Autumn is here and sandal season is well and truly over. But, if reaching for your old shoes has caused you to hold your nose at the same time, you need this hack. The 'Queen of Clean' has shared a classic top tip for freshening up smelly shoes.
Be they wrapped up in thermal socks and stuffed into trainers, or shoehorned into the latest must-have heels, there’s no avoiding stinky soles.
But fear not, there’s a nifty hack for that!
Simply pop an unused – expired, even – tea bag in your feisty footwear, and that nasty whiff will vanish overnight. Who knew?
Instagram influencer, Lynsey Crombey, and the official ‘Queen of Clean’, did! She swears by this ‘oldie but goodie’ foot hack.
Super absorbent, tea bags soak up the moisture and sweat to beat the pong. Any variety will work, from herbal to Tetley’s, PG Tips or Rooibos
The longer you can leave them stewing in your shoes, the better - though we wouldn't recommend using them to brew up a cuppa tea afterwards.
And, did you know tea bags actually have lots of others uses, aside from drinking - from cleaning mirrors and windows and to blitzing pesky pests on your pot plants. So, make sure yet the most out of these perforated gems for other household tasks.
Here’s our top 5 uses for tea bags
A relaxing foot bath
Do your feet need a bit of pampering? Well, not only do tea bags freshen up footwear, they can also be used to blitz bacteria and deodorize your tootsies, and smooth dry, cracked heels. Simply steep five tea bags for 20 minutes in boiling water, leave it to cool and then soak your feet for about 20 minutes.
Freshen up cupboards
Is that cupboard under the stairs a wee bit whiffy? Grab a few of your fave herbal brews. You can make it smell great with your choice of tea bags! Simply hang them in the guilty cupboard and their natural aroma will kill off any stale smells and nasty scents. You can even put them in kitchen bins or your gym bag.
Remove marks on mirrors and windows
Unwanted marks on mirrors and windows are a fact of life, but as with so many things, tea is the answer! The tannins in a good cuppa help dissolve dirt and grease quickly and easily. Black tea has the highest amount of tannic acid, so are best for this tea-tastic cleaning hacks:
- Steep a strong brew of black tea
- Let it cool before pouting it into a spray bottle
- Spritz your window or mirror
- Let it sit for a few minutes
- Wipe off with a damp cloth
Read more: Mrs Hinch's cleaning tips
Deter ants and other pests
Spearmint tea is the brew of choice if you need to repel ants and moths, while peppermint staves off fleas and beetles. Simply sprinkle the appropriate tea on dried leaves, then place them in strategic areas. The peppermint may irritate the pesky pests’ nasal cavities seeing them scarper. Put a few drops of peppermint oil on the tea bag for a real kick!
Remove hand odour
Chopping up garlic, onion, and seafood leaves your hands smelling far form fresh. To get rid of the stink, rub a damp tea bag all over your hands and fingers before washing them with soap.
It seems tea really is the solution to all your woes.
Remember, keep calm and have a cuppa!
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