How to get rid of fungus in shoes?

The World Health Organization reports that fungal disease is found in 12-18% of people. Since no one is safe from an unpleasant illness, the question may arise at any moment - how to get rid of the fungus in shoes? You will learn about the most effective ways to deal with such a problem from this article.

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How to prevent fungal infection?

In order not to become infected with fungal diseases, follow simple hygiene rules:

• Always wear only your shoes. It’s categorically impossible to lend personal shoes, as well as not your own shoes.
• Buy only comfortable, high-quality shoes in which your legs will not sweat, otherwise you can become infected with onychomycosis.

Important! Remember that even incorrectly selected length or completeness of shoes, sneakers can provoke problems not only with shoes, but also with the skin of the legs. So check out how to choose the right shoe size.

• You can’t walk barefoot in warm and humid public places (pool, sauna, bathhouse).
• All hygiene products, including nail care (files, scissors, etc.), should be used only in person.

Important! Even the implementation of all sanitary and hygienic measures does not guarantee complete protection against fungus, so it is necessary to apply various preventive measures, including treating shoes with disinfectants.

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Shoe disinfection against fungus

A harmful fungus kills an acidic environment, so all means of processing should provide such conditions. The question of how to clean shoes from fungus should be asked not only when the disease has already appeared, but also so as not to infect their feet and nails. We recommend to use for shoe processing:

• 20-40% formalin solution;
• 1% solution of chlorhexidine bigluconate;
• 40% acetic acid solution;
• special sprays;
• Timson device.

Are folk remedies effective in cleaning shoes from fungus?

Folk remedies include 40% vinegar essence and 20% formalin solution. It is necessary to use these products very carefully, since the paint on the shoes can peel off, and the “footwear” itself can lose its appearance. Therefore, do not rinse the inside of the shoe with these products, just dip the swab into the solution and put it in the toe. In addition, when working with vinegar essence, beware of getting it on the skin and mucous membranes, as the essence can cause severe burns. In case of accidental contact with the skin, immediately flush the affected area with running water. In addition, experts consider the vinegar essence not to be reliable enough for disinfection, so you can try to solve the problem of how to clean shoes from fungus, but no one guarantees 100% effectiveness.

The formalin solution is quite effective, but has an unpleasant odor. If you decide to use this tool to get rid of the fungus in shoes, then after smearing you can remove the nasty smell only with ammonia.

In addition, formalin is toxic. It is a potent carcinogen and allergen. It is quite difficult to get it, there are derivatives of formalin (formidron), but they are not reliable for disinfection.

Important! With formalin, be sure to work in a mask and gloves.

Since folk remedies are quite unsafe, we recommend using more modern drugs to cope with the problem of how to clean shoes from fungus, correctly and safely.

How to handle solutions?

Instructions for use of solutions:

1. Take a cotton swab or piece of foam.
2. Moisten the prepared material in one of the above solutions.
3. Work shoes inside, as well as insoles.
4. Put the swab in the socks of the shoes.
5. Wrap the shoes in a plastic bag and seal tightly.
6. Leave the bag in a warm place for a day.
7. After a day, open the bag and air the shoes.
8. Repeat the event several times if necessary.

Important! For the prevention of the disease, do seasonal disinfection of the fungus: before folding winter shoes into boxes, pre-treat it. For summer, do not leave cotton wool with a solution in shoes!

Fight fungus with a spray

Any of the described solutions has an unpleasant odor. In addition, shoes after their use can deteriorate, but modern shoe sprays do not spoil its appearance, reliably protect the skin of the foot, have a pleasant smell and effectively help get rid of the fungus in shoes. Among the most popular:

• Gorosten spray. It contains decamethoxin. This medication is effective against candida infection.
• Mycostop gel. It contains tetranyl. This medication is effective against all types of fungi.
• Desovid gel. Similar to a mycostop, but its cost is much lower.

Treat shoes with one of the above sprays, following this algorithm:

1. Remove the insoles from the shoes.
2. Work insoles from 2 parties.
3. Dampen a cotton swab with a spray and wipe the entire surface of the shoe, paying particular attention to the toe.
4. Gently apply the spray to the sole.
5. Wrap the treated steam in polyethylene (preferably using vacuum packaging).
6. Leave the shoes for 12 hours.
7. Expand and ventilate the treated steam.

Important! Work on shoes during the week.

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Shoe disinfection equipment

If you want to forever forget about the problem of how to get rid of the fungus in shoes, and are ready to spend money, use modern devices from those described below. They are the most effective means of struggle.

Thimpson

A reliable tool to not only get rid of the fungus in shoes, but also to prevent its appearance - ultraviolet liners for shoes "Timpson". This versatile device fights all types of fungal infections.

The advantages of this device abound. Firstly, you don’t have to waste time sorting shoes into components, and then packing them in a bag. It is enough to put the device in each toe of the shoe for 6-12 hours, then turn on the power and go to bed calmly, because at this time four ultraviolet lamps built around the perimeter will affect the spores of the fungi. The heating temperature of the device is 65 C, so that the shoe will not only clean, but also dry out, which is important in the off-season.

Xenelight

This device kills 99.9% of fungi by affecting their DNA. The instructions for use indicate that the processing of one pair of shoes occurs within 5 minutes. Therefore, in an hour you can disinfect the shoes of all household members.

This device is suitable for both home and sports and model shoes. Inside the “Xenelight” gas-discharge bactericidal lamps are installed. It works on 4 AA batteries (a pair will require 8 batteries). It is not necessary to plug this device into the socket, the batteries will last for 2 months of operation, and the device should work for 5-7 years. Put a desiccant in shoes with the appliance.

Important! To dry the shoes, leave a desiccant for 4-6 hours.

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Helpful hints:

• Disinfection must be carried out both before and after the treatment of the feet themselves.
• With prolonged therapy, treat your shoes monthly.
• The infected socks and tights must either be discarded or boiled for 20 minutes in a 2% solution of ordinary laundry soap and soda, and then ironed. With this treatment, the spores of the fungus die.
• Spray “Thermicon” is used only for the treatment of feet and legs, it is not suitable for disinfection of shoes.
• For the treatment and prevention of diseases caused by Candida fungi, use monastery tea for parasites.It consists of 16 medicinal plants that are highly effective in treating not only fungal diseases, but also other skin diseases. This tea will cleanse the body as a whole.

Important! The following tips will also help you get rid of this problem forever:

• Proper Foot Care.
• Leather, suede and other shoe care.
• A selection of quality socks.
• A selection of quality tights.

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What method of combating fungal diseases to choose - everyone decides for himself. The main thing is that the goal be achieved and this problem no longer bothers you.