Nothing makes your nose scrunch quite like a pair of smelly shoes, but one expert has shared a helpful hack to eliminate pungent odors without a washing machine.

The unpleasant aroma is caused by a combination of sweat, bacteria, and lack of aeration, which can develop over time. According to VeryWell, the bacteria 'Staphylococcus epidermis' breaks down an amino acid in sweat called leucine, resulting in a cheese-like smell.

Fortunately, household expert Mr. Rice has revealed a clever trick that will banish foul shoe scents using a kitchen cupboard essential. Taking to TikTok, the content creator said: "I’m going to share with you what my grandma did to my shoes when I was in South Korea."

Pulling out a pair of sturdy walking shoes, Mr. Rice explained that he uses green tea bags to remove any bad odors. He continued: "I also put them in my golf shoes after playing and cover them with newspaper. That’s how you get rid of the smell of stinky shoes. Use green tea. Thank you, grandma."

It is recommended that the tea bags are left to sit in the shoes for 24 hours, and more than one in each is advised if you’re working with an extra smelly pair. The 'Queen of Clean' Lynsey Crombie explained that tea bags, which are extremely absorbent, soak up the moisture from the shoe and leave a fresh-scented fragrance in their place.