Yeah VFFs are funky...but sometimes not in the good way

[Hawkeye]

eeewww...that would be gross too! 

I stepped in dog poop once in barefeet. it was the most disgusting feeling.  Our dog pooped in the house over night....I got up in the morning to go to the bathroon and as I was walking down the hall...half asleep still....squish!!! AAAHHHH!!! ok...now I was awake.....I then proceeded to hop to the bathroom on one foot and immediately stuck my foot in the tub and started scrubbing it.  to my parents it was rather hysterical - I however (at the time) didn't think it was funny.....but really gross!       Its funny now looking back on it...LOL! 

Somehow it's a little better when it's your own dog because you're familiar with them and their diet. Stepping in strange dog poop is worse.

[Rana]

Somehow it's a little better when it's your own dog because you're familiar with them and their diet. Stepping in strange dog poop is worse.

(Cats are full of surprises too - my dad's still upset by the time bare foot met dead mouse.)

[GreenLightJerky]

I have my OxiClean Spray bottle ready! So far no funk! Thank you for the great thread.

[kaioslider]

Well, weeks ago I washed both pairs of my KSOs in the washer with OxyClean and used the machines presoak cycle.  I believe I had at least washed each with OxyClean at least once before the last time.  Since then, I've only been wearing my V5F with injinjis.  And I've not had an odor issue since.  But I guess that was to be expected - you can be sure that if you went sock-less in regular running shoes you'd have an odor problem too.  The injinjis are fine, especially since it's getting colder, but I think next summer I'll be going sock-less.  I guess I just need to plan on washing them often.  I'll probably also try that Bac Out then too.

[koffeekev]

Somehow it's a little better when it's your own dog because you're familiar with them and their diet. Stepping in strange dog poop is worse.

(Cats are full of surprises too - my dad's still upset by the time bare foot met dead mouse.)

One of my cats leaves nice wet hairballs around.

[Rana]

One of my cats leaves nice wet hairballs around.

(I've been grateful our cat has a smooth, short coat.)

[dardo]

I just wash my ksos about twice a week and that stops them from smelling... I put them in the drying mashine after, so far they are handling it fine

[Zyzzyx]

Twice a week? 

I can go two weeks without even looking at the washer, and still have stuff to wear. I'm glad that my VFFs aren't smelly (yet?), don't want to think about washing them twice/week.

[dardo]

I guess my feet sweet a lot
The shoes collect dust and it all becomes a bit sticky and smelly (i wear no socks). So I need to wash them very often

[toastergirl]

dardo....I understand, I too have sweaty feet....and with not wearing socks it can make for rather noxious smelling footwear! 

I found that i needed to soak mine in hot water and a laundry detergent for about 15-20min  (like 'Sport Wash' or 'WIN', designed to get rid of the bacteria from sweating..I got mine at Dicks Sporting Goods) for technical/wicking sports clothing.  I soaked them then rinsed real well with hot water and then air dried them.  they smell a LOT better now. 

Have only been wearing my KSO's run in (or days its been really cold), so they don't need as frequent washing now.  Other than I wear my black classics all the time.  That's probably helping to alleviate some of the smell....

[Zombee88]

I've been also trying to find a cure for stinky Vibrams, I own a pair of flows, and I use them 5 times a week, for the gym. At first the smell could easily go away with regular washing, but after a while, it got worse and worse, I did a little bit of scouting around online and I did find a product called NATURE'S MIRACLE. I wanted to first try this, before actually trying the Oxi Clean products. So I went out to PETCO, (but I believe any pet store will have them) and got it. Cameback home and got the stinky flows onto the sink, Sprayed the hell out of the inside, and also the outside material. I let them sit for 30 mins then threw them in the washer. Hung them outside to dry, and as of early this morning the smell is gone. I was really happy since I thought the smell would always hunt my Vibrams. The trick in the product I believe is the Natural Enzymes that eat away the odor causing bacteria. I will also definitely give the Oxi Clean a shot sometime.[/b][/b][/b]

Well there is my experience, I just wanted to throw my two cents in.
If anybody else gets this product let me know how it works out for you.

[Hawkeye]

Hmm should we start using pet stan remover on our VFFs? The enzymes would eat the smell away, but I wonder if it would damage the material, but then again if it doesn't destroy the carpet...

[iain]

I wash mine weekly with Ecover hand wash, it does the job. I do take the time to give them a good scrub in the inside of the toes. But it takes ages for my KSOs to dry. Normally a day and a half which means I don't have VFFs to wear 

I have had them dry in a very warm airing cupboard a few times and it still takes at least overnight. What are other peoples experiences with drying time?

[ZeitHeld]

Never more than overnight. And I mean washing them at midnight. I do usually opt to put a fan on them though.

[RichardLillard1]

I have a bottle of that Nature's Migreat cleaning agent. racle stuff. It's basically the same thing as OxiClean--Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda.

Also, check this out;

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2194067/save_money_by_making_your_own_oxi_clean.html

This stuff isn't some miracle of modern science that happens to be natural, it's just those two elements, which together form a great cleaning agent. The pet stuff is the same thing along with some type of a scent thrown in as well.

The pet stuff is expensive here in Phoenix (like $10 for a bottle), and the ingredients list off as the two aforementioned, and surfactants and a stabilizing agent. Surfactants just make it easier for two things to stay mixed, which anyone who's ever tried to mix Peroxide and Baking Soda knows, it's hard to keep it as one uniform liquid...they often separate and as a result you need to shake the heck out of the bottle first or your spray bottle will attempt to spray chunks of Baking Soda, which doesn't go well (my first night using this, I spent ten minutes trying to get my shoes clean just because of the bottle clogging up). A stabilizer would probably just be something to further make sure the two components don't separate.

My advice to anyone would be to save your money and go to a grocery store and purchase a box of Baking Soda and the Hydrogen Peroxide that comes in a spray bottle. It's a shame that Oxi Clean and all of these other natural miracles out there cost so much when you can buy the two ingredients necessary to make your own for less than half the price.

Quick tip about Peroxide--you should store it in a bottle that's dark, because the Sun's UV rays can break it down and make it useless. Hence why it always comes in a dark brown plastic bottle.


Richard


P.S. - Do any of you that have sweaty feet notice that your feet slide around a lot inside the shoes, or could this be a fit related problem?