Another study during the Coronavirus pandemic proved that organisms taken from the soles of medical frontline workers tested positive for the virus. This discovery showed that the virus could survive and live on surfaces with shoes being easy carriers.

 

You may love wearing shoes around the house, but worry about bringing germs into your home. The primary way to prevent spreading viruses through the house is to change into a new pair of shoes indoors, which could be loafers or slippers placed right at the entrance. If you prefer to wear your shoes indoors, consider using shoe covers.

 

This does not mean that not wearing shoes in the home automatically keeps germs away; your feet still come in contact with your shoes and floor afterwards – which results in germ or bacteria transference from feet to floor. If you prefer to keep shoes off the primary living area of your home, you could create a separate space like a doormat placed by your entrance. Your shoes may then be disinfected or wiped to make them germ-free. Also, ensure you wash your hands immediately as you wouldn’t want to get germs on your hands while trying to rid your shoes of them.

 

This article covers several ways to disinfect shoes, mostly easy to adopt for home use. It also discusses how to avoid the spread of germs across your house by keeping your shoes germ-free and clean.

 

Popular Shoe Disinfecting Agents

 

Disinfecting shoes is highly effective in preventing the spread of germs in your home; it can also help prevent foot fungal infections like athlete’s foot. If you’ve had a previous infection, the disinfecting practice does help to avoid reinfection.

Knowing how to disinfect shoes goes beyond cleaning them with chemicals that eliminate germs. There are some disinfecting agents you can use to disinfect your shoes safely, and depending on the shoe material, they can be either mild or harsh.

 

Popular shoe disinfectants include:

 

• Alcohol
• Bleach
• Vinegar
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Hypochlorous Acid
• Disinfectant Wipes or Spray
• Baking Soda

 

 

These disinfecting agents cannot be applied or used without precautions. It would be dangerous to use bare hands when cleaning with bleach. For example: You would want to avoid dipping your hands into a bowl full of vinegar to disinfect your shoes. Using special tools and supplies to disinfect your shoes will protect your skin and other body parts from exposure.

Some of these materials and tools include:

 

• Wipes
• Hand gloves
• Spray Bottles
• Brushes
• UV shoe sanitizers

 

Let’s discuss, in greater detail, how to use these disinfecting agents and tools to keep shoes free from infection-causing organisms.

 

 

Types Of Shoe Disinfectants

 

Here are some items that you can use to disinfect your shoes.

 

Hydrogen Peroxide

 

 

Hydrogen Peroxide is one popular and widely used cleaning agent that is versatile and almost ubiquitous. A solution containing 3% hydrogen peroxide is potent enough to disinfect your shoes while clearing any visible dirt.

Hydrogen Peroxide is safe for colored shoes and can be mixed with water in a spray bottle. To use hydrogen peroxide as an effective shoe disinfectant, spray the solution on the soles of your shoes, and then wait for approximately 5 minutes for it to absorb.

Alternatively, mix Hydrogen Peroxide with baking soda to create a paste that you may apply to the upper part of the shoes. This can be applied and then rinsed off or left to dry in the sun before being wiped off.

 

 

Rubbing Alcohol

 

 

This disinfecting agent is best for suede, leather, and nubuck shoes. Shoes from these materials require special care; they are delicate yet durable. This is a type of disinfectant that has a mild antimicrobial feature that kills bacteria. It is otherwise called isopropyl alcohol.

Create a solution of water and Rubbing alcohol, in a 1:3-ratio. Then dip a clean cloth in the solution and rub the outside of your sneakers with it. Afterwards, you can leave your shoes outside to dry.

 

 

Hypochlorous Acid (HOCI)

 

Besides bleach, which some find has a strong odor and can irritate the skin, there is another disinfectant for your shoes that is 100% safe for both your skin and your shoes. Hypochlorous acid is a non-toxic, eco-friendly, and naturally produced solution from water, salt, and electricity.

If the shoes are washable, you can soak them in hypochlorous acid with no fear of damage. The Ecoloxtech system generates this solution on-site. It is not only mild, but it is about 80 times more effective than regular chlorine bleach. Simply produce the solution with the easy to use system, fill your spray bottle, and spray directly on your shoes!

HOCl kills the bacteria on shoes in seconds, readily breaking through the protective barriers of bacterial membrane to neutralize and kill them.

 

 

Disinfectant Wipes or Spray

 

Both of these are great disinfectant agents for eliminating viruses and should be adopted as regular household disinfectants. Most disinfectant wipes are made primarily for home surfaces; however, some are designed specifically for shoes. Wipe your shoes with these and leave them to dry out or as directed on the label.

You may also use disinfectant sprays on the inside of your shoes. This does much to prevent the growth of fungi that could result in athlete’s foot and other leg and foot infections.

 

Conclusion

 

Regularly disinfecting your shoes not only keeps them in great condition, but it also keeps them free from viruses, bacteria, fungi and germs.

 

1. https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/
2. https://www.nike.com/a/disinfect-deodorize-shoes
3. https://www.hypochlorousacid.com/
4. https://www.ecoloxtech.com/
5. [i] https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/31/hospital-doctor-scrubs-porch/

 

 

Other Uses of Hypochlorous Acid

We said earlier that hypochlorous acid is a general disinfectant. These are the other things that hypochlorous acid can be used to disinfect:

• Food Produce
• Meat
• Furniture
• Surgical/Medical Equipment
• Livestock
• Water
• Seafood
• Poultry
• Household furniture and fittings
• Toilets and bathrooms, among others.