Questions and answers

Freshness kick from nature – the natural sneaker refresher

Posted on by Till
27
Aug

You’ve been on your feet for a long time on a hot day, take off your sneakers in the evening and the unpleasant smell of sweat and worn shoes pulls into your nose. Unsightly, but not unavoidable!

Because we have developed a natural sneaker refresher that neutralizes unpleasant odors in sneakers (or shoes in general) in a natural way – without any harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances or harmful ingredients.

In other words, a shoe deodorant for your sneakers, which refreshes your shoes and neutralizes odors with its disinfecting and long-lasting effect.

There are many shoe deodorants on the market. But only a few meet the following characteristics:
Our Tapir Sneaker Refresher refreshes and neutralizes odors in a completely natural way. The developed smell of the refresher is uniquely developed in our laboratory and is particularly long-lasting. Can be used on all shoes that have a strong smell.

Without chemicals, without additives – purely unadulterated with the forces of nature. It is vegan, completely biodegradable and consists of valuable, renewable raw materials.

In the following, we list all the ingredients in detail and explain their purpose in the Sneaker Refresher.

Water
The water serves primarily as a carrier medium to distribute all the other ingredients of our Sneaker Refresher evenly. It also dilutes concentrated substances so that they can be applied gently and safely. Furthermore, the water ensures a fine misting of the spray jet. This allows for an even application over the entire inner surface of the sneaker. It also helps the spray evaporate evenly without leaving stains or residue.

Alcohol
Alcohol kills bacteria and fungi through its disinfecting effect, which are responsible for unpleasant odors in shoes. Thus, it not only fights the smell, but also its cause. Since alcohol evaporates faster than water, it ensures that the Sneaker Refresher dries quickly after application. Moisture, which could promote mold or new odors, cannot be created in the first place.
In addition, alcohol acts as a solvent for the essential oils that are in the refresher. These are not water-soluble, but can be evenly distributed in the spray by the alcohol and therefore do not end up as stains on the shoes during spraying.
Last but not least, alcohol has a slight preservative effect and can thus help to extend the shelf life of the product by preventing the growth of germs in the spray.

Polyglyceryl-10
Polyglyceryl-10 is a natural, plant-based and skin-friendly emulsifier made from glycerin, which is often derived from vegetable oils such as coconut or canola. The “10” stands for the number of glycerol units in the molecule. The higher the number, the better the ability to combine water and oil.
Since essential oils are not water-soluble, as mentioned above, they would settle on the surface of the spray without an emulsifier, which would lead to uneven spraying and stains. The polyglyceryl-10 mixes water and oil into a stable solution, ensuring an even distribution of the product without a greasy film on the shoes.
It is ideal as an ingredient in our Tapir Sneaker Refresher because it is non-irritating, vegan and contains no aggressive surfactants.

Laurate
Laurates (or lauric acid derivatives) are ingredients that are extracted from lauric acid. This saturated fatty acid occurs naturally in coconut oil or palm kernel oil.
Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid with antibacterial properties. Laurates have an emulsifier function and help to combine water and oil (e.g. essential oils). They therefore have a similar effect to polyglyceryl-10.
Some Laurates also have a mild cleansing effect because they can bind dirt and grease. This is similar to the function of gentle soaps. They also have a natural antimicrobial effect and help reduce bacteria that are responsible for unpleasant odors.

Sodium bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate)
Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda or baking soda, is a naturally occurring salt with the chemical formula NaHCO₃. It has many properties that justify its use in a natural sneaker refresher.
Baking soda is a fine, white powder that is easily soluble in water and has an alkaline (alkaline, i.e. pH-neutralizing) effect. Its special property is the neutralization of odors caused by sweat and bacteria in the shoe. Baking soda not only covers them, but also binds and breaks down the molecules responsible for the odor. Since it changes the pH value in the shoe environment, it creates an unfavourable habitat for many bacteria. This inhibits the re-emergence of odours in the long term.
It is completely harmless to humans, animals and the environment – it is non-toxic, non-irritating, biodegradable and therefore ideal for natural products such as our Sneaker Refresher.

In addition to these ingredients, our refresher also contains a variety of essential oils (lemon, lemongrass, alpine pine, eucalyptus, ylang ylang, patchouli and cedar), which will be listed in more detail in the next question.

Essential oils

Below are the benefits of essential oils in our natural sneaker refresher. On the one hand, they naturally provide a pleasant and natural scent and refresh.
In addition, many oils have an antimicrobial effect, which inhibits the growth of germs, bacteria and fungi.
Since the oils are all of natural origin, they are also completely biodegradable.

Lemon oil
Lemon oil is mainly extracted from the outer peel of fresh lemons – not from the juice or pulp. Only ripe and untreated lemons (without wax or pesticides) are used for this. The essential oils are found in small oil glands directly in the shell. After the lemons have been thoroughly washed and slightly dried, the outer peel is rubbed and pressed. This is how the oil glands burst and release the essential oil. This method is particularly gentle, as the oil remains chemically unchanged. This technique is also called expression and is typical of all citrus oils (e.g. orange, grapefruit, bergamot). The oil is then separated from the fruit juice and other plant residues by centrifugation and then filtered and filled into dark glass bottles before it can be stored and further used.

The lemon oil, which smells fresh, has an antibacterial effect, neutralizes bad odors and has an invigorating effect. It is obtained by cold pressing from the peels of ripe lemons. These come from organic cultivation in warm regions where citrus fruits thrive. Its sustainable contribution stems from the fact that the peels of lemons are usually considered waste anyway. It is biodegradable and non-toxic.

Lemongrass oil
Lemongrass oil (or citronella oil) is extracted from the fresh or dried leaves of lemongrass. In contrast to the use in cooking, not the thickened, lower stem is used, but the long, narrow leaves. These are chopped or crushed to release the essential oils more easily. With the help of steam distillation, the oil separates from the water and can be skimmed off. The oil obtained is filtered and filled into dark, airtight bottles until further use.
Lemongrass oil has a strong antibacterial, antifungal (antifungal) and antiviral effect. It smells lemony and tart and counteracts odor-causing microorganisms in the shoe. Shoe smell is now a thing of the past.

Stone pine oil
Stone pine oil is extracted from the Swiss stone pine. This is a high alpine growing conifer from the pine family. It grows mainly in the Alps at altitudes above about 1,500 m.
First, wood (especially shavings or finely chopped heartwood, or, in the case of young trees, needles and twigs) is collected. Often even wood waste from furniture or wood processing is used, as the stone pine is also a valuable construction and furniture wood.
This material is then coarsely chopped or machined. As with most essential oils, steam distillation then takes place, which means that water vapor is passed through the plant material. The steam dissolves the oil from the cells and after cooling, the essential oil separates from the water and can be skimmed off and now stored airtight, protected from light and cool to maintain the quality.
The oil of the Alpine stone pine also has an antibacterial effect. Its smell is reminiscent of a walk in the woods.

Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. For this purpose, the ripe, fresh leaves are harvested, which can happen several times a year, depending on the climate and eucalyptus species. To better release the essential oil, the leaves are chopped or crushed and then distilled with steam, the standard method of extracting essential oils. After cooling, the oil separates from the water and can be skimmed off.
After filtering and storing it away from light and air, the eucalyptus oil can now be used.

Eucalyptis oil, which smells cool, fresh and menthol-like, is effective against bacteria, fungi and viruses and also has a disinfecting effect. So it kills germs in the shoe and refreshes immediately.

Ylang, Ylang Oil
Ylang-ylang oil is extracted from the flowers of the tropical tree Cananga odorata, which grows mainly in the Comoros, the Philippines, Madagascar and Indonesia. First, fresh, open flowers are harvested. These are then distilled several times in steam, whereby the oil separates from the water. The longer the distillation lasts, the heavier and less fine the fragrance becomes. The ylang-ylang oil, sorted by fragrance, is now stored in dark glass bottles in a cool and dry place.
Ylang Ylang Oil smells floral, sweet and exotic and has an antibacterial and relaxing effect. Too sharp, lemony scents are somewhat softened by this.

Patchouli oil

Patchouli oil is extracted from the leaves of the patchouli plant, which belongs to the mint family and grows mainly in tropical regions of Asia. To produce the oil, the ripe but still green leaves are first harvested. Since patchouli grows back quickly, this usually happens several times a year. These leaves are now pre-dried or partially fermented to promote oil production. These are then crushed or coarsely ground and then distilled with steam. The steam now dissolves the essential oils from the leaves. Now that the water-oil mixture has been condensed, the patchouli oil can be skimmed off. Through several months of maturation in dark glass bottles (sometimes over a year), it develops the earthy-woody and warm scent for which it is known.
Patchouli oil also has an antibacterial, antifungal and odor-neutralizing effect. With its earthy, heavy, woody and slightly sweet smell, it stabilizes the fragrance mixture of the Sneaker Refresher and supports the long-term effect against shoe odor.

Cedarwood oil

Cedar oil is extracted from different types of cedar trees. In most cases, the heartwood of the tree is used for extraction. This is crushed into small pieces or shavings, which are then distilled with steam. The steam penetrates the crushed oil, dissolves the essential oils contained in it and after cooling, the oil separates from the water and can be skimmed off. The oil is then filtered, left to rest for a few weeks and finally stored in a cool place in glass bottles to maintain the quality.
With its dry-woody scent, cedar oil enhances the feeling of freshness and naturalness, has a calming effect and also fights bacteria and fungi.

With this composition of essential oils, our sneaker refresher smells of naturalness and freshness. For a better shoe feel!

Our Sneaker Refresher – i.e. quasi shoe deodorant or an odor neutralization spray – should be used regularly, depending on how much the sneakers are used and how sensitive you are to odors.
Since our natural ingredients not only mask the odor, but also fight the cause, regular use helps to prevent odor populations such as fungi, viruses and bacteria in the long term.
When wearing a single pair of shoes every day, it is recommended to spray them every evening, especially in warm weather or sweaty activities. This way you get fresh shoes continuously and avoid odours.

Simply spray the insole of the shoe evenly with a few sprays and then let the shoe deodorant dry well. It’s best to spray in the evening and look forward to fresh sneakers the next morning.

Shoe deodorant

Tapir Tips:
1) Remove the soles after wearing and ventilate them well. This removes moisture from the bacteria.
2) Plan a pair of spare shoes so that the shoes have the opportunity to dry completely after wearing.
3) Wearing cotton socks and good foot hygiene support the effect of the Sneaker Refresher spray.

If you take these tips and the exact application of the Sneaker Protector Spray into account, you will quickly enjoy fresh and hygienic shoes!

Since the refresher is gentle and consists only of natural ingredients without chemicals, it should be well tolerated with most materials. However, especially with sensitive materials such as suede, it is better to test the Sneaker Refresher on an inconspicuous area. Such a test should generally be carried out every time a new product is used, so that there are no unpleasant surprises contrary to expectations.

It’s difficult to say concretely, but depending on the application, a bottle of Sneaker Cleaner lasts on average for about 3 months with daily use on a pair of sneakers.

In order to achieve the best possible results, the shoe insole should be freed from coarse impurities. The insole should also be removed so that it and the shoe itself can dry sufficiently. After spraying with the Sneaker Refresher , please give it enough time to dry before getting back into the shoes. This is the best way to develop the antibacterial effect.
So spray the sneakers overnight at best and look forward to fresh shoes the next morning.