So, let's say you just clean your shoes , or you've been running errands in the rain or doing something else, and you removed your wet shoes to let them air dry. Then you get a call from someone asking you to do something, which will require you to put those wet shoes on once more. Yuck
What you must do to quickly dry your shoes in your dryer without causing damage to either your shoes or dryer is as follows:
- Examine the shoe's care label and take its materials into account.
- Drain the water and take out any pebbles, grass, or other debris.
- Stuff small, dryer-friendly fabric items into your shoes.
- Clean the lint trap in the dryer of any lint.
- Utilize a drying rack or hang your shoes up.
- Put some towels or casual clothing in the dryer.
- Hang your footwear inside the dryer.
- Check your shoes and use the lowest heat setting or air drying.
- Use a mesh laundry bag if you can.
Your shoes should be dry in less than an hour if you follow these simple instructions. To learn more about the types of shoes that cannot be dried in a dryer, read on. Despite the fact that shoes cannot be dried in your dryer, I'll also provide advice on how to speed up the drying process.
1. Review the shoe's care label and take the materials into account.
Look for the shoe's care instructions. They can be located inside the heel or tongue of your shoe.
You can dry your shoes in the dryer without risk if you see a square with a circle inside it that resembles the shape of a dryer.
You can still dry your shoes in the dryer if the circle has a dot inside of it, but only at low heat.
If there is an "X" over the square symbol on the dryer, do not even consider drying those shoes in that machine. Below are some additional drying techniques.
The materials used to make the uppers or top portion of your shoes may need to be taken into account because care instructions can fade or wear off.
Materials for Shoes That Can Go in the Dryer
Any shoe made of fabric should be able to be dried in the dryer, unless the materials used for the decorations or the heel and sole of the shoe require otherwise.
Canvas, cotton, polyester, and nylon are examples of fabric shoes. After all, you already machine wash and dry clothing made from these materials. Naturally, they are safe to dry in a dryer.
Regarding cotton fabric, there is one word of caution. Particularly after the first few washes, it shrinks. After that, it continues to shrink but at a slower rate. Cotton shoes can shrink less by being stuffed with small, dryer-safe cloth items.
Polyester can also shrink, but only if the dryer is set to a high temperature.
Nylon's issues with high temperatures are unique. It melts as opposed to contracting.
Materials Used in Shoes That Cannot Be Dried
Materials used in the upper portion of shoes, as well as the lining, sole, and heel, shouldn't be dried in a dryer.
Materials Applied to the Uppers of Shoes That Cannot Be Dried
The two shoe materials that should never be dried in a dryer are leather and suede. These two materials dry out shoes too much when put in the dryer.
When heated, both suede and leather warp. Additionally, suede stiffens, and the shoe's suede sole or top may crack or split.
Heat makes leather lose its shape, soften, and stretch. After being dried in the dryer, leather shoes may become creased and wrinkled.
Another kind of shoe you shouldn't dry in a dryer is one embellished with glitter, rhinestones, sequins, crystals, fake, synthetic, or real gemstones.
These types of decorations could be sewn. Metal settings can hold crystals, rhinestones, and gemstones. Sewn-on or mounted in settings decorations are more secure than those that are not But more frequently than not, these decorations are adhered.
If the embellishments are glued on, they might come off in the dryer.
The same applies to footwear with lace or appliques. The lace or applique will remain attached to the shoe if it is sewn on. However, if it was glued to the shoe, it will probably fall off. Additionally, delicate shoe lace or embroidery might not be suitable for dryer drying.
Materials Used in Liners, Heels, and Soles of Shoes That Cannot Be Dried
Always take out the liners from your shoes and let them air dry separately to help your shoes dry more quickly. Since the liners are designed to absorb moisture, the goal of drying your shoes is to remove the moisture.
Athletic shoes may also have foam heels and soles or soles with gels for cushioning.
The heat from a dryer can melt a shoe's gel cushioning. As it cools, it might harden and lose its arch-like shape.
When foam soles are exposed to the heat of the dryer, they can easily disintegrate. Additionally, these soles are typically glued to the shoe's upper. The sole of the shoe might come apart from the upper due to the heat, rendering it unwearable.
2. Drain the water and take out any pebbles, grass, or mud.
Even when you use a dryer to dry your shoes, the process can still take some time. If your shoes are wet, you can hasten the drying process by emptying the wet contents.
Pebbles and stones might dent the drum of your dryer. They can obstruct the drum's rotation because they are small enough to escape the drum and become trapped in the rim. However, the motor will keep attempting to turn the drum and might burn out.
3. Place Small, Dryer-Friendly Fabric Items Inside Your Shoes
You can also stuff your shoes with things like socks and washcloths to hasten the drying process. As I mentioned, socks, washcloths, and other similar items absorb water to stop shrinking and warping. To prevent your socks from shrinking in the dryer, you might want to use socks made of a material other than cotton.
4. Empty the dryer's lint trap of any debris.
Think about emptying the lint trap in your dryer. The majority of laundry lint will be captured by a lint trap before it enters the dryer's vent. The amount of air the dryer produces can be increased by clearing the lint trap of debris. Additionally, it will enhance airflow. You are also shortening the drying time by doing this.
5. Hang your shoes up or use a drying rack
A dryer rack is included with some dryers. If so, you can be certain that your dryer also has a setting for stationary drying.
All you have to do is place the dryer rack inside the dryer, place your shoes on it, and instruct the dryer to air dry them without turning them.
You can still dry your shoes in your dryer if it lacks a dryer rack but they have shoe strings. Shoestrings' four ends should be taken, and the tips should be double-knotted. You won't need a noose because you'll use the knot to hang your shoes instead.
6. Fill the Dryer Partially With Towels or Casual Clothes
If you aren't using your dryer rack, you can put a small load of towels, work clothes, or casual clothing in the dryer. If you have a front-load dryer, your shoes may still bang against the door slightly even though you're going to hang them using the dryer's door.
The clothes and towels lessen the thudding and aid in soaking up some of the moisture from your shoes.
7. Hang your footwear in the dryer
Hold your shoes by the knot and hang them inside the dryer. The shoes should be hung with the toes pointing up at the front center of the dryer's lid. Particularly if you have a front-loading dryer, the heels and soles should be facing the front.
The knot should stay outside of the lid as you close the lid.
Tie the shoestrings of another pair of shoes to the shoestrings of the pair you want to dry if your shoes accidentally fall into the dryer. The second pair will act as a weight to keep the drying pair suspended.
As an alternative, you can use anything else—including actual weights from an exercise machine—as a counterbalance to keep your shoes hanging high.
8. Check your shoes and use the lowest heat setting or air drying.
If there is an option for air drying, you should use it even though you have confirmed that it is safe to dry your shoes in the dryer. Simply blowing unheated air on your shoes, air dry
Use your dryer's lowest heat setting if it doesn't have an air-dry setting.
Although you want your shoes to be dry, you shouldn't overdry them. Check your shoes after letting them air dry for 20 minutes. Start checking them every five minutes if they aren't dry.
9. Think about utilizing a mesh laundry bag.
You can still dry your shoes in the dryer even if it doesn't have a dryer rack and your shoes don't have shoe strings; you just have to put up with some thumping. Just combine them with that small load of clothing or towels in a mesh laundry bag.
However, having a pair of shoes rattling around in the drum of your dryer can cause some damage. The possibility of denting the drum exists. What internally dents the drum produces a bump on the exterior.
The drum's exterior bump could collide with other dryer components and prevent the drum from rotating. It's possible that your dryer will require significant repairs.
Check to see if a dryer rack is designed to fit your dryer before you try to dry your shoes again. Otherwise, you have two choices:
- Purchase a dryer strap with suction cups on both ends. The suction cups are attached to the drum and the strap is worn across your shoes. Your shoes' toes ought to be in contact with one of the drum's fins.
- Purchase a dryer shoe bag. This is a cloth panel that wraps around the dryer door with straps. The fabric panel is placed inside the door. Your heels and soles of your shoes rest against the door as you position them between the material and the door.
Check out this if you're looking for a dryer bag. Mesh Shappy Laundry Bag that affixes to the dryer door and holds your footwear in position while it dries
Questions Regarding Drying Shoes in a Dryer
Is a Dryer Safe to Use to Dry Shoes?
The majority of fabric-based shoes can be dried in a dryer. Shoes made of canvas, cotton, nylon, and polyester are among them. Some fabric shoes, however, shouldn't be dried in a dryer.
Shoes made of fabric shouldn't be dried in the dryer if they:
- Have heels and foam soles
- Incorporate a calming gel into the soles and heels.
- Have embellishments that could be removed during drying, such as sequins, glitter, crystals, and natural or synthetic gemstones
- Have delicate embellishments like lace or embroidery.
Never use a dryer to dry leather or suede shoes.
Will Drying Shoes in the Machine Damage It?
Allowing shoes to tumble in the dryer may cause the drum to dent. There is a bump on the outside of the drum if there is a dent on the inside. The parts that operate the dryer may come into contact with, collide with, or be blocked by that node.
The dryer's motor may burn out if the node prevents the drum from turning.
Will My Shoes Be Affected by the Dryer's Heat?
Shoes made of leather and suede are dried out by the dryer's heat. Shoes made of leather and suede both warp in the dryer. Dryer heat also deteriorates the gel cushioning inside of the heel and sole and the foam heels and soles.
Leather shoes are prone to wrinkling and creasing as well as losing their shape. Suede shoes can stiffen up and have the suede come loose from the shoe.
The shoe's foam heels and soles are glued on. They can come apart from the shoe, and the foam in the dryer can separate.
Some shoes' heels and soles contain cushioning gel that, when exposed to dryer heat, may melt. When it cools, it not only loses its original shape but also becomes harder. As a result, the gel no longer supports your foot by cushioning it or by providing cushioning.
How Should Shoes Be Dried in a Dryer?
Setting the dryer to air dry without tumbling and putting your shoes on a dryer rack are the best ways to dry shoes in the dryer. Close to the tips, tie the 4 shoelace ends together. Grasp the knot on the dryer door's exterior. Your shoes should be hung in the dryer with their toes up.
Other methods comprise:
- With the help of a dryer strap with suction cups on each end, secure your shoes to the dyer's drum.
- By its straps, fasten a dryer shoe bag to the door of your dryer. Put your shoes inside the shoe bag with the cloth panel facing the inside of the door. The heels and soles should be pressed up against the door with the toes pointing upward.
Any of these techniques is suitable.
How to Dry Shoes Without Making a Loud Noise in the Dryer
If you dry your shoes in the dryer on air dry without turning them around and put them on a dryer rack, they won't make any noise. Put your shoes in a mesh laundry bag if they don't have laces, or if you don't have a dryer rack, dryer strap, or dryer shoe bag.
You can put your shoes in the dryer with a small load of loungewear or towels. There will still be some thumping, but the laundry and clothes bag will muffle it.
What to Do if You Are Unable to Use a Dryer
Try the following options if you need to dry shoes that you can't put in a dryer:
- Stuff newspapers, socks, washcloths, or other small pieces of fabric into your shoes to help them absorb water.
- Place your footwear in front of a fan or air conditioner in the room. Hang your shoes using an S-hook and a double knot in front of a larger fan or room air conditioner.
- Whether you're using the furnace or the air conditioner, put your shoes on a register.
- Put your shoes in the shade to dry outside while still protecting them from the sun.
- Put a lot of brown or white rice in a big container to dry your shoes. Alternately, stuff some rice into a pair of socks, take the liners out, and slip the sock into your shoes.
- Dry your shoes by stuffing a pair of socks with baking soda or cat litter.
- Any type of shoe, including suede and leather shoes, can be dried with a hair dryer.
The tips listed above can and should be used as frequently as possible for drying both dryer-safe and dryer-unsafe shoes. Better for your dryer and your shoes. But you should never do that. Bake your shoes to dry them They might become weak from the heat and disintegrate.
If you frequently get wet shoes, a shoe dryer is a good investment.
The Boot and Shoe Dryer by Kooder (available on Amazon) is a top-notch item. It deodorizes, sanitizes, and dries shoes. Many people have mentioned overnighting their boots and shoes in the Kooder Boot and Shoe Dryer. They have no issues using it with any type of shoe or boot material, even rubber boots. The dryer's ability to be adjusted by up to one inch to fit shoes of different sizes is another fantastic feature.
Final Reflections
Using the advice in this article, you can effectively dry your shoes in a dryer. You can always choose alternatives that don't require a dryer if you don't have one, like stuffing your shoes with newspapers, socks, washcloths, or other small fabric items. Putting your shoes in the shade is a great alternative to air drying them outdoors.
Consider using the alternatives I've listed if you can avoid using the dryer. Reduced use of dryers benefits the environment and increases the lifespan of your shoes.
