skatingforums
On the Ice => The Pro Shop => Topic started by: Loops on May 31, 2015, 10:42:45 AM
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Ok so season ended yesterday, which means locker is cleaned out and skates are now living at home.
I have Risport Dance. I don't know how they treat their leather, but these things smelled weird out of the box. Not like now though. I do not skate barefoot, but I do wear only nylons so maybe it's not that much different. Can't get anything thicker than tights in there.
I can't get stink-eeze or anything like them easily, so over the course of the year, I've tried filling stockings with Activated Charcoal, silica gel and baking soda (not all at once- the AC and Baking Soda together, and more recently the silica gel). Nothing seems to help. They are stored open in a reasonably well ventilated locker.
I have taken out the insoles and lysol-ed them, along with the inside of the boots. They're airing out now, but it doesn't seem to have helped much. Stink overpowers the lysol. This is gross.
For the record none of my 80's era Riedells EVER stank like this, so I don't know how much of a role the weird leather is playing here (or not).
Has anyone found a good solution to this? Are commercial stink-eeze magic and worth importing, understanding that shipping will least double the cost and customs could potentially triple it. It's going to be an even longer 2.5 months off if I have to share my house with these gnarly beasts.....
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Stinkeez will just make them smell differently worse. I've tried.
Let them dry out for a few days, and put them so that a small fan blows into them. Air circulation can help.
I wouldn't have lysoled, but you've committed it, so you're stuck with the smell unless the air circulation gets rid of it.
You can also try Pingi dehumidifies, just put a small bag in each one.
My thought is that you need to really let these things dry out. Leave the insoles out.
Note, this may take days.
Next year take out the insoles every day and don't leave the skates in the locker. Smells like you describe don't happen overnight.
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Thanks AgnesNitt, Yeah, this started last year, not long after I got the boots, but they always smelled funny so I wrote it off for a while. This year it started getting weird, so I tried the DIY stink-eeze early on....October maybe. Mistake No 1, you think? Neither version ever really helped much. Unknowable as to whether they actually augmented the funk......
How are Pingi dehumidifiers different from socks full of Si gel? The socks I made don't fill the whole boot, just kind of lay on the footbed, and the blue crystals are still blue so they're still active.
I'll take your suggestion of airing them out a few days, as long as possible, really....if I can find a fan, I'll do that too. We don't really need A/C here, so aren't well equipped on that front.
I was already wondering if I should get those insoles out more frequently. I don't take them out because they're a pain to extract, they fit in there so snugly and my short fingernails just can't get a grip on them.......Not a good enough excuse though. But really, the insole is just a tiny part of the problem.....
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The Pingis and Stinkeze both contain silica, so other than convenience I can't see there would be any advantage over home made silica gel socks. I agree you need to get them as dry as possible inside eg with a fan. If the smell persists you could try swabbing them lightly with alcohol or Fabreze (supermarket own brands are much cheaper). Not ideal, and possibly not great for the leather inside the skate, but possibly not as potentially damaging as lysol. I have found Fabreze type products very good at removing odour
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I would think Silica gel would only work if the boot was taped off at the top, because otherwise the Silica would rapidly absorb water from the air, and become ineffective. But for the most part, you want the boots in a well ventilated place, not covered up at all, so the air can flow freely around them.
This is overpriced, but the lower temperature ski boot dryers, e.g., orange DryGuy brand dryers,
http://www.evo.com/boot-dryers/dryguy-dg12-ac/dc-glove-dryer-10.aspx#utm_campaign=child_EB-32687-1001_odd&utm_source=wlive&utm_medium=shoppingengine
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xdryguy+boot+dryer.TRS0&_nkw=dryguy+boot+dryer&_sacat=0
might help, if the air in your home is humid. (They also have cheaper models that only do AC or DC.) But some of the high temperature ski boot dryers might reshape your boot, and force you to heat mold them again. (BTW, I think some hockey boot de-oderizers do bake the boots, so if all else fails...) The orange DryGuy brand dryers are regulated to 99 degrees, if I recall right - essentially body temperature, so it is safe. Plus, tghey can help warm your boots before use, which is comfortable if your feet get cold, and helps them fit better.
Or maybe you could just use a hand-held hair dryer (or a rest-room hand-dryer) for 10 or 15 minutes - though if the boots gets too hot, you would need to re-heat mold.
I've used a dollar store generic instead of Febreze. Good enough for me. But my sense of smell isn't as good as some's, so if you are unusually sensitive, I don't really know what will work.
I wonder if a leather cleaner/conditioner (e.g., Lexol leather conditioner) would help. If you wipe it out, it might get rid of the Lysol chemicals, which might be corrosive.
BTW, if mold is growing on your boots, it reduces the lifetime, so I wouldn't wait too long.
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I like a mix of cheap vodka with a few drops of tea tree oil. Spritz the insides, and stuff with clean newsprint or paper towels. Admittedly, when I bought the $7 bottle of vodka, I wanted to tell cashier that I was using it for cleaning, not drinking!
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No mold!!!! Thank goodness.
For the record, it wasn't actually Lysol, but an environmentally friendly French equivalent. It's effective on the small things and, smells pretty good. Dunno if it's up to this though.....
Freeze (equivalent) and a vodka spritz are going on the "to try" list. Awesome ideas- thanks!
Keep them coming please!!!!!
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How about sunlight?
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/?topic=42169.0
It would help with protecting against mould, you might have invisible spores, waiting to bloom.
According to this, they would need to be free of dirt & skin debris. You could vacuum the insides & then expose as much of the inside as possible, while protecting the outer leather. If you're going to do it, I would do it before adding more chemicals.
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My risport's smelled AWFUL. I've never had that problem before. Someone told me that since the leather is soft and a better quality, it just takes in sweat and smells. Which isn't very helpful :( What I would recommend is just keeping them aired out. I try to leave my bag opened at the very least and I also try to take them out of the bag at home. My Jackson's smell much less bad, but can still get funky. I'd second the vodka and tea tree oil. Sounds like that'd work. Also, baking soda? Anyone tried that?
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I use a dehumidifier (i.e. appliance), on my skates and pads after every session. Between that and washing them in hot soapy water once every few months, it seems to keep the stank under control. Though both my skates are all synthetic, so I dry them out *completely* after every use. I suspect leather may not be too appreciative of being over-dried.
The roller derby folks typically use leather boots, and they sweat LOTS due to the physicality and not skating in a cold environment. I know they have this issue too, but MUCH worse. Maybe that's a useful avenue of research.
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My Klingbeils and SP-Teri's never smelled/smell bad but when I had Jacksons, they reeked! My kids' Jacksons were also stinky.
I used the DIY silica gel and activated charcoal but nothing really solved the problem.
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I too leave my skates in a locker at the rink. Not ideal, but convenient. I store my skates with these bamboo charcoal bags designed for sneakers, etc.:
http://www.mosonatural.com/Minimoso
I get mine through amazon. It isn't a miracle worker and perhaps yours are too far gone for this but it works reasonably well as maintenance.
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Nice to know the Moso bags work; I bought some for my skates in a discount store a couple of weeks back. The disadvantage over silica is they need recharging outdoors in sunlight for an hour, once a month, not always easy to arrange in the UK.
My low level Jacksons were beginning to get a slight smell when I put my nose in, after 7 months use. I am now washing my feet before I go skating, whether they need it or not :D
Higher level Jacksons are described as having the microfibre lining treated and having antibacterial properties. I am going to factor this in when I need to choose new skates.
Loops, it might help to remove the insoles if you tuck a very thin cord under them, to lever them out.(Same priniple as in some battery compartments) Strong polyester thread might work.
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DD's feet get VERY sweaty and then feel itchy so she sprinkles a bit of foot powder in her boot before skating to soak up moisture which helps keep the smell at bay and her feet happier. Just a light sprinkle does the trick - too much and it collects under your toes.
Do you replace your insoles every so often? DD uses thin, cut-to-fit, anti-microbial insoles from the drug store so they are cheap and easy to swap out. A triangular makeup sponge taped under the insole is what cushions her arch, so those get replaced too.
We try to remember to let them air out after skating, but it doesn't always happen.
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I have sweaty feet and even though I try to carefully air out my boots in between uses, and have tried the various remedies including the little de-stink balls, pingy bags, house hold cleaning sprays, etc. sooner or later the boots just plain smell. I feel your pain and feel sorry for my skate tech when I need a sharpening.
One thing that I haven't tried is a service offered at my rink for hockey players. We're not just talking skates--those guys have huge duffel bags full of gear that gets rank and delicious. But, for a fee, they can pack all that stuff in a cabinet, which is plugged into an electric outlet, that somehow destinkafies (might be a word) the whole mess. Don't know yet how this magic is effected or how much it costs or if in the long run it kills your boots but I plan to look into it and will report back. Meanwhile perhaps another more knowledgeable listee can explain how this phenom works and how long the process lasts. I can't believe our rink is unique in offering this service.
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"Deodorizing Options
Our Letter Writer mentioned that he was using an isopropyl alcohol solution that he mixed in a spray bottle and used to spritz his pads down after use, which is a good thing to do. It's not the best thing to do, but it is a good one. We're going to run through a few options when it comes to spray-on deodorizers, but it's important to note that these sprays won't do very much if you don't use them in concert with a thorough drying regimen. The best approach is to lay your pads out, either on the ground or on a rack, then spray spray spray spray spray, then flip the switch on your fan/dehumidifier, then go drink a beer and watch Beaches.
There are definitely many more spray-on odor-eliminating options out there, but for our purposes we'll talk about six of the most commonly used ones, in order of best to worst.
White vinegar: Cheap? Check. Kills bacteria? Check. Neutralizes odor? Check. Safe on stitching/leather? Check. Safe on your skin? Check.
Vodka: Cheap? Check-ish. It's certainly more expensive—even the cheap, cheap stuff, which is what you should use—than is white vinegar. Kills bacteria? Check. Neutralizes odor? Check. Safe on stitching/leather? Check. Safe on your skin? Check.
Clorox Green Works Wipes: Cheap? Check minus. Kills bacteria? Check. Neutralizes odor? Check. Safe on stitching/leather? Check. Safe on your skin? Check.
Isopropyl alcohol: Cheap? Check. Kills bacteria? Check. Neutralizes odor? Check. Safe on stitching/leather? Check minus. Rubbing alcohol can cause the leather to dry out and crack. Safe on your skin? Check.
Febreze: Cheap? Check minus. Kills bacteria? Check, but only if you use the antimicrobial version of the product. Neutralizes odor? Check minus. Febreze is more of an odor masker than an odor eliminator. Safe on stitching/leather? Check. Safe on your skin? Check.
Lysol: Cheap? Check minus. Kills bacteria? Check plus. Neutralizes odor? Check. Safe on stitching/leather? Check minus. Safe on your skin? Check minus. The biggest drawback Lysol has is that it can cause skin irritation, though if the pads are allowed time to dry completely the chance of the Lysol causing irritation will be lessened. Lysol really shines when it comes to using it in rank-smelling hockey bags."
The above was taken from this site: http://deadspin.com/your-hockey-gear-is-foul-clean-it-or-else-1464457604
I don't agree re the febreze, in my experience even after the perfume smell has gone, there is no trace of the original smell, and it is marketed as removing odours, not just masking them.
The rest of the site emphasises drying the equipment thoroughly after use, and having an absorbent layer between you and the equipment. You can apparently buy a home appliance which circulates warm air around your equipment in a hang up bag.That might be the technique in lutefisk's rink?
Will be very interested in hearing more about it.
The other thoughts I've had:
It is recommended for shoes that you don't wear the same pair every day, allegedly having 2 pairs more than doubles the life of the shoes. So if you really can't completely dry out your skates between sessions, you could think about investing in another pair of skates
Scholl make both a foot antiperspirant spray and a sneaker treatment spray. I'm guessing any antiperspirant would work, although spray easier than roll ons.
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you could think about investing in another pair of skates
Bwahahahahahaha! At close to 800 euros a pop for stock boots (and the blades), that's not gonna be happening. Maybe when I make the olympic team and can justify it. Awesome list otherwise though.
We're only on day 2. I've washed the insoles and dried them. No more stink. :D Boots.....still stinky, still airing out....I'm still searching for our fan. If we still have it, it's buried in an unmarked box in our basement. Wish me luck.
I'm going to work through the suggestions you guys have made, and any more that pop up. The stank has already lessened. I can no longer smell them unless I'm next to them, so progress is happening. :)
Would really like to figure out how I can leave them in my locker next year AND get them to not be stinky. I only skate two days a week, so they in theory do have time to dry out between. I don't want to be schlepping them back and forth- I often run to the rink, and when I don't I'm in a mad rush....forgetting them is a real risk. It's already happened!
Going to look into the Mosobags once the younglings are in bed.
Curious about the powder Dressmakingmomma.....I haven't used it out of fear of it getting grody in the foot of the boot.
My toes/forefeet don't sweat...on the contrary they're usually numb with cold, so I think this is mostly my ankles and instep which deffo do sweat. My boots have a suede-like lining. It's not the smooth leather of my ancient Riedells. I don't think it's microfibre like the jacksons, but I need to research that. I wish I could scrub them out like I did the insoles, but that's not gonna happen. Kind of tempted to have a go at the tongue lining though. That'll be a last-resort option, I think.
Thanks guys! You're awesome.
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I'm glad you're getting the stink out! For the first time ever today, another skater took her boots off at the next bench, and my friend and I were both nearly overcome. We both (independently - corroborated the story later on the ice) first smelled our own stuff as inconspicuously as possible, then looked around for hockey players, and then realized it was her boots. Nice lady with very stinky boots.
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FWIIW, Vodka, AFAICT, is almost purely a mixture of ethanol (about 40%) and water (about 60%).
In the U.S., those rubbing alcohols that are mostly ethanol would have almost the same composition (though much more toxic to drink), but are cheaper - partly because of taxes.
But I've never tried either.
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I'm so sorry - I made a bad mistake.
It is the "denatured alcohol", not the "isopropyl alcohol" based ones that would resemble Vodka. And you would have to add almost 50% water to get it down to about the right concentration.
But both the ethanol itself (including the Vodka), and the denaturing agent are serious solvents, that might damage the glues that help hold the boot together, and if they touch the outside, might strip the polish and its protective clear coat.
So before trying any of the chemicals that have been suggested, I suggest you call the boot maker. They can tell you what the chemicals might do, and they may have a better idea!
:-[
Sorry!
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I'm glad you're getting the stink out! For the first time ever today, another skater took her boots off at the next bench, and my friend and I were both nearly overcome. We both (independently - corroborated the story later on the ice) first smelled our own stuff as inconspicuously as possible, then looked around for hockey players, and then realized it was her boots. Nice lady with very stinky boots.
OMG, I hope an I not that person....my locker certainly stank (kept a bottle of deodorzer in there for spritzing purposes), and I did always feel bad leaving my skates for my coach to sharpen, but I at least never noticed anything before I managed to get my feet into them......
I know I am not alone.
Thanks for the heads up Query, I'll keep that all in mind.
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So an update....
Skates have been sitting all week wide open (took the opportunity to wash the laces) at times with a fan on them. While they aren't a bed of roses, I think I'm back in the zone of normalcy. I expect there to be some level of funk. But now I have to stick my nose into the boot and I don't want to die from the experience.
I've been trying a very strong anti-bacterial/cleaning spray that I can make from the cleaning product line I get (French thing, so I won't bother with details). That seems to be doing nothing. So I'm not hopeful that the vodka/tea tree oil mix I was planning to make will do much. Though that is on the list of things to try for maintenance. I will NOT have this problem again.
I was looking at the Fabreeze options at the grocery store....That I think is going to be the next step. I swore someone wrote about fabreeze sheets on here (I had the image of stuffing them into my skates, along with the Si-gel sleeves I have). I couldn't find them. Turns out I made all that up, no-one actually mentioned sheets. So I'll have to get something next time I'm in the shop.
Someone asked about baking soda....I did try baking soda back in October when I made my first DIY stink-eeze. It was combined with activated charcoal that I got from the aquarium store. Did nothing. Perhaps with some Si-gel too it might be more effective. Maybe that's something else I'll try for maintenance.
Amy1984- You had the same issue with Risports? But not Jacksons....That is very curious, but in line with my low-funk Riedells. Anyone else out there with Risports who experienced something similar? I don't know that they're higher quality leather than Riedell or Jackson (or any of the other boots out there, made for competitive skating), but they sure do something funny to the leather.
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Glad it's getting better. I just looked at one of my Febreze bottles. It says to spray until damp, as it removes odours when it dries. I'm not sure spraying sheets would help. The pet odour one is antibacterial (99.9% of bacteria), so you might want to look out for that one. I think it's bacteria that makes sweaty things smell. It also says not to use on leather, but I dont think a light spritz, repeated as necessary is going to do more harm to leather/suede than alcohol, or sweat. If you overdo it, I guess you'll get water marks. HTH
Spraying my feet with unperfumed antiperspirant this week didnt massively improve the dampness of my skates or slight scent of feet, but I am now more aware of which part of my foot gets wett, and wil try to be more thorough next time
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At the risk of posting about nothing except smelly feet & skates, I have just found out that Odor-eaters do an anti-persp/deo spray that you use on yr feet & shoes just before you put them on, and then on yr shoes when you take them off. Could be good as a preventative measure. It's called (in the UK) Foot & Shoe spray, ;D £4. If I hadnt just bought some Mitchums wd have given it a go
Kiwi do a shoe spray
One or other of the O-E/Kiwi lasts 48 hours acc to blurb on bottle, I forget which
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You know, many human-applicable deodorants work partly by suppressing your own ability to smell yourself, based on the chemicals they contain. That makes you feel better about yourself, but doesn't help others' impression of you.
Could some of these foot de-oderizers work the same way?
:)
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I think deodorant does work, one of my friends is allergic, and I can tell she doesnt use it.
Loops, I have tucked the thin little ribbon that comes with tops, to hold them on coathangers in the shop, that I tend to cut off, under my insoles, and I cant feel them in my skates at all. They do help pull out the insole, and I dont have to keep pinching the same part of the insole to get them out, which I was worried would damage them. They need a bit of care to position, and they are easy to lose in the car when I am airing my skates on the way home.
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You know, many human-applicable deodorants work partly by suppressing your own ability to smell yourself
I think deodorant does work, one of my friends is allergic, and I can tell she doesnt use it.
I said "partly". If you look at the ingredients, and look them up, many (maybe even most) brand name deodorants contain a chemical that tends to suppress your sense of smell. That doesn't change the fact that most deodorants also contain an anti-antiperspirant, and something that tends to kill microorganisms, both of which actually reduce the amount of odor you produce.
P.S. I think I've got that right. Someone else did the research, and that's what they told me. It doesn't matter enough for me to check. I'm not even sure how you look up what all the ingredients are, because they only usually list the "active" ones on the package - which I think means the ones the FDA requires them to list.
BTW, maybe your friend hasn't tried all the types of deodorant. They don't all have the same active ingredient(s), and they don't all have the same perfumes, and other non-active ingredients.
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I finally made it back to the rink the other day (still nursing a broken arm, so not skating) and asked the kids in the pro shop about the cabinet that hockey players stuff their smelly gear into to render it all downy fresh. Basically it's a combo of UV light and ozone. They usually charge $25 bucks for a whole bag of hockey gear but said if I wanted to run just my figure skates they'd charge me $15 bucks. I haven't done so (yet). I figure I'll wait til I'm back on the ice and the boots are good and ripe again so that whatever the outcome, it will be a good test. I should be skating again by mid-September and thus my test will probably take place in mid-October. Not exactly full press summer stink conditions but it will be the best that I can accomplish under my current circumstances.
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UV and ozone? - maybe they are just trying to kill the bacteria or mold.
So... I wonder if leaving it outside in the sun on a sunny, low humidity day would do the same thing... Sunlight has ultraviolet. (You'd need to use sunlight on both sides.)
Assuming you don't live in a high theft area!! :sweat
P.S. A window is not the same thing. I think most glass absorbs a lot of the U.V.
P.P.S. I wouldn't try to work with ozone myself. Ozone is not good for you.
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Query: As I'm sure you know, ozone, like bleach and hydrogen peroxide, is a fairly strong oxidizing agent. The advantage of ozone gas is that one need not dunk one's boots in a bucket of liquid for roughly the same effect. Boots come out of the treatment a lot less squishy--a great benefit! What is unknown (at least to me ) is the effect of the ozone on the leather of the boots. Are modern hockey skates constructed from leather or are they mostly synthetic? I'm guessing mostly synthetic. As for me working out safe ozone concentrations--no need to worry--I'm much too lazy! I'll spend the $15 and chalk it off as an experiment.
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I still say that a skate drying rack like this would go a long way to prevent odor in the first place. Think of how easily heavy, moist air can escape. ;)
(http://www.afterness.com/skating/images/skate_rack_done-29edt.jpg)
And it keeps the spiders out during the off-season. ;D (Oh how I wish I could skate right now!)
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Will be really interested to hear about this experiment lutefisk. The sterishoe uv shoe sanitiser manual says uv light may discolour the interior of the shoe, and uv light may accelerate the degradation of certain materials. I wonder how often the hockey guys use the machine. . Yes, definetely build up a good stink!
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I guess leaving boots outside would not be a good idea in a city that had dirty air. Coal dust, wood and other smoke, pollen etc., could coat the boot. To some extant, they might wipe or buff off, but I've seen buildings in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh that looked so dirty that I'm not sure anything short of demolition would remove the dirt.
A major "active ingredient" of smog is ozone... but maybe not enough to help. And I'd bet if there were enough ozone to sterilize bacteria and fungi associated with stink, there is also enough to be unhealthy to people - especially if you are asthmatic, but maybe otherwise too.
Are modern hockey skates constructed from leather or are they mostly synthetic?
Almost all modern hockey boots are synthetic. Very few modern hockey skaters (I think a very small fraction of the goalies) use leather boots.
AFAICT, leather is just dried out skin (usually cow skin), chemically treated ("tanned") to resist bacteria, fungi, worms, maggots, and other living things - though apparently not completely enough, if there is stink. Live skin is affected by UV, so I'm sure leather can be damaged by UV too. (Of course, UV covers a wide range of wavelengths - don't know what the shoe sanitizers use.) I'm sure ozone will react a bit with the finish on the outside of the boots too. But if you have this problem, you have to decide what matters more - stink and decomposition, or occasional minor damage from de-stinking operations.
Better yet, always wipe the boots dry, and let them dry and be stored in the open air (assuming your home isn't too humid), not in a locker, bag, car trunk, Zucca, etc. The boots will probably last longer too. I've never knowingly had all that much trouble with boot stink not even on my prior 12 year old Klingbeils - but my feet don't sweat much, I am careful to let boots dry in the open, and my sense of smell isn't that great, so maybe I just don't know they stink. :)
I suspect most of the smell is from the inside of the boots, because that's what gets most wet, though if you keep the boots in a locker, etc., moisture will to some extant spread everywhere. So if you really care about color, you could cover the viewable outside of the boots with masking tape during treatment. Who cares if the insides discolor?
Your skate shop would be very happy to replace your boots every time they start to stink, for a "modest" fee! :) Think of them as disposable? :)
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Boots come and boots go. I get roughly 2.5 to maybe 3 years out of a pair and since I resist the temptation of buying higher than Jackson freestyles, that works out to less than 100 bucks per year--way cheaper than the equipment replacement costs for some of my other hobbies.
The part that stinks is not the external leather (which never the less will probably take a hit from the uv part of the program), but rather the soft, moldable interior which in summer seldom completely dries out regardless of storing the skates out of the bag with the laces slack enough to pull the boot tongues open. This particularly so if one skates 4 or 5 days per week. Winter is easier--I store my skates in the heater room and they usually dry over night.
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the soft, moldable interior which in summer seldom completely dries out regardless of storing the skates out of the bag with the laces slack enough to pull the boot tongues open. This particularly so if one skates 4 or 5 days per week.
A good boot drier, like the regulated 99 degree F (about body temperature - fairly safe long term) DryGuy models designed for ski boots (search eBay - like this AC/DC powered model (https://dryguy.com/product/Travel_Dry_DX)), would probably help, with both moisture and stink. I've used an older model in the winter to warm up my boots before I skate. Don't use the higher temperature models, or it will mess up your heat mold.