It's a safe bet to say that most of us have at least a pair or two of old running shoes or hiking boots buried in the back of our closets. Maybe they're dirty; maybe they're just really stinky and we don't want to deal with it. So we leave them hidden under piles of junk and forget them. I bet most of us at some point just go buy a new pair rather than try to clean them.

Kleen Kicks, a store that opened earlier this month in Tacoma, offers an easy and affordable way to breathe new life into those old, forgotten shoes.

Founder Joe Perfecto, a former Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier, has discovered a way to quickly and efficiently clean, sanitize and dry dirty, stinky old shoes. And at about 10 bucks a pair, the service is a fraction of what that new pair of Nikes will set you back.

After taking an early retirement from the Army in 1998 as a sergeant first class, Perfecto worked for years in information technology. But he always had a vision of opening his own business, and he always knew that he wanted to give back to his community.

Earlier this year, Perfecto did some market research and realized there was a need - and a demand - for an inexpensive, convenient shoe-cleaning service.

"I gathered all my info and did my homework, and I said, ‘You know what, I can actually get this business going,'" he said. "One, there's definitely a need for this service. Two, I'm going to be able to save these families hundreds of dollars, and three, I'm finally going to be able to give back to my community.'"

Nov. 3, Perfecto and partner Kimberly Bernhoft opened their Kleen Kicks shop at 2310 Mildred St. W., Suite 113 in Tacoma. The small store features shoe-cleaning stations and an apparel shop.

All of the shoes at Kleen Kicks are cleaned by hand.

"There is no machine washing," assured Perfecto. "We hand wash them and soak the inside with OdoBan, which kills germs and bacteria."

After cleaning, the shoes are put into an industrial-sized cyclone boot dryer, where they are dried at low temperatures for about 45 minutes.

The whole process from start to finish takes about two hours, and the shoes come out looking - and smelling - like new.  "We add life back to these shoes," he said. "This is a service no one else is providing."

And the price is right - just $10.50 for adult shoes and $6.50 for kids' shoes size 10 and under. Military always get 10 percent off.

Perfecto and his team can also clean gym gloves, belts, hats and other athletic gear that tends to get dirty and smelly. The Kleen Kicks shop is one of the only places in town to find Wounded Warrior Project gear like hats and pendants, Perfecto said, and the business will eventually expand to include repair services for women's shoes.

Used shoe drive

One of Perfecto's goals with his business was to be able to give back to the community, and in early November, he donated 35 pairs of clean, waterproofed shoes to the Tacoma Rescue Mission.  He wants to do it again this holiday season with your help. The Kleen Kicks shoe drive, which runs through Dec. 10, will benefit the Tacoma Rescue Mission, and Perfecto hopes to gather 1,000 pair of shoes.

You know you have some old, gently used athletic shoes and boots buried in the back of your closet - now is the time to dig them out. Drop them off at Northwest Sport in Puyallup, Evolution Fitness Gym on 19th street and at the Kleen Kicks shop on Mildred Street. Perfecto will clean them up, sanitize them and deliver them to those in need.

"I'm looking for shoes that are serviceable," Perfecto said. "Athletic shoes, hiking shoes. Shoes that no one is using."

Perfecto would also like to give shoes to military families who need them, but is not quite sure how to reach them.

To learn more, or if you can help Perfecto reach an organization on base that can help him donate his shoes to servicemembers, call 253.625.5801, visit www.kleenkicksllc.com or the Facebook page.