Just last week I was telling you how much I love my Chacos. They are so comfortable and supportive I wear them every day.

Because I wear them every day they were in the line of spatter when Elliot was puking this weekend. I wiped them off and they looked OK. And then they started to smell. Like puke. All day long I could smell it.

I needed to clean them, but I had no idea how to do it.

I did what I always do when I have something I don’t know how to clean. I checked with Jillee. Would you believe she doesn’t have a section for removing puke scent from sandals?

When my Jillee search came up short I decided to try my go to technique when an item of clothing is in need of serious help – OxiClean. I soaked them in a bucket of OxiClean for a few hours and then rinsed them. They came out looking new. I would have taken before pictures so you could see their shocking transformation, but I didn’t know I would be cleaning them until they were covered with vomit, so I opted to skip that step.

I’m sure I’ll be washing my sandals again, but I hope it is never again for the same reason. Now that I know how dirty they were, even before the Elliot incident, I’m pretty grossed out that I was wearing them. I often fail to see the filth on the items I use every day. Please tell me that happens to you too.