Several proven ways to quickly dry shoes after washing or rain

After washing, shoes require proper drying. The preservation of its form, appearance and functionality largely depends on this.

Knowing how to dry your shoes at home will also help when your shoes get wet when it rains.

In this article we will tell you how to quickly dry shoes after washing and what actions to avoid so as not to spoil your favorite pair.

General rules

Drying fabric or leather shoes is not difficult if you know the basic rules and apply them in practice.

These include:

1. The wet leather upper is easily exposed to external influences. Because of this, even when slightly wet, special attention must be paid to drying. If your feet get wet in the rain, you should try to take off your shoes as quickly as possible.
2. Moisture is removed with a soft cloth from the outside and inside; if there is water inside, it is drained.
3. Drying should be done in a well-ventilated area.
4. It is necessary to take into account the materials that were used for production.

The sooner you start drying wet shoes, the better the result.

Home drying methods

Methods for drying shoes at home are effective and not difficult. Available materials and devices will come to the rescuethat are in the household.

Paper

Using paper is one of the easiest ways. Lumps are formed from soft sheets that absorb moisture well. They are carefully tamped and stuffed into shoes.

As the paper becomes saturated with moisture, it is changed to dry. Drying is carried out at room temperature in a dry room.

Rice

Rice grains have the property of absorbing moisture. This quality will come in handy when drying a washed or simply wet pair.

Procedure:

1. You need to prepare a tray or plastic box of such a size that you can put your shoes in it.
2. Pour rice cereal into the prepared container so that it covers the bottom by at least 30-50 mm.
3. Place wet shoes on the rice with the soles facing up.
4. Maintain in this position for at least 4 hours.

Silica gel

Toilet fillers with silica gel have good absorbency. To dry, you need the filler itself and regular socks.

Procedure:

• pour silica gel into each sock;
• tie the top edge of the sock;
• put socks inside;
• maintain the necessary drying time.

Cat litter

A good substitute for silica gel is cat litter.. The gel one can be used in the same way as the previous option, but the mineral or wood one must first be put in two socks, and only then used.

This precaution is due to the presence of small particles of the substance that may remain after drying.

Hairdryer

As one of the home drying options, a regular hairdryer will do.

It must be used according to the instructions:

1. Set the setting to cool.
2. Turn on the hairdryer.
3. From a distance of approximately 0.3 m, apply a stream of air into the shoes.

Using a household hand-held hair dryer is not a very convenient method, since complete drying requires up to 3 hours of almost continuous blowing.

Vacuum cleaner

If it is not possible to use other more convenient options, you can use a regular vacuum cleaner.

Another option is to place the wet pair closer to the vacuum cleaner so that the heated air hits it. It will not be possible to completely dry completely wet shoes in 15-20 minutes; you can only dry them a little.

Fan

A fan heater will help with drying. To do this, sneakers or another pair should be placed in such a way that air can freely blow through the inside.

In this case, the distance from the shoes to the fan must be at least 0.2 m. In this case, the fan speed must be set to maximum. And the shoes themselves should be unfastened so that the air can freely blow on the inside.

Disadvantages of this method:

• difficulty in organizing the placement of shoes in a suitable manner;
• long drying process;
• low efficiency.

Warm floor

You can also take advantage of a heated floor to dry your shoes.This method is gentle, but weakly effective due to the fact that it takes a lot of time to completely dry.

Electric dryers

Electric dryers are special devices aimed at home use or use in the service sector.

They come in several types, which differ in a number of parameters:

• appearance;
• principle of operation;
• cost, etc.

Principles for choosing an electric dryer:

1. Quality of material.
2. No damage to the housing or power cord.
3. The size of the working part allows it to be easily placed inside any pair of shoes.
4. The longer the cord, the more convenient it will be to use the device.
5. It is advisable that the heating time be about a quarter of an hour. A longer heating period will require more time to dry the steam.
6. The heating temperature should be up to +50 or +60°C. A higher heating rate is not desirable, as it can lead to damage to shoes, and low heating is ineffective.

Professional industrial shoe dryers are designed for use in laundries. And they are extremely rarely used at home.

They are quite bulky, have a high cost, and consume a lot of electricity.. For children's shoes, separate models designed for small sizes are available.

Models with flexible heating loops or two blocks

The cheapest option is simple electric dryers. Many are a flexible, insulated loop that fits comfortably inside your shoe.

The advantages of this choice:

• simplicity of the device;
• ability to use on the road, on business trips, etc.;
• compactness;
• soft effect on the shoes themselves;
• low cost (from 130 rubles).

Flaws:

• takes quite a long time to dry completely;
• very cheap designs can be fragile.

Wooden heating pads

Wooden stands are made from moisture-resistant plywood. They are used not only for drying shoes, but also for warming up the threshold area, heating the feet, etc.

Advantages:

1. Easy to use.
2. Multifunctionality, which allows you to use the device for other purposes, not just drying shoes.
3. Ease of use.

Disadvantages of use:

1. It takes a lot of time to dry shoes after washing.
2. Dimensions of the stand.
3. Inconvenient transportation.
4. Relatively high cost.

The action of such a local electrical appliance is similar to a heated floor.

Ultraviolet dryers

A shoe dryer with ultraviolet radiation allows not only drying, but also antibacterial treatment. During operation of such a device, unpleasant odors and microorganisms that cause fungus are eliminated.

Advantages:

• efficiency;
• suitable even for delicate shoes;
• presence of a timer (many models);
• fungus prevention.

The disadvantage is the high cost (about 900 rubles for a model with a timer).

Ionizers

The supply of fresh ozonized air removes odors and moisture from shoes, leaving them feeling fresh. An example of such a device is Zenit xj-300, which provides the production of 1000 ions per 1 cm?.

Advantages:

1. Efficiency.
2. Quiet operation.
3. Light weight (about 0.2 kg).
4. Elimination of odors.

Flaws:

1. It takes time to dry.
2. Need batteries.
3. High price (about 1,500 rubles).

The presence of additional functions leads to higher prices for models.

Features of drying depending on the material

It is necessary to consider what material the shoes that require drying are made of. This will influence the choice of a specific method.

Before you start drying, Regardless of the upper material, the following preparatory steps should be taken:

• if the pair is too wet, drain the water from it and blot with a well-absorbing cloth;
• remove the laces and insoles.

Textile

Sneakers, fabric sneakers and some types of slippers can be washed at home.

Suitable drying methods:

• natural conditions;
• use of absorbents.

You cannot use electrical appliances to dry fabric shoes.

A natural skin

Drying natural leather requires compliance with the following rules:

1. Warming up near a radiator is prohibited.
2. Natural absorbents can be used.
3. Choose a well-ventilated place for drying.

After drying the shoes, they must be treated with special means (impregnation, cream).

Suede

Suede is also a high-maintenance material. Such shoes cannot be washed in an automatic washing machine. But if you had to clean it or it got wet after rain, then The following drying methods should be used:

• apply absorbent;
• place in a dry place;
• If necessary, it is permissible to use a hair dryer for drying without bringing it close to the surface.

The process of drying a suede pair according to all the rules is long, taking about a day.

Nubuck

Like suede, nubuck requires delicate handling and strict adherence to care rules. Such shoes cannot be completely washed, nor can they be subjected to excessive, let alone prolonged, wetness.

Rubber

Boots and other rubber shoes can be dried in almost any available way. The only restriction is the prohibition on location near a source of high temperature.

Membrane

Modern material, membrane fabric, is often used by the creators of sports shoes. The drying process of such a pair should not be stimulated. Experts recommend simply stuffing the toes of such sneakers with paper or using an absorbent.

How can you not dry it?

In an effort to speed up the process of drying your favorite pair, you should remember some strict prohibitions, ignoring which can lead to damage to the shoes.

These points include:

• Do not dry near an open fire;
• do not put off drying until later;
• placing wet steam on a heating radiator or other heating device can lead to damage (unsticking, loss of functional characteristics of modern materials, for example, membranes, etc.);
• you should not try to speed up the process by applying too high temperatures;
• You cannot use the “drying” mode of the washing machine;
• Do not expose a wet pair to the open sun.

Ignoring recommendations and breaking rules can lead to damage to shoes.

8 recommendations

How to dry shoes after washing quickly and efficiently? Professional advice will come to your aid:

1. If saving space is not a tough priority and financial costs are not limited, then the best option is a professional shoe dryer.
2. The compact size of electric dryers is a convenient option for home use.
3. To speed up the drying process, it is recommended to use any home method available for implementation.
4. The laces and insoles of wet shoes are dried separately, and only then returned to their place.
5. Exposure to high temperatures is undesirable, regardless of the model and material of manufacture.
6. In order for shoes to last longer, they must be cared for regularly, including drying the insoles.
7. A completely wet pair should dry for at least a day after washing.
8. At washing shoes and drying, temperature contrasts should be avoided.

Video on the topic

This video will show you how to quickly dry your shoes without damaging them:

Conclusion

There are many different ways to dry shoes. To get a good result, you can use one of the home recipes or use electrical appliances specially designed for this.