UV Light Sterilization for Shoes: Does It Really Kill Bacteria and Odor?

Alright, so I’ve been having this issue with my shoes lately – they smell, to put it nicely. I’ve tried a bunch of things, but nothing seemed to do the trick. Then I remembered seeing something about UV light being used for sterilization, and I thought, why not give it a shot for my stinky shoes?

So, I went online and did some digging. Turns out, there are these UV-C light devices specifically designed for this purpose. The idea is that the UV-C light, with its 200-280 nm wavelength, can mess up the nucleic acids in those odor-causing bacteria. At least, that’s what some websites said. Sounded promising enough, so I decided to get one.

Got the UV Sterilizer

The device arrived a few days later. It was a simple box with a UV-C lamp inside. The instructions were pretty straightforward – put the shoes inside, close the lid, turn it on, and let it do its thing. It felt like a bit of a gamble, but I was desperate.

First Try

• I placed my worst-smelling pair of sneakers into the sterilizer box.
• Closed the lid.
• Turned it on, I could see a faint purple glow from the gaps.

It ran for about, maybe 30 minutes. I don’t know exactly since I went to do some other things. When it was done, I opened the box and took a cautious sniff. To my surprise, the smell was noticeably reduced. It wasn’t completely gone, but it was a huge improvement.

Experimenting More

Encouraged by the initial results, I started experimenting with different shoes and durations. I found that leaving the shoes in for a longer period, around 45 minutes to an hour, seemed to work better. Some folks online mentioned using heat along with UV, but my device didn’t have that feature. I guess that’s something to consider for the future.

The Verdict?

After a couple of weeks of using this UV shoe sterilizer, I can say it’s been pretty effective. My shoes are definitely less smelly. It’s not a miracle cure – I still wash my shoes regularly – but it’s made a noticeable difference. Plus, it’s super easy to use, just toss the shoes in and press a button.

I’ve even started using it on other stuff, like my gym bag and my kid’s stuffed animals. I figure, why not, right? As long as I’m careful not to look directly at the light, it seems safe enough.

So, if you’re struggling with shoe odor and have tried everything else, maybe give UV sterilization a try. It worked for me, and it might just work for you too. Just remember to follow the instructions and be patient. It might take a few tries to get the hang of it.

It’s not like some scientific experiment with controls and variables and stuff. But based on my own smelly shoe situation, I’d say this UV thing is worth a shot.