I have some shoes that I wear without socks. They can get quite smelly. After a while, even a trip through the washing machine will only dull the smell and it comes back with a vengeance in just a few days. The deal is, odor is caused by bacteria. To completely remove the odor, you must kill the bacteria. What works on my shoes is an overnight soak in a 50/50 mix of water and distilled white vinegar. The vinegar kills the bacteria. Then, run them through the washing machine the next day. I put the shoes in a ziploc baggie and seal them up in the mixture without any air bubbles. That way, I don't have to worry about making sure they don't just float on the surface. They come out completely odor free and stay that way for a while.
This thread is getting gross.... Maybe drink more water so you don't stink ;-) Really works and makes washing less like cleaning up a Superfund Site
For really stinky stuff like boots I saturate with hydrogen peroxide and let dry in sunlight.Kills the bacteria.I hold the boots open with a small piece of wood or a screwdriver.
