Today I have mainly been sniffing the insides of my shoes. Not for any gratification purposes, I might add. I’ve been trying to ascertain the level of pong, for it is said that orange peel shoved in a shoe overnight will deodorise it. And I have a lot of leftover orange peel. Trouble is my feet don’t stink. I couldn’t smell a hint of a honk, even in my old running shoes. I understand this is a bit of a weird humble brag, but there you go.
After much testing, I decided to use my new boots as they still have that new shoe smell. I scooped out the flesh from yesterday’s orange with the pierced skin, got rid of any residual juicy bits, and pushed the peel into the toe of my boot. Just the one toe, I need a control boot. We shall see.
On a different matter, I finally threw away my swede Jack-o’-Lantern. It was beginning to grow a beard and smell. Much like a teenage boy. The turnip lantern collapsed and was tossed yesterday. Good job I managed to light another of those orange candles to freshen the place back up.
The Everyday Lore Project has been running since St Distaff’s Day on 7 January 2020 and will run until 12th Night on 6 January 2021. I like doing folklore hacks. My favourite was rubbing turnip on my heels to soften the cracks (feet again, sorry). So if you have any weird and wonderful hacks I can try, please let me know! You can also treat yourself by subscribing and getting this daily dose of folklore straight to your inbox. Who knows what I might solve between now and 12th Night?
Resources
Vickery, R. (2019) Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A-Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants, London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/5-quick-ways-remove-smells-shoes/
