Can I dry my sneakers in the dryer?

Why won't my dryer dry?

High temperature and humidity in the room. During drying, hot air evaporates moisture from the laundry, which condenses in a special tank and is then removed to the drain. But, if the room where the machine is parked is too damp and hot (temperature above 30 degrees), condensation will occur more slowly.

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What do you need to know before you start drying?

Before sending wet sneakers to dry, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory measures:

pull out the insoles and laces, unfasten the Velcro;
Wipe leather sneakers with a mesh upper first with a soft foam sponge soaked in soapy water, and then simply with a clean rag;
slightly dry sneakers made of suede or nubuck and then clean them from dirt with a special brush;
Wrap already clean sneakers in a soft cloth and, pressing lightly, collect moisture from the surface of the sneakers.

General drying rules:

Dry sports shoes away from heating appliances. High temperatures can cause uneven drying, whitish spots, crumbling of adhesive joints and deformation.
Drying sneakers in special drying machines is strictly prohibited.
You should start drying your sports shoes immediately upon arriving home. Delay may cause a persistent unpleasant odor to appear.
Before drying, the sneakers must be unlaced and, if possible, all metal parts and other fittings must be removed.

It is strictly forbidden to dry dirty shoes. Ignoring this rule leads to the fact that the sneakers completely lose their shape, become covered with whitish salt stains, and acquire an unpleasant musty smell.

Electric dryers

Liner dryers

The liner dryer has two plastic parts that contain heating elements. The device is placed in sneakers for 3–4 hours.

For convenience and longer service life, purchase models without protruding wires.

Fan dryers

The dryer works from the mains and from a battery (even a machine battery). It allows you to dry a pair of sneakers not only at home, but also on the go.

Drying occurs within 2-3 hours due to the supply of warm air inside.

Ultraviolet

The UV device is not cheap, but it allows you to both dry your shoes and disinfect them.

It works similar to a blow dryer, but has a built-in ultraviolet lamp.

How to dry shoes at home

The issue of drying is especially relevant during the rainy and snowy seasons. It would seem that there is nothing difficult to dry a pair of boots at home. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to do this correctly, quickly and efficiently. The method and time for drying shoes depends on the material of the product, otherwise its structure can be damaged.

Rubber products

The simplest and most rewarding shoes to dry are rubber boots and summer flip-flops. They can be dried on a radiator without harm. If the radiator is too hot, first place a towel or board on it, and wet shoes on top.

Before drying rubber boots, remove the insulation from them (if any).

Rubber shoes can be dried on a central heating radiator, since they do not have elements that could be deformed under the influence of such heat

Drying sneakers and sneakers

Wet sports shoes can be dried in a dryer or washing machine on the dry setting. However this works if:

this function is indicated on labels and in product care recommendations;
you are confident in the quality of the shoes;
the model is made of cotton or synthetics;
The sole is made of soft materials or has a gel filler.

Inexpensive sneakers or sneakers can become damaged after washing or drying them in the machine.

Still, machine drying is one of the fastest ways. If you decide to use it, follow the following tips.

Place a few old towels or rags, preferably cotton ones, into the machine drum.
Be sure to unlace your shoes.
Set the operating time to 60 minutes.

Before drying your sneakers or sneakers, don’t forget to unlace them and add a few cotton items to the machine.

Light, white sneakers or sneakers, as well as shoes with white soles, should be thoroughly blotted with a highly absorbent material, such as an old terry towel, before any drying. By removing as much moisture as possible, you will prevent streaks and yellowing of your shoes.

How to dry shoes with leather soles after rain

Shoes with leather soles are not called “office shoes” for nothing. It is intended exclusively for indoor wear. However, if your shoes get wet after rain, try to take them off as soon as possible. If worn wet for a long time, they may become deformed. You need to dry them by providing air access directly to the sole - just lay the shoes on their side.

Suede boots

Drying such shoes at home should be especially careful. Do not place it near heating appliances. Let dry naturally at room temperature. After this, remove any dirt from them.

You should clean suede shoes only after the fabric has completely dried. Otherwise, you will contaminate it even more, then after drying the boots you will also have to wash them

What can you dry in a tumble dryer?

Cotton, synthetic or semi-synthetic and many other mixed fabrics can and should be machine dried. After treatment with warm air, these materials acquire a pleasant softness to the touch. Many products are ironed during the drying process and are immediately ready for use, without ironing. This machine procedure is ideal for bed linen, bedspreads, terry towels and robes, blankets, pajamas, casual wear, etc.

If your daily clothes are mostly jeans and sports T-shirts, then this dryer is definitely for you. There are models that have a special metal basket in which you can dry soft toys, textile bags and even some types of shoes, etc. If you are going to dry just such things, look for a model with special additional accessories.

Technique

Hairdryer

Turn on the hairdryer to supply cold air and consistently direct it from all sides of the sneakers.
At a distance of 10–15 cm, direct the air stream inward, sticking out the tongue.

On average, drying takes about 30–40 minutes.

The disadvantage of this method is that the hair dryer must be held in your hands and cannot be placed in your shoes.

Fan

Place the fan on the floor and place a towel at its base to absorb water.
Unlace your sneakers and take out the insoles, opening them as far as possible.
Hang it by the heel part using an s-shaped bent thick wire to the fan protective grille.
Make sure that they do not touch each other and do not interfere with the rotation of the blades.
Turn the fan on to medium speed.

You can expect results in 1–2 hours.

Vacuum cleaner

This method requires a vacuum cleaner with a blowing function. Switch the hose to blow out and put wet shoes on it.

Air conditioner

Place wet sneakers under the air conditioner so that the air flow is directed at them. This is a time-consuming but safe way to dry your shoes.

Kitchen stove, oven

Drying shoes on the stove or in the oven is prohibited, as this may cause a fire.

Heating battery

You cannot dry sneakers on a radiator, as this will cause the shoes to become deformed.

Heating floor

Dry your sneakers with paper towels.
Turn on the heated floor to a temperature of 23–24 °C.
Place 4 matchboxes on the floor and place your shoes on them with your heel and toe.

Features for different materials

Depending on what material the sneakers are made of, choose the drying method:

Textile. Sneakers, light sports shoes, fabric sneakers will quickly dry with a hairdryer, vacuum cleaner, fan or crumpled newspaper paper. An electric dryer will help speed up the process.
Leather. Fillers made of salt or paper will help to dry quickly and at the same time maintain the appearance and shape of sports shoes made of genuine leather.
Do not dry leather sneakers with hot air (by placing them on a radiator or using a hair dryer). When using an electric dryer, leather shoes are first rubbed with cream, protecting the top of the sneakers from drying out or cracking.
Suede leather. For this material, only a delicate drying method is suitable - silica gel filler or newspaper. Suede sneakers are dried only at room temperature, away from heating devices. These simple rules will help maintain the shine and structure of suede.

We wash sneakers by hand

If you are still wary of a washing machine or you simply don’t have one for various reasons, then you can soak your sneakers in a basin. We dilute warm water with liquid powder, you can add a stain remover for colored items and soak the sneakers for 30 minutes. After a while, treat with a soft brush and rinse. We remove the laces and insoles in advance and wash them separately.

Just in case, look at the sneaker label to see if there are warning signs when washing.

It is generally not recommended to wash suede sneakers. But from leather you can use light mode. Suede sneakers can be cleaned with a special lint brush and a rag. I advise you to choose a cleaning spray at a sports store or look at my other article.

Available means

Newspapers

Crumpled newspapers are placed in sneakers and changed every 2-3 hours. You can replace newspapers with toilet paper.

Not suitable:

glossy magazines - they repel liquid rather than absorb it;
paper napkins - it will be difficult to clean the inside of soggy napkins.

It is worth wrapping newspapers in white paper to prevent printing ink from imprinting on the inside surface.

Salt

Salt absorbs moisture well.

Warm a small amount of salt in a frying pan or in the microwave.
Pour into a bag or sock and place in your shoes.
When the salt gets wet, it must be dried again on the radiator directly in the bag or heated in a frying pan.

Soda

Salt can be replaced with baking soda, but there is no need to heat it. It will take 6–8 hours to dry the sneakers with soda.

Cat litter

Cat litter contains silica gel, a substance that is placed in small paper bags in shoe boxes to absorb moisture.

Therefore, the filler can be used for drying. It is also poured into a sock and placed inside the shoe.

Rice

Rice will help get rid of moisture in 6-8 hours.

You need to pour rice into a box in a layer of 2-3 cm and place the sneakers in it with the soles facing up.

Silica gel

Silica gel is a transparent or white bead that shoe or bag manufacturers put in packaging. They are designed to absorb liquid. Silica gel can be sold in stores.

The substance is placed in a rag bag and then in sneakers. When it absorbs dampness, it is dried and placed back into the shoes.