect Shoes From Athlete’s Foot?

You can disinfect Athlete’s foot with anti-fungal products, using baking soda/vinegar or by simply letting your shoe out in the sun.

These and similar other methods have been discussed below:

Anti-fungal Products

You can use prescription anti-fungal medication or OTT medication to relieve the severe itches that Athlete’s Foot is generally accompanied by. This can help soothe the sensitive areas of your foot and take down the itching. 

You will find Lamisil to be really helpful for this. It is available in both gel and cream form and is a great medication for scaling, burning, and itching feet. All you need to do with it is wash and dry your feet and apply the ointment afterward. 

If you’re not a fan of creams, you’ll also find anti-fungal sprays like Ting, which contains 2% Miconazole Nitrate and really helps the infection from coming back. Just spray some inside the shoes and leave it to dry, after which you can wear your shoes.

Baking soda and Vinegar

Fungi spores lead to the future growth of fungus. You can try home remedies to alleviate the itching and get rid of the spores. For this:

• Add vinegar and water in a spray bottle in a 2:1 ratio. 
• Sprinkle a pinch or two of baking soda inside.
• Spray this inside your shoes. Or, sprinkle baking soda in your shoes separately and spray the water-vinegar mix in the shoe later.
• Let it dry for the smell of vinegar to go away and spores to disappear.

Sunlight

When you wear your shoes daily, the moisture accumulates from everyday and leads to a foul odor coming off, other than the dread of Athlete’s Foot approaching. 

To save yourself from this, after each wear, you should let out your shoes and let them dry in the sunlight. Airing them out often or at least twice a week helps the sunlight soak in the moisture, get rid of the smell and prevent fungal infections.

Bleach

Bleach can also be used as a disinfectant to prevent fungal growth. However, if your shoe is going to suffer build-wise from the bleach (as some shoes have bleach ruin the shoe as well as the owner’s hands if used inappropriately), then refrain from using this.

How to Get Rid of an Athlete’s Foot Forever?

You can get rid of Athlete’s foot for a really long time if you keep your feet clean. You can either soak your foot in seal salt at least once or twice a week and use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol in the same frequency to keep Athlete’s Foot at bay.

Sea salt baths

In a bowl full of hot water, add sea salt or pink Himalayan salt and soak your feet in it for 25-30 minutes or till the water becomes cold. 

You can use cleansing stones and scrub the bottom of your feet meanwhile to really get the germs out. Dry and moisture your feet after that and you’re done.

Rubbing alcohol

You can also use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on your feet. Simply take a cotton ball and apply one of these two directly onto your skin. You can also dilute it with a little water and still have the fungus killed on your feet.

Should I Be Wearing Socks To Bed If I Have Athlete’s Foot?

If you have detected you have Athlete’s Foot, you can wear socks to bed to prevent the infection from spreading to your blankets, bedsheets, etc. that may come in contact with your feet.

However, if you find your socks getting damp from trapped moisture, it would be better not to wear them, as it might create a perfectly dark and damp place for the fungus to continue growing.

Do I Need To Throw Away My Shoes If I Have Athlete’s Foot?

No, you don’t need to throw your shoes away if you have Athlete’s Foot.

Instead, you can disinfect your shoes to kill the fungus and treat your foot to prevent the spread of the infection to other parts of your body.

How Long Can Athlete’s Foot Stay In Shoes?

Athlete’s Foot can stay in your shoes for as long as you don’t take measures to remove them or kill them off.

The dark, humid and damp insides of the shoes are perfect places for the fungus to stay and thrive in. So unless you’re disinfecting the shoes, they can stay as long as they want and trigger reinfections. This is especially true if you wear the same shoes out every day.

Can Foot Powder Get Rid Of Athlete’s Foot In Shoes?

Yes. Foot powder can get rid of Athlete’s Foot.

Just like anti-fungal products, foot powders like Lotrimin are designed to make the fungi weak over time and prevent their replication and multiplication inside the shoes, eventually preventing them from spreading. 

Can Essential Oils Kill Fungus From Athlete’s Foot In Shoes?

Yes. If you have leather shoes that you can roughly cleanse with all-chemical products and you want a natural solution to get rid of Athlete’s Foot in those, you can try the solution of using natural essential oils to kill them off inside.

You can use Tea Tree oil for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. Simply mix it with a little 

Warm up coconut oil and keep applying it in the affected areas daily. There are also creams with tea tree oil in it if you don’t want to DIY it.