Everyone experiences wet shoes: the cause can be either bad weather or washing or washing your favorite shoes. These are not clothes that just need to be wrung out and hung on the balcony, because the shape and features of the shoes require a special approach. You can learn further about how to return your favorite boots or sneakers to a nice, fresh look at home correctly, without damaging them.
How to prepare shoes for drying
Shoes must be dried clean: dirt prevents uniform drying and leaves stains. In addition, subsequent cleaning will in any case require moistening the material (or the dust will remain and spoil the appearance).
After getting rid of the dirt, you need to wipe the outside of the boots dry with a rag or napkin, or simply blot the material with it. Then each shoe should be opened as much as possible: Unfasten all fasteners and zippers, pull out the laces.
The process of drying shoes can be accelerated, but it is difficult to achieve results in too short a time if the level of wetting is initially high.
Ways to quickly dry shoes
There are different methods. They have one thing in common: it is impossible to dry quickly.
Electric dryer
An electric dryer is the most obvious, convenient and fastest way to dry what you need. They come in different types: some of them involve placing boots inside themselves, while others, on the contrary, need to be placed inside each of them. More expensive and modern models allow you to control the temperature and even the type of material; the heating of simpler ones depends on the time that has passed since the device was turned on.
Important! Electric dryers with uncontrolled temperatures should not be used on boots made of delicate materials, as they may be damaged due to overheating. In such cases, you should fill each of them with paper or newspapers and change them periodically when they are completely saturated with moisture. Then you can use a dryer to dry the shoes completely and not deform them, as can happen when drying them completely with heat.
Fan
Wet boots can be secured in front of a regular room fan and turned on in any mode. The drying process will be reduced to several hours. It is not advisable to hang anything on the fan grill itself, as it may bend. It is better to secure it to something else located nearby.
Hairdryer
A hairdryer will help significantly speed up the drying time, but will take it away from the owner. You will have to hold the device in your hands, pointing it at the wet areas one at a time.It is necessary to turn on the cold or warm air mode, but in no case hot, as otherwise you can deform the shoes.
Hot surface
Drying shoes on a hot surface takes a lot of time, but does not require any effort from a person: just place your wet boots on a heated floor or similar warm surface and wait for the result. It is best to do this at night to allow enough drying time.
There are special shoe drying mats on sale that are connected to electricity and heat up shortly after. They can be classified as electric dryers, but their operating time is longer, although the cost is lower.
Vacuum cleaner
The method of drying with a vacuum cleaner is not entirely standard, but in the absence of other devices, you can use this. First, use a suction hose to suck out the water from the surface of each shoe. Then the boots should be placed one by one over the hole from which the air is blown out. This way you can get rid of the bulk of the moisture.
It is important to know two nuances:
- You cannot use a vacuum cleaner for its intended purpose during drying, as otherwise dust will be blown out along with the air and settle on the shoes;
- This method cannot be used for shoes made of delicate materials.
What to put in shoes to dry quickly?
You can dry your shoes without heating or using artificial wind. You can place various fillers inside that will draw moisture into them. Each of them requires regular replacement as they get wet.
Newspapers
The crumpled newspapers should be stuffed inside the shoes, and the remaining ones should be wrapped around the outside. Change it when it gets wet. This method will take a lot of time, but less than waiting for it to dry on its own. Suitable for hiking conditions when there are no electrical appliances or other improvised means at hand. Also, away from home, newspapers or paper can be replaced with dry grass or leaves, but first make sure that there are no insects, soil or other dirt on them.
Salt
The salt is preheated, then poured into a fabric bag (you can use a sock), which is placed in the boot. As the salt cools, you need to reheat it. You will have to repeat the procedure several times until the shoes are completely dry.
Cat litter or silica gel
You just need to pour it inside the shoes and wait until it draws the moisture onto itself. If it gets very wet, it will need to be replaced one or more times.
Rice
Wet boots should be placed in a box of rice and closed tightly for several hours. Then check the condition and, if necessary, replace the rice. Rice “pulls” water out of fabric shoes well, but leather shoes most likely will not dry out completely. But you can use two or three methods!
Soda
The soda is poured into a bag, which is then placed in the shoe. As it gets wet, it needs to be replaced with a dry one. The disadvantage of this method is that you need a lot of soda, and it is not cheap in such quantities.
When can you dry shoes on a radiator and how?
You cannot dry it on the radiator. Why? Yes because from such express drying you can “lose” the material. It will crack and get damaged. The exception is rubber boots and similar products. For them, this method is the best. If there are no other options, and the material is not delicate, then you can place the shoes on the newspaper not far from the battery, but in no case close to it. The same applies to heaters, radiators, electric furnaces, etc.
If the shoes are only wet from the inside
For drying shoes from the inside, the best methods are using an internal electric dryer, newspapers, salt, soda, and pet litter. You should not touch the outer surface unless necessary, so as not to inadvertently damage its appearance.
Important! You should not simply throw away boots that are wet from the inside, otherwise the heat and moisture can lead to the formation of mold and mildew, which may not be immediately noticeable. If the above methods are not available, then at a minimum you need to remove and dry the insoles, and also open maximum access of oxygen inside: untie the laces, pull the tongue, unfasten all the fasteners.
How to avoid damaging your shoes?
In order not to damage the shoes, you need to take into account the characteristics of the material and seams (thread-stitched ones are stronger than those held on with glue). Do not use too high temperatures. It's important to remember that shoes tend to retain the shape in which they were during the drying process, so they should not be deformed when drying (and for leather it’s even better to use special spacers). It is advisable to use special water-repellent products or products specifically designed for drying shoes.
Tips for drying after washing
- After washing, you must first allow the excess water to drain, and then use one of the drying methods.
- Under no circumstances should you use a washing machine for this: both spinning and drying in its modes are intended for clothes, not shoes (and especially dangerous for the soles). Even the most delicate and careful treatment can ruin or deform your boots.
- Drying is only possible in stages and manually.
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