Dear Dr. Peg,
My girlfriend says I have stinky feet. I don’t notice it, but she said that her socks even smelled bad after she washed them with mine. I wear the same pair of shoes all the time, but I shower every day and put on fresh socks. I’m a clean person. Please help me. She’s sleeping on the couch.
Dear Stinky,
You likely have a fungal infection of the feet, also known as tinea (fungal infection) pedis (of the foot). This is also called athlete’s foot, but you don’t have to be a contender to score this deal.
We all sweat, and sweat has odor. You said you don’t notice the smell. This is common. We adjust quickly to our own body odors and often don’t notice them. Sometimes it takes tough love and a good friend to wake us up. Foot sweat by itself can have a strong scent, but if your girlfriend’s socks pick it up in the washer, your odor is more likely to be caused by fungus.
A fungus is a life form. It is closer to a plant than an animal, but rates its very own kingdom in the five-kingdom taxonomy of life forms. Within the kingdom Fungi there are more than 100,000 species. Fungus is everywhere.
We don’t have as much in our dry climate as someone who lives in, say, Florida, but we have plenty. Fungi (the plural form) live on and off people, on gym mats, shower stalls, rotting logs, old food and old shoes, to name a few places.
A few fungal species have a special affinity for human skin. Among other things, they cause jock itch, diaper rash and athlete’s foot and ringworm, which isn’t actually a worm.
The ideal habitat for certain fungi is somewhere dark, warm and wet. Shoes fill the bill perfectly. That’s one reason that, although I’m a big believer in recycled clothing, I don’t recommend buying used shoes. Fungi can hang out for ages in the deep, dark cracks, only to bloom and reek in the heat of a new pair of feet.
If you have tinea pedis, you need to do three things: clear it from the skin, clear it from your socks and shoes and prevent it from coming back.
Killing fungus on the skin is a fairly straightforward proposition. There are a variety of anti-fungal products available over the counter at any pharmacy. Creams and ointments work better than sprays or powders, because they stick to your skin more tightly. The usual dose regimen is twice a day, applied after washing your feet. Please note that if the fungus has gotten under your toenails, making them yellow and thick, you will need stronger magic. See your doctor.
You can kill the fungi in your socks by washing them in hot water. Add bleach to whites. Do the same with your sheets. Oh, and your girlfriend’s socks, too. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution on any mold or fungus you see growing in your shower. Air the stall out thoroughly between showers.
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Getting rid of fungus in shoes is much more difficult. Wash them if they’re washable. Spray them with anti-fungal spray and put anti-fungal powder in them. Most of these efforts will be futile, unfortunately. You’re better off getting rid of the old shoes and starting over.
To prevent athlete’s foot from occurring or recurring, keep your feet as cool and dry as possible. Change socks twice a day if they get wet with sweat. Try a pair of super absorbent, odor-eating inserts. Change shoes often, and go without shoes when you can. Open shoes or sandals give your feet more air, and fresh air is like poison to foot fungi.
Here’s something that might surprise you: You can have “fungus feet” with no odor at all. The yellow or white cracking skin on your heels and soles that you thought was just dry skin is often actually a type of fungal infection.
After-shower treatment with a pumice stone and anti-fungal cream will clear those cracks right up. Make this a regular part of your routine, and your feet will stay soft and whole.
Having tinea pedis does not mean you are unhygienic or somehow bad. It’s just an infection. And in spite of her socks taking on your Eau de Foot aroma, your girlfriend is not likely to catch it. Take the steps above and soon she’ll ditch the couch and be back in your fragrance-free bed.
