# Crazy Birds and Stinky Feet
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 30, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302 "2007-11-30T14:00:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/1 "2007-11-30T14:00:51Z")
We have two pressing problems at this house and I’m hoping for some suggestions.
First, there’s a pair of cardinals who attack the window in the playroom every day, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or thereabouts. I know it has to do with having enough light to see their reflections, since it’s the problem has grown as the leaves have fallen. What I don’t know is how to discourage them without blocking the window entirely (we need the light).
I can tell you what they’re NOT afraid of:
- The big bird-shaped silhouette I made from black construction paper
- Large, menacing green eyes drawn on white paper
- My son’s school picture
- A monkey
- SpongeBob SquarePants
Second, there is a foot odor problem brewing. I’m not going to say whose. But the stink is rather serious. Anti-fungal sprays aren’t helping. I suspect it’s cheap shoes (specifically the GLUE in cheap shoes), but I don’t know which brands would be better and the person in question doesn’t want to invest more in footwear.
Any odor-free men’s brown leather shoes on the market?
Again, not naming names.
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### Author:  [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/2 "2007-11-30T14:06:41Z")
A _pair_ of cardinals, you say? Hrm. Would this unnamed individual wear _red_ shoes?
Sailboat
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/3 "2007-11-30T14:08:51Z")
Is his name Angel?
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/4 "2007-11-30T14:36:28Z")
Blacking out the window will only make their reflections more noticeable from the outside. You might have better luck applying window frosting film - most of the light will still come through.
Or put a lampstand in the window.
Or place the stinky shoes on the outside window ledge, to ward off the birds.
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### Author:  [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/5 "2007-11-30T14:47:02Z")
😛 Hmmm…there’s a "killing two birds with one \_\_\_ " joke just out of reach.
I do wonder what would happen if I put the shoes out where the birds are. Unfortunately there’s no easy way to do so; there’s no ledge, the window is in a corner behind the toybox, and it cranks partially open to the side rather than lifting up.
What would probably happen is I’d forget about them and it would rain, so in the morning I’d present him with two large, soggy, stinky, bird-poop coated leather globs. “Have a nice day!”
**Ludovic** you lost me with that one, sorry. 😃
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/6 "2007-11-30T14:53:36Z")
Sorry: Elvis Costello song: Angels Want to Wear my Red Shoes. I’m always torn between putting [/reference tags] on my posts and worrying about ruining the joke for those that get them.
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### Author:  [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/7 "2007-11-30T15:17:40Z")
I had the Cardinal problem a few years ago. The big black bird cut out didn’t work until I made it out of plastic and put it on the outside of the window. Placing a lamp at the window worked for a little while.
Little bastards waking me up at 5:00am. Bang…Bang…Bang…
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/8 "2007-11-30T15:23:38Z")
I vote for the frosted window film - on the outside of the window. As long as they can see their reflections, they’re going to attack the window.
As far as the shoes go, I think you can get some sort of stuff to put in them that will take the stink out - I’ll check and report back.
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/9 "2007-11-30T15:43:33Z")
Here’s a couple things to try:
I found a research paper some student had done on de-stinking shoes, and in her experiment the most effective de-stinker was to crush penicillin tabs and sprinkle them inside the shoe! Kills the bacteria the best, I guess. Second best was to freeze them for at least 12 hours. I’ve also heard of sprinkling the insides of the shoes with baking soda first then and putting them in the freezer overnight.
Also get some silicone water protectant spray and spray the inside of the shoes (this is after they’ve been de-stunk). It will help prevent sweat from soaking in.
If he’s only got one pair of shoes that he wears all the time, get another one or two pairs. Don’t wear the same pair every day - it doesn’t give the inside of the shoe a chance to dry out.
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### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/10 "2007-11-30T15:51:52Z")
Run the shoes through the washer and then leave them to dry overnight. It washes the stink right out of them.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/11 "2007-11-30T16:00:20Z")
[QUOTE=romansperson]
Here’s a couple things to try:
I found a research paper some student had done on de-stinking shoes, and in her experiment the most effective de-stinker was to crush penicillin tabs and sprinkle them inside the shoe! Kills the bacteria the best, I guess…
[/QUOTE]
Were antiseptics part of the same trial? I think splashing antibiotics around needlessly is quite a bad idea, really.
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### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/12 "2007-11-30T16:11:04Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
Were antiseptics part of the same trial? I think splashing antibiotics around needlessly is quite a bad idea, really.
[/QUOTE]
It was some kid’s project for a science fair, not an official recommendation on anything.
[http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2005/Projects/J1318.pdf](http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2005/Projects/J1318.pdf)
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-birds-and-stinky-feet/428302/13 "2007-12-01T01:53:17Z")
[QUOTE=fessie]
…
What would probably happen is I’d forget about them and it would rain, so in the morning I’d present him with two large, soggy, stinky, bird-poop coated leather globs. “Have a nice day!”
[/QUOTE]
If the feet are as stinky as you say, this just might be an improvement. I say go for it! 😃