Did you know that the average shoe contains about 421,000 units of bacteria? This can include E. coli and many other microscopic organisms that can cause a whole host of health issues.
During the COVID pandemic, we’ve learned to get serious about disinfecting. But while we’ve become more meticulous about sanitizing our hands, we often don’t think about all the germs our shoes pick up every day.
We all understand that our shoes are filthy, but few know what to do about it. Andi, it’s important to disinfect shoes properly for it to be effective. Keep reading to find out how.
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How to Disinfect Shoes
Before doing any sanitizing, it’s a good idea to clean dirt and grime from your shoes. Keep an old dish brush, toothbrush, or rag handy for this.
Below are five easy and proven ways to keep your shoes-and your home-clean and free of bacteria. They are ranked in order of cheapest and easiest to most expensive but most thorough.
1. Keep Your Shoes Separate
One of the simplest things you can do to keep bacteria from spreading from your shoes is to take them off when you enter your home. Also, store them near your entryway and away from other possessions, if possible.
2. Washing Machine
While this may not be suitable for some materials like leather or suede, throwing your shoes in the washing machine is a great way to kill bacteria. With so many programming options on modern washers and dryers, it’s a suitable way to clean many shoes.
The best way to kill bacteria in your washing machines is to go with a hot or warm wash setting. If your dryer has this option, rack dry them instead of tumbling. If it doesn’t, you can hang them out to air dry.
3. Wipes and Sprays
Disinfectant wipes are a cheap and simple way to disinfect shoes. And you probably already have some of these lying around to use on your hands. They also work pretty effectively removing scuff marks and shining your shoes to boot (get it?).
A disinfectant spray is a great way to quickly and easily kill bacteria. And they double as a deodorizer.
But stay away from strong household disinfectants, like Clorox or Lysol, as they can cause damage to some materials. There are plenty of inexpensive sprays available online or at your convenience store.
4. Mats
Many simple shoe-disinfecting mats work like giant lint rollers to remove dust, hair, dirt, pollen, or any other debris stuck tor your shoes. Once a sheet is used, you can peel it away to reveal a new layer.
Rubber mats are good for people who work outside and regularly have soiled shoes. They are good for wiping away dirt and grime. And you can add sanitizing solution to some to ensure a thorough clean.
5. Technology
There are appliances, much like small washing machines, specifically designed for cleaning shoes. They come with many different functions, including disinfecting, deodorizing, and others. They are a great way to ensure your shoes are both clean and sterile.
If you want to take disinfecting to the next level, various machines use ultraviolet (UV) light to kill bacteria. You can find handheld ones as well as mats that incorporate this technology. These are state-of-the-art and are about as effective at killing bacteria as any product available.
Keep Your Shoes and Your House Clean
Now that you have an idea of the different ways you can clean and disinfect your shoes, you can have the peace of mind that your home is free of bacteria or viruses.
We hope this information on ways to disinfect shoes is helpful to you. Be sure to check out our other lifestyle blog posts, as well as those on technology, business, and many other topics.
