I’ve been wearing this stupid walking cast/air splint/21st century Velcro-laden torture device of itching sweating Doom since Wednesday before last, and I’m supposed to wear the stupid thing until next Wednesday when I go back to the doctor (and hopefully he’ll tell me I can take the stupid thing off and burn it) but meanwhile the stupid thing stinks to high heaven. I’ve been hosing the stupid thing and my stupid foot down with Odor-eaters spray every time I take it off, and that helps for a while, but then when I put it back on it quickly re-funkifies itself.
My friend suggested putting it in the freezer to kill the stink-germs, but I’m scared of what the smell will do to my ice cream. Any other suggestions?
“Odor-eaters spray” - Absolutely useless crap. In my experience it stinkifies rather than de-stinks. Try Fabreze - If you have a big enough freezer you can try freezing it overnight as many stink bacteria are heat loving and are more easily killed by cold than heat. This tip also works with tennis shoes.
The one I wore, for an extended period of time, allowed removing the padded section for washing. I put it on “gentle” in the machine and used cool air to dry it.
I also found not having it touch bare skin was better. I wore a boot sock over my foot (which helped keep my toes warm). For my leg I cut the leg off some old medical scrubs and had a scrub tube. I’d put that on before putting the brace on.
Oh, wait, you mean put it in a garbage bag and still keep the thing.
I tried the Febreeze, and then I drove to work in my un-air conditioned car and got stinky again. I’m wearing a sock and have it on over my jeans. Maybe I’ll try the Febreeze and the freezer tomorrow. Thanks!
I’m with ExTank; sprinkle it well (especially inside) with baking soda.
I’m in favor of putting something between your skin and the torture mechanism afterwards to prevent any possibility of irritation. If you have sensitive skin, it’s possible that you could get irritation, since there’s no way for the skin inside to breathe.
I had some dive booties that I used for kayaking. They tended to get Heinous Bootie Funk. There’s some stuff available in dive shops that kill the bacteria and the smell. I don’t remember what it’s called though.
Baking soda overnight, then brush or vacuum it off in the morning. And I mean a LOT of baking soda. Alternatives to baking soda are activated charcoal, diatomaceous earth or coffee grounds - all four have lots of nooks and crannies which absorb odor producing molecules.
But I’m surprised it’s so stanky if you’re wearing it over your jeans. Has the stank been confirmed by other people, or is it possible that you detest it so much (which I totally understand!) that you’re imagining or enhancing the stank?
Also, check with your doctor that wearing it over jeans is acceptable for your condition. They usually want those things very precisely tightened, and jeans may interfere with the areas of support your leg needs right now.
Well, it’s a current thread for me; I’ve been wearing a “stupid walking cast/air splint/21st century Velcro-laden torture device” for 3½ weeks now. Always a sock under it & the pants too (if I’m wearing them, as opposed to shorts on the weekend) but haven’t noticed any funky odor yet, even just smelling it now. Yes, there have been days where my pants leg was kind of damp when I took them off at night. I don’t sleep or shower with mine on so I guess it gets a chance to air out overnight???
