Ways to deep clean and disinfect your shoes

The ongoing pandemic has reinforced the value of good hygiene and self-care in our lives. Observing the best hygiene practices is the new norm, which means not only washing and sanitizing your hands regularly but your footwear as well, to get rid of any potential virus on them.

"Even though people are exercising all the necessary precautions and restricting movement, sometimes stepping out of the house just cannot be avoided. People need to buy essentials for daily needs, and now as the economy is gradually opening up, the movement of people will naturally increase as well. It is more important now than ever before to ensure we prevent the virus from entering our houses through unsuspecting carriers from our hands to our shoes. We need to ensure our shoes are properly sanitized before we enter our houses," Matteo Lambert, Chief Collection Manager, Bata India Limited told IANSlife.

Here are a few tips and tricks from Bata on how to effectively sanitize your footwear without causing any damage to the material or design.

Disinfectant wipes can come in handy while sanitizing your shoes. They are great for cleaning surfaces and insoles of the shoes. However, it is recommended to use bleach-free wipes as they are gentler and will not cause any damage to your shoes.

Regular household items such as detergent, antiseptic solutions and alcohol can be sprayed at a distance of 30cm for sanitizing your shoes. However, remember that sanitising liquids with high alcohol content can be harsh on shoes and damage shoes in the long run especially leathers. Hence it is recommended you practice a little restraint and caution with these items. But would not recommend this on suede and nubuck leathers.

If your footwear is made of fabrics like canvas or mesh, you can simply machine wash them at a higher temperature setting. It will get the job done in the most effective manner, and with the least effort.

Air dry your shoes in a ventilated area. It is the best and safest way to dry your shoes. You want to make sure your shoes are dry and ready to be worn again for your next grocery store expedition.

To nip the problem in the bud, keep a separate pair of 'Outside Shoes", and use them only for when you have to step out of the house. Always remember to remove the shoes before stepping inside the house. As a practice, also make sure to always wash and sanitize your feet before you step inside the house.

Be sure you wear gloves while washing or sanitizing your shoes. The entire purpose of sanitizing footwear will be defeated if you don't have the gloves on. Don't forget to immediately throw away the gloves after you've completed the sanitization process

If you don't have access to gloves, make sure you don't touch your face while sanitizing your shoes. Once you are done sanitizing your shoes, wash your hand properly before you come in contact with any other surfaces inside the house.

You can also consider keeping a pair of disposable medical shoe covers handy.

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