HOW TO GET RID OF SMELLY FEET

 

 Think of a hot, summer day when you've been walking around an amusement park all afternoon. Oooh, boy — your feet have been in those sneakers a long time! On the car ride home, you decide to kick off your shoes. It feels good, but it smells bad. In fact, you might get an earful from the other passengers in the car: P.U. — what stinks?

Bacteria are to blame. These tiny critters normally inhabit your feet and love dark, damp places like the insides of sweaty shoes. They multiply in sweat, so if you don't wear socks, that really gets them going.
In the right conditions, bacteria will feast on your feet. These bacteria eat dead skin cells and oils from your skin. Their colonies will grow and start getting rid of waste in the form of organic acids. It's those organic acids that smell bad.

And for 10% to 15% of people, the smell is really bad. Why? Because their feet are extra sweaty and become home to bacteria called Kyetococcus sedentarius (say: kite-oh-KAH-kus SEH-den-tair-ee-us). These bacteria produce more than just stinky organic acids — they also produce stuff called volatile sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds usually are powerful and awful smelling. If you've ever smelled a rotten egg, you know what volatile sulfur compounds smell like.

Smelly feet aren’t fun for anyone, but there are simple things you can do to make sure yours stay fresh.

Medically known as bromodosis, stinky feet are a common year-round problem. It can be embarrassing and unpleasant for you and people around you.
The main cause is sweaty feet combined with wearing the same shoes every day.

Why feet sweat

There are more sweat glands in our feet than anywhere else in the body.
Anyone can get sweaty feet, regardless of the temperature or time of year. But teenagers and pregnant women are especially prone because hormonal changes make them sweat more.
You’re also more likely to have foot perspiration if you’re on your feet all day, if you’re under a lot of stress or you have a medical condition called hyperhidrosis, which makes you sweat more than usual. Fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, can also lead to bad foot odour.
According to Lorraine Jones, chiropodist and spokeswoman for the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, feet become smelly if sweat soaks into shoes and they don't dry before you wear them again.
Bacteria on the skin break down sweat as it comes from the pores. A cheesy odour is released as the sweat decomposes.
"Your feet sweat into your shoes all day so they get damp and bacteria start to grow. The bacteria continue to breed once you’ve taken your shoes off, especially if you put them in a dark cupboard. Then, when you put your shoes back on the next day, even if you’ve just had a shower, putting your feet into still damp shoes creates the perfect conditions for the bacteria to thrive – warm, dark and moist."

Preventing smelly feet

According to Lorraine, keeping feet fresh and sweet smelling is all down to good personal hygiene and changing your shoes regularly.
“The key is never to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row," Lorraine says. "Instead, wear different shoes on successive days so they have a minimum of 24 hours to dry out. And make sure teenage boys have two pairs of trainers so that they don’t have to wear the same pair for two or more consecutive days.”
Lorraine says that it’s also important to wash and dry your feet every day and to change your socks (ideally wool or cotton, not nylon) at least once a day.
If you’re particularly susceptible to sweaty feet, Lorraine suggests that you could also:

• dab between your toes with cotton wool dipped in surgical spirit after a shower or bath – surgical spirit helps dry out the skin between the toes really well – in addition to drying them with a towel
• use a spray deodorant or antiperspirant on your feet – a normal underarm deodorant or antiperspirant works just as well as a specialist foot product and will cost you less
• put medicated insoles, which have a deodorising effect, in your shoes
• try feet-fresh socks – some sports socks have ventilation panels to keep feet dry, and antibacterial socks are impregnated with chemicals to discourage the odour-producing bacteria that feed on sweat
• wear leather or canvas shoes, as they let your feet breathe, unlike plastic ones
• wear open-toes sandals in summer and go barefoot at home in the evenings

Treating smelly feet

If you already have foot odour, the good news is that there’s a simple, quick solution.
Lorraine says: “A sure-fire way to get rid of smelly feet is to wash your feet with an anti-bacterial soap called Hibiscrub. There are lots of over-the-counter foot hygiene products at your local chemist, but Hibiscrub is the best one.
“Leave on the Hibiscrub for a couple of minutes, then wash it off. If you do this twice a day, you'll definitely banish smelly feet within a week.”
Lorraine adds that you shouldn't use Hibiscrub on your feet if you have broken skin, such as eczema.

When to see a doctor

Smelly feet are a common problem that usually clears up, but sometimes it can be a sign of a medical condition.
See your GP if simple measures to reduce your foot odour don't help, or if you're worried that your level of sweating is abnormally high.
Your doctor can offer you a strong prescription antiperspirant or refer you for a treatment called iontophoresis, which delivers a mild electric current through water to your feet to combat excessive sweating.
Here are more tips on how to look after your feet.

Read our top 10 tips on how to look after your feet, with special advice for the over-60s.

Your feet take the weight of your whole body, so foot problems can quickly lead to discomfort and affect the way you walk. This can in turn cause knee, hip and back pain.
The good news is that looking after your feet can prevent most of these problems.
Investing a bit of time and thought into caring for your feet now can prevent them causing you pain later.

Wash your feet often

Don’t go to bed without washing your feet. If you leave dirt on the skin’s surface, it can become irritated and infected. Wash your feet every evening with soap and water.

Dry your feet well

Dry your feet thoroughly after washing them, especially between the toes which is where germs such as Athlete's foot can easily breed. Then, apply a moisturising foot cream (not body lotion).

Remove hard skin

Gently remove hard skin and calluses with a pumice stone or foot file regularly. 

Cut toenails carefully

Always trim your toenails straight across, never at an angle or down the edges. This can cause ingrown toenails.

Shoe shop in the afternoon

Shop for shoes in the afternoon. Feet swell as the day goes on and if shoes fit in the afternoon when your feet are at their largest, you can be assured they will always be comfortable.

Footwear tips for work

If you have to wear heels at work, wear comfortable shoes to and from the office and only wear your smart shoes once you're in the office. Also, try to vary the heel height, between low, medium and high. Read how to choose the right footwear for work.

Limit time wearing high heels

Be shoe savvy. Wear high heels and pointed shoes for special occasions only, and always wear the right shoes for the job (so no sandals for mountain climbing).  

Change your socks often to avoid foot odour

Change your socks daily. wash them and iron because heat kills germs.

Watch out for foot bugs in communal changing areas

Wear flip-flops to avoid catching athlete’s foot and verrucas when you use public areas such as gym showers, swimming pools or hotel bathrooms. 

Take care with flip flops

But don't wear flip-flops all the time. They don't provide support for your feet and can give you arch and heel pain if you wear them too much.

Foot pain advice for over-60s

If you're over 60, foot care becomes even more important. Age takes its toll: your skin thins, your joints begin to stiffen and your feet become more vulnerable to the cold.
Not only that, but "Physically, it gets more difficult for us to get to our feet, and failing eyesight doesn’t help."
"Go to see a professional for a foot MOT every six months and never put up with foot pain as if it is normal. Your feet shouldn’t hurt."