Plantar warts are a type of viral infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can occur on the bottom of your feet or your hands, especially if you don’t wear gloves in public areas like gyms, pools, and nail salons. Though they might seem harmless, plantar warts can be painful and even cause permanent deformities if left untreated, so it’s essential to know how to disinfect shoes after plantar wart removal to avoid getting infected again.
Table of Contents
Plantar Wart
– What is a plantar wart?
A plantar wart is a small growth with a rough surface that can appear on the heel or ball of your foot — areas that usually bear weight. Plantar warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
– Where do plantar warts come from?
Warts develop when the virus comes in contact with your skin and causes an infection. They’re contagious, which means you can get them by touching someone else’s wart. You can also pick up the virus by walking barefoot in areas such as locker rooms or near pools where the virus lives.
– How does it spread?
Plantar warts grow into the skin instead of on top of it. This growth pattern makes them look flat and smooth compared to other types of warts that rise above the skin line. Plantar warts can cause pain and discomfort when walking or standing when left untreated.
9 Ways On How To Disinfect Shoes After Plantar Wart
How to Disinfect Shoes After Plantar Wart? Are you looking out for the best way how to disinfect shoes after a plantar wart? Well, then you are in the right place, as we will talk about it here. You may be aware that a plantar wart is a painful skin problem that occurs on the sole of your foot or toes. Plantar warts develop when human papillomavirus enters through broken skin and infects it.
Method 1: Using Baking Soda
You can make a paste of baking soda and water. This application will help dry out the wart, thus killing it.
- Prepare a mixture of baking soda and water.
- Apply baking soda paste on the wart for 10 minutes.
- Rinse off your feet with lukewarm water and pat them dry using a clean towel.
- Repeat this process up to three times daily for around two weeks until the wart dries up completely and falls off.
Method 2: Using Disinfectant Spray
- Spray a liberal amount of disinfectant on each shoe, including the inside lining and soles. Allow the shoes to dry completely before placing your feet into them.
- Repeat this process daily until the wart has completely disappeared. Then, continue the same process for several more days to ensure that the virus is completely gone.
Method 3: Using Hydrogen Peroxide Tablets Or Drops
You can mix the hydrogen peroxide with water or use it without any dilution for this method.
Wash your feet thoroughly with an antibacterial soap.
Pat them dry and apply a bandage on the infected area to prevent further infection.
Please take out a hydrogen peroxide tablet or drop and mix it with water or use it directly on your feet.
Cover your feet with a pair of socks overnight.
Method 4: Using Vinegar
The acetic acid present in vinegar is its active ingredient. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and kills most germs, bacteria, and fungi on your shoes.
- Add one part of vinegar to two parts of water in a spray bottle. Shake well so that the solution is thoroughly mixed.
- Spray the solution on your shoes and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes before wiping it off with a clean cloth.
- Do this once or twice a day until you are sure that all warts have gone away from your shoes.
Method 5: Using Ortho-Phosphate Soaked Bandages
Step 1
Wash the area with soap and water. Then, dry the area thoroughly and let it cool down before doing anything else.
Step 2
Soak a bandage in an orthophosphate solution. You can buy this solution in pharmacies or make it at home. Mix a tablespoon of sodium orthophosphate into 1/2 cup of warm water to make the solution.
Step 3
Cover your wart with the soaked bandage, ensuring the solution thoroughly moistens it. Wrap your foot in plastic wrap to keep the bandage from drying out, then secure it with tape. Do this at night and remove everything in the morning.
Step 4
Continue this process for 2 weeks until the wart is gone.
Method 6: Using Simethicone Drops
Follow the steps given below to get rid of plantar warts using simethicone drops:
Step 1: Take a small number of simethicone drops and apply them to the affected area.
Step 2: Allow it to dry for around 20 minutes.
Step 3: Repeat this process about 2-3 times a day until the wart disappears completely.
Method 7: Using Chlorine Bleach
Step 1: Prepare a bucket with water and bleach. Make sure the water is deep enough to cover the shoes entirely.
Step 2: Soak the shoes in the chlorine solution. Leave them there for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the shoes from the mixture.
Step 4: Let the shoe air dry. All you have to do is leave them under a window sill or in a well-ventilated room so they can air out completely.
Step 5: Place your newly disinfected shoes on a clean, dry surface and let them stay there until you are ready to use them
Method 8: Using Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has a host of health benefits and helps get rid of plantar warts. It is antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral. Tea tree oil also helps stimulate the immune system to fight against the virus that causes the wart.
Use the following steps to treat your plantar warts with tea tree oil.
Soak your feet in warm water for 10 minutes to soften the dead skin cells and make it easier for you to remove them.
After 10 minutes, dry your feet with a towel or a clean cloth.
Take some tea tree oil on a cotton ball and apply it directly to your wart. Do not use too much of it as tea tree oil can irritate the area if applied excessively.
Let the cotton ball stay on for about two hours. If your skin is sensitive, you can only keep the cotton ball on for an hour and gradually increase the period.
After two hours, remove the cotton ball from the wart by first soaking it in warm water. Pat dry your feet with a towel or a clean cloth once again.
Repeat this process every day until you notice that the wart has started shrinking
Method 9: Using Rubbing Alcohol Or Ethyl Alcohol
For disinfecting shoes, you can use 50% isopropyl alcohol and 70% rubbing alcohol. You can purchase these solutions from any nearby store.
Step 1: First, clean your shoes with hot water and mild detergent. Then, let them dry completely in the air.
Step 2: Then, dip a cotton ball into rubbing alcohol or ethyl alcohol solution and rub it on the shoes’ insoles and the soles using cotton balls.
Step 3: Let your shoes dry in the air for at least 15 minutes before wearing them again.
Method 10: Using Uv Shoe Sanitizer
Step 1: Take off your shoes and place them inside the shoe sanitizer.
Step 2: Close the lid, and press the power button to turn on the lamp. The UV-C light will automatically turn off when the timer ends.
Step 3: The UV-C light can kill up to 99% of bacteria, viruses, and germs in only 10 minutes.
Method 11: Using a Regular Shoe Sanitizer
Turn your shoes inside and expose as much of their surface as possible.
Put your shoes in a plastic bag and seal them properly.
Pour an adequate amount of sanitizer into your clean spray bottle. Aim for about 3 tablespoons (44 ml). You might need more or less, depending on the size of your bottle. Please don’t use too much, or you’ll have to wait for it to dry for more extended periods.
Spray down all parts of the shoe’s exterior that you can reach without turning it out again. Make sure you aren’t missing any spots where mold could grow, like seams and folds in the fabric or leather surfaces.
Let your shoe air dry completely before wearing them again.
What Are The Causes Of Disinfect Shoes After Plantar Wart?
Plantar warts, also known as verrucas, are common wart that develops on the sole.
Plantar warts can be painful when you walk or stand.
The infection causes a thickening of the skin with tiny black dots that may look like a small hole in the center.
Warts usually appear on weight-bearing parts of your feet, such as the heels and balls.
Plantar warts can be anywhere from one to 100 millimeters wide (one inch).
How To Clean Shoes After Plantar Wart?
There are a couple of ways to clean shoes after a plantar wart.
The first way is to use the same disinfectant to treat the wart.
The second way is to use the disinfectant that you used for treating your feet.
The third way is to use an antifungal cream on your feet.
The fourth way is to use an antifungal spray on your shoes.
Read Next:
Common Questions About How To Disinfect Shoes After Plantar Wart
Do I Have To Throw Away Shoes After Getting A Wart?
Yes. And indeed, you must remove the wart from the shoe to avoid reinfection! First, you will need to remove the wart without damaging the shoe. You can accomplish this by cutting the wart off with a sharp knife (use the old-school, slice and dice method).
Then soak the area of the shoe infected with the wart using a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 4 parts water). If you have a small wart on your shoe, you might be able to treat it with wart remover. If the only place you have warts is on your feet, then you are most likely suffering from a common wart. These warts are harmless, but they can be painful.
Plantar Warts Throw Away Shoes?
There is an interesting fact about plantar wart. Wart is the benign growth of skin caused when the virus enters the skin. As it grows, you will feel it as a hard lump produced by the skin. This growth is unknown the reason for occurring, but there are many beliefs about it.
Some say that it occurs when you step on a rusty nail, some say that it occurs when you walk on a floor with an old nail, and some say when you walk too much on the hard floor with too oily shoes. Some say that it occurs when you walk on a concrete floor without shoes.
How Long Does Plantar Wart Virus Live On Surfaces?
Plantar wart virus spreads from person to person. The virus is transmitted from place to place by direct contacts, such as by sharing contaminated towels or shoes. Warts can also be spread by coming into contact with an infected person’s hands. The virus can live for one day on most surfaces, but it can live for up to eight hours on a person’s hands.
How Long Does Wart Virus Live On Shoes?
A Wart virus typically lives from 14 days to a few months, depending on the virus type. In general, the HPV wart virus will last longer on shoes, as opposed to a herpes wart virus typically found on hands and fingers.
Does Washing Clothes Kill Wart Virus?
Yes, it does. Washing clothes will often keep the virus from being spread to others, so it is a good idea to wash your clothes regularly. Plus, washing clothes kill the wart virus. Washing your clothes kills the wart virus because the clothes you wear rub against your skin, causing the virus to spread. Washing clothes will also kill the virus because it washes away the oil from your skin, which the virus needs to spread.
What Kills Wart Virus On Surfaces?
What kills the wart virus is an excellent question. You can use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to kill the wart virus. Get a cotton ball and a bottle of organic ACV, dip the cotton ball in vinegar, and then place it on the wart. Leave it on for about 15 minutes. Repeat every 24 hours for about a week. The acidity of the ACV will kill the wart virus. It may not work immediately, but it should eventually. Please note that ACV can burn and sting the skin, so please be very careful.
Does Lysol Kill Wart Virus?
The effectiveness of Lysol in killing warts is not apparent. A study conducted by the Mayo Medical Center showed that Lysol effectively reduces the population of the wart virus. However, the clinical significance of this finding is not clear as the study was not conducted on actual patients. Another study conducted by the University of Iowa did not show any significant reduction in the wart virus population. Therefore, the effectiveness of Lysol to kill the wart virus is not very conclusive.
Does Bleach Kill Wart Virus On Surfaces?
Yes, Bleaching agents like Hydrogen peroxide and Bleach kill wart virus on surfaces. It is said that it kills the virus by depleting its food source, which is ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). The virus uses it to replicate itself. The virus also uses this same ATP to attach itself to a cell, injecting its genome inside the cell and replicating itself. Once the ATP is depleted, the virus can’t attach itself to a cell and thus can’t infect it.
Concluding About How To Disinfect Shoes After Plantar Wart
I hope this article helped you know how to disinfect shoes after a plantar wart. If you observe deep into this article, you will find a complete guide to making your feet clean and healthy without any side effects.
There are many different methods to disinfect shoes after a plantar wart. The most beneficial methods are usually the ones you’d use at home. Try rubbing alcohol and iodine on your shoes with a cotton swab or swatch to disinfect them. If that doesn’t help or makes it worse, contact your doctor for medical advice.
