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By Robert Burnson
Tea tree oil ... essential for deodorizing stinky skates "Are those your skates," my sweetheart asked, "or did somebody die?" It was a fair question. After a summer of skating, my skates had gotten pretty ripe. Every time I skated, they would be soaked with sweat, and since I skated nearly every day, they would never have time to dry out. This fed a vibrant community of bacteria and fungus, which blossomed with a fragrance quite unlike a rose. I tried drying the inside of my skates after each workout. And that helped, but not much. I was ordered to keep my skates in the garage. Then I tried an experiment. My girlfriend had some tea tree oil, which she used to treat minor scrapes and cuts. This essential oil is reputed to have antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. So I tried rubbing it on the inside of my skates. The effect wasn't instantaneous. But after a few days, I noticed that the stench had retreated dramatically, and eventually, the odor completely disappeared. That's not to say that my skates now smell like roses; the treatments leave behind a wiff of tea tree oil. But hey, that's a lot better than dead dog. How to deodorize your skates: 1) Keep 'em Dry
After you skate, wipe your skates out with a rag or towel. If you don't have time for that, simply shove a rag or towel inside them to soak up the sweat. Then, after a few hours, remove the rag and allow them to air dry. 2) Anoint them with oil Every week or so (let your nose be your guide), wipe them out with tea tree oil. Use about 10 drops for each skate. Drip the oil on a rag and then rub the oil into every inch of the inside of your boots. Note: Tea tree oil is made from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree, which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. You can buy it at Trader Joes, Whole Foods and other stores that carry essential oils. --- Robert Burnson is the editor and publisher of the Inline Planet. He started skating as a boy on an outdoor ice rink in his hometown of Park Ridge, IL. He took up inline skating in the early 1990s after moving to the East Bay of San Francisco, where he currently resides. He is also the organizer of the National Roller Cup. Related reading: • Skate Tip of the Week Archive
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