H-e-l-p! how to get rid of stubborn foul smell in a pair of 50s eng. boots

[Zero2Hero]

Taking my hat off to everyone as we speak...ive been keeping a pair of vintage 1950's engineer boots far away in a storage locker because for almost 1.5 years because ive been unable to get rid of a foul, dampy, i dont want really want to add mil-dewy to the mix as it was not wet or damp when i initially acquired them but anyway ive been unable to sport them since i got them and granted ive kept them in a zippered bag because i did not want it to affect other items in my storage.
Any tried and tested tips cheerfully accepted.
till soon
Zero2Hero

 

[Adama36]

Febreze (inside and outside)/fresh air for a day/Febreze/wipe down with cloth/fresh air for a day ... repeat

 

[Zero2Hero]

Adama36- Many thanks for the fast reply - Ok so the initial stage of spraying it with Febreze, how long do i leave it for before airing it? also after initially spraying it, do i keep it in a zippered compartment/bag ?

 

[FlakMagnet]

Baking soda will do the trick. A couple of tea spoon fulls in the shoe, give a it a shake. Give it a couple of mins for it to work. Use febreeze after if you want to, and let completely dry

 

[Adama36]

Adama36- Many thanks for the fast reply - Ok so the initial stage of spraying it with Febreze, how long do i leave it for before airing it? also after initially spraying it, do i keep it in a zippered compartment/bag ?

spray them then air them outside
no zippered compartment bag

 

[Zero2Hero]

Flakmagnet - Baking soda sounds economical, maybe i should try that first, in the event that the BS works well enough, how would i get it out of the boots ? Obviousley i will attempt to shake it out but would it be ok to remove the rest with a damp cloth or something ? Cheers.

 

[FlakMagnet]

Flakmagnet - Baking soda sounds economical, maybe i should try that first, in the event that the BS works well enough, how would i get it out of the boots ? Obviousley i will attempt to shake it out but would it be ok to remove the rest with a damp cloth or something ? Cheers.

Shake residue off, and maybe use a vacuum to get the stuck bits off. If you really need to, maybe use a cloth or paper towel dampened with rubbing alcohol or disinfectant instead of water? Moisture (from water) could potentially make your boots smell again.

Also, I’m a big fan of wearing wool socks with boots as it’s really good for wicking moisture out of your feet, and keep shoes from stinking.

 

[Zero2Hero]

FlakMagnet - Much obliged, will report back on progress.

 

[Zero2Hero]

UPDATE: No dice - yea the odor more mighty than the baking soda, it almost made no difference at all and i let it sit a few hours. On to the Febrez but i have to ask again, ya'll sure it will work for a really hard core stubborn odor?

 

[mulceber]

UPDATE: No dice - yea the odor more mighty than the baking soda, it almost made no difference at all and i let it sit a few hours. On to the Febrez but i have to ask again, ya'll sure it will work for a really hard core stubborn odor?

A few hours really isn’t enough time for baking soda to de-odorize it. I’d seal it in a plastic bag for the better part of a week.

 

[Zero2Hero]

Thats honestly what i thought too..a couple hours on something so hard core just didnt sound right but i tried it anyway, luckily i didnt mess with it so i can just leave it where it is a few days, someone also suggested spraying with white vinegar down the line.