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.

 

[Zero2Hero]

UPDATE: No dice..ive now left it for over a week with a healthy serving of baking soda..it didnt make a damn bit of difference, and i honestly doubt fabreeze can tackle this hard core job. What other remedies can i try..as ive stressed the smell is really hard core, not a nasty stench per say but more like something thats been left damp or wet for a long while..akin to mildew on wet walls or something..but there is no evidence of actual mildew on them.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Can you show an image of the inside?

If the smell is due to mold/mildew etc, you can spay borax diluted with distilled water inside the boots, and repeat.

Not a wetdown, just humidify. Wait for it to dry and repeat, until it's gone.

HTH,

D

 

[Zero2Hero]

No worries..here are some pics, but the white dust you see in the inside is because i have yet to vacuum the baking soda out of the interior.

Cheers
BTW if anyone can help me date them it would be great..i'm guessing they are 50's but perhaps older?

 

[Thomas Koehle]

I'd also try FEBREEZE - just spray it on in a closed room - inside and out ...

I had some good experience with that stuff on garment

Wasn't there any sort of wood that absorbs odors?

Or any kind of "activated carbon"?????

 

[mulceber]

Wasn't there any sort of wood that absorbs odors?

Yep, cedar. That might help some.

I'll add that para mothballs are an odor eater as well - that's why the active ingredient gets used in urinal cakes. Put them in a pillowcase in the boots, seal (air-tight!) the boots in a Tupperware container, and leave them for a few weeks. Then let them air out in a well-ventilated space.

 

[Zero2Hero]

Thankyou both. I'll carry out your suggestions and report back in a few days. Ive been wearing vintage shoes for 20+ years but never have i come across a stubborn smell as extreme as this. You guys have an idea on how old they might be? I am guessing 50's but maybe older not sure.

 

[D97x7]

If it was me, I'd spray them with something antibacterial, leave them a few days and then chuck them in the washing machine. Sounds a bit risky I know, but if you can't wear them because they smell then there's nothing to lose in my opinion. I've done it before with mouldy, smelly boots, allowed them to dry naturally, the applied leather conditioner and I'm still wearing them today. Of course if they're a valuable collectors item you may want to ignore this post!

 

[Pa12]

Thankyou both. I'll carry out your suggestions and report back in a few days. Ive been wearing vintage shoes for 20+ years but never have i come across a stubborn smell as extreme as this. You guys have an idea on how old they might be? I am guessing 50's but maybe older not sure.

Unless there’s a label or something it would be hard to tell. Many companies have been making engineer boots for decades. From 30 dollar ones to 1000 dollar ones. I used to buy the cheap ones when I was a young teenager in the early to mid 70’s. My old man always gave me shit for wearing out the soles on the dirt bikes

 

[Zero2Hero]

Pa 12/D97x7 thanks for your inputs. Pa12- Indeed there are cheap versions flooding the market today but the outsole brand detail (on mine) are your tell-tale signs of age if no tag/brand info is present. Im pretty sure they are atleast 50's, what im not sure about is if they are older.