The Drunk Husband’s Magical Mistake: A Story of Refrigerated Shoes and Unexpected Wonders

I couldn’t get into the room, so I slept on the sofa in the living room. I didn’t mind, he could sleep wherever he wanted. But I was shocked when I woke up the next morning.

I was startled to find my husband’s shoes in the fridge when I opened it in the morning. (Illustration)

It turned out that when I opened the fridge to get ingredients for breakfast, I found a pair of shoes in the freezer. My husband was so drunk the night before that he mistakenly put his shoes in the fridge instead of the shoe cabinet. What’s more, he even put them in a plastic bag and tied it tightly, just like how I store food.

I was both annoyed and amused, so I woke my husband up and showed him his “masterpiece”. He was also surprised and couldn’t remember what he did when he came home last night.

However, when we opened the plastic bag to check the shoes, we were both astonished to find that the shoe odor had completely disappeared. My husband tends to sweat a lot in his feet, so even though he regularly washes his shoes and keeps his feet clean and dry, there is still an unpleasant odor inside the shoes.

Usually, he has to use a special shoe deodorizer every day to get rid of the smell. But surprisingly, the odor was gone without using any spray.

We were thrilled to discover this new method of odor removal. However, since the fridge is also used to store food, we still use the shoe deodorizer as our primary method. We will only resort to using the fridge when we run out of spray.

Why does putting shoes in the fridge get rid of the odor?

Even with clean and dry feet, it’s challenging to prevent odor from building up inside the shoes. This is because a certain amount of sweat and bacteria are left in the shoes after each wear, causing the unpleasant smell. This is especially true for low-quality shoes with poor ventilation.

It may sound bizarre, but putting shoes in the freezer is actually a very effective way to get rid of the odor. The cold temperature inhibits and kills the odor-causing bacteria, eliminating the smell from the shoes.

However, you should not put your shoes directly into the freezer or fridge. Instead, place them in a plastic bag, seal it tightly, and then put it in the fridge or freezer. This will prevent cross-contamination and avoid any food odors from getting into your shoes, defeating the purpose.

Additionally, you can try the following methods to eliminate shoe odor:

– Use baking soda: Shoe odor is acidic, while baking soda is alkaline. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your shoes before going out, and you won’t have to worry about odor even if you wear them all day. Alternatively, prepare a paper bag filled with baking soda and put it in your shoes every day when you get home. The odor will be gone by the next day.

– Use copper coins: Copper has antibacterial properties. When you sweat, the water will hydrolyze the copper into ions, which can penetrate and disrupt the structures of odor-causing microorganisms, effectively eliminating shoe odor. If you have copper coins, put them in your shoes every day after work and take them out the next morning.

– Use 75% alcohol: Foot odor is caused by organic compounds that are easily soluble in alcohol and ethanol. Spraying 75% alcohol into your shoes will cause the odor to evaporate, quickly eliminating the smell.

Other benefits of putting shoes in the fridge

In addition to odor removal, putting shoes in the fridge can also help with shoe stretching. If you bought shoes online and they are a bit too tight, you can use this method instead of going through the hassle of returning them.

Here’s a simple way to do it:

– Pour water into two ziplock bags. The amount of water will depend on how much you want to stretch the shoes. If the shoes are tight at the toes, pour water to fill 1/4 of the bag. If they are tight at the toes and the instep, pour water to fill 1/2 of the bag. If they are tight at the toes, instep, and ankles, pour water to fill 1/3 to 1/2 of the bag.

– Check the bags thoroughly to ensure they are properly sealed and there is no air inside. This will prevent the bags from forming ice bubbles and altering the shape of the shoes.

– Place the bags of water into the shoes, making sure to seal the bags tightly to prevent leakage. Try to get the bags as close to the toes as possible if that’s the area you want to stretch.

– Put the shoes in the freezer for 4-8 hours to allow the water to freeze.

– After this time, take the shoes out and let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before removing the bags of water.