What are shoes to a person if not a statement with every stride? It is commonly said in many parts of the world, that people are judged by what they wear, and the natural eye will always begin at someone’s feet and the type of shoe they are wearing. Hence, keeping your kicks well-groomed is of absolute importance.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Just as how our bodies need nurturing and maintenance, as do shoes. Cleaning shoes just won’t cut them as they need to be properly dried to ensure minimal damage. If you are looking for the perfect guide on how to dry your shoes properly, then you are in the right place.
How to Dry Out Shoes?
No matter how many times you wear them, shoes are vulnerable to wear and tear & yes, they too come with a lifeline. By ensuring proper cleaning and drying, you can extend that lifeline long enough that your great-grandkids can put them up for auction in good condition.
On the matter of how to dry wet shoes, usually, a bit of knowledge and expertise is required. Let us see below the ways to dry shoes without causing damage to your precious pumps.
1. Use A Towel
Arguably the go-to method for anyone and everyone out there. Using a towel is by far one of the best ways to dry your shoe. Plus it is the cheapest method as you don’t need to cost any extra money on a towel. You ca use a used one just by cleaning it.
The soft, fluffy fabric material in your towel, will make sure it soaks up most of the moisture from the shoe. The better the quality of the towel, the faster the results. Cost-effective and simple, just untie the laces to loosen the shoes, and stuff the shoe with the towel, after giving it a thorough rub. Then simply leave it up standing against a wall somewhere there is a good flow of air.
2. Use The Newspaper
This is by far one of the most effective methods on how to dry your shoes fast without damaging it. If you have old newspapers around the house, always keep them. See, the material in newspapers is light but made in a way to absorb ink without destroying the paper material.
One of the oldest shoe dry hacks out there, simply gather loads of paper, crunch it and crumple it up in a ball and begin inserting them into the shoe. Take another load of paper, and wrap it around your shoes and tie a rubber around it. Make sure to leave it out in a wide aerated space.
The best part about using newspaper to dry your shoes is that it even removes the bad odor. Just be sure to replace the newspapers every few hours.
3. Throw Them in The Dryer
The home dryer method is an automated response in the back of our minds. If you are in a hurry, then using the dryer is the best solution.
Always ensure, however, when using this method, keep the heat on low. Furthermore, you can take some socks and stuff them into the shoe to ensure they retain their shape after they have dried.
4. Buy A Shoe Dryer
Sure, a machine aptly made to do just as the name suggests is the best way to dry shoes. Think of buying a shoe dryer as an investment. Though it can be a costlier means in comparison to previous methods, a shoe dryer gets the job done perfectly.
A shoe dryer speeds up the process while ensuring no damage is done. It also ensures that bacteria, mold, and other nasty things do not grow from the dampness of the shoe. These essentially use amped room temperature to dry your shoes rather than use forced heat.
5. The Rice Method
This is very unconventional and rarely the first choice, but it works. Rice is known to quickly absorb any kind of moisture. Rice is one of the best drying agents, and when it comes to shoe care, the rice method can also help keep bacteria from growing and also remove bad odor.
There are two ways to use this; one is simply to fill up a large enough bag of rice with your shoe in it and let it do wonders over time. The other is filling up your socks with rice, and using them in the place of insoles for hours and hours on.
The Fastest Way to Dry Shoes
If you are thinking about how to quickly dry shoes, use a fan. Yes, it is simple and cost-effective from the shoe dryer machine. Just remove the insole, and together with the shoe, find a way to stack or attach the shoes in front of the fan and let time dry out your shoes. However, make sure to keep the shoes in a clean place.
Is It Okay to Put Shoes In The Dryer?
In all honesty, this method of drying shoes is best avoided, and for good reason. If you have dirty shoes lying about, which happens to be your favorite ones, and you are faced with the question ‘how to dry shoes in the dryer’, stop! The best thing to do is find another method.
Firstly, not all shoes can be put in the dryer. If you have insulated or thigh-high boots, they will not fit into the dryer. Even if you somehow manage to put the boots in the dryer, the tumbling from the machine can cause damage.
Furthermore, the main problem with putting shoes in the dryer is the heat. The heat from the machine will cause the glues holding the shoe together to damage, which will eventually over time lead to loosening. If the shoes are made of leather, they will do a much significant amount of damage and can often lead to shrinkage.
How to Dry Tennis Shoes
Often mistaken for running shoes, Tennis shoes are worn by very few people. They are flat and aside from on the court, they can be used to sport as casual sports attire. So when it comes to cleaning tennis shoes in particular, ensure the following steps;
- Remove the insoles and dry them using a fan or a shoe dryer.
- Use newspapers to stuff and wrap around the tennis shoe. Like running shoes, the fabric of tennis shoes reacts quickly to paper when it absorbs water.
- After a good amount of moisture has dissolved, remove the wet newspapers.
- Hang them out to dry. Find a space where there is a lot of airflows and ensure they hang. Just for tennis shoes, it is best to do it out in the yard.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes the simplest mistakes can cause the biggest harm, and nothing will leave you hurt more than a damaged shoe. After all, the stride is pride and nothing is off-putting to yourself and others than damaged footwear. Always maintain proper care of your shoes. Caring for your kicks requires nothing but patience and our nifty, straight-to-the-point guide on how to dry your shoes, the proper, professional way.