How to Dry Shoes: 2 Sustainable Methods

Wondering how to dry shoes without using electricity? Here we outline some ridiculously simple and sustainable tricks to dry your shoes naturally.

Unless you live in a very dry, low-humidity location, air-drying your shoes naturally is out of the question. So the first instinct with wet shoes is to give then a spin in the dryer, but not only is this wasting energy, you could also be damaging your shoes at the same time. We’re going to show you how to dry shoes using two natural methods. 

Why You Should Dry Your Shoes Naturally

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration recent studies reveal that the average U.S. household spends $115 to $130 on electricity a month, with the average U.S. resident consuming nearly 900 kilowatt-hours a month. With this in mind, it only makes sense to be a little more savvy with our energy usage in the home and reduce outgoing costs at the same time.

Depending on the particular style, make, and material of your shoes, high temperatures in your dryer could shrink them, soften adhesive glues and protective coatings, increasing wear and tear, or ruin them completely.

Heat can also damage stitching, and with wet leather shoes, if placed too close to a heater or fan, the leather becomes dry and stiff, often cracking if not treated accordingly with wax or shoe polish after drying.

The two methods to dry your shoes outlined here will not only work as well or even better than a dryer or fan, they are also gentle on any type of shoe and will not damage them.

How to Dry Shoes With Paper

This household remedy for drying shoes has been around a long time. Whether you use leftover packing paper or old newspapers, both are excellent for drying shoes and in most cases can get the job done overnight. Newspaper in particular has a lot of absorption and can even reduce shoe odor as soaks up the moisture. Just keep in mind you may need to change the newspaper once or twice if your shoes are made from material that has high water retention.

1. Take out the insoles if you can and let them air dry separately.
2. Get your newspaper, scrunch up the pages into balls and stuff them into your shoes.
3. Set your shoes in a dry spot indoors out of direct sunlight. You may want to place them close to an open window where possible and allow natural airflow to help the drying process.
4. If the newspaper gets excessively wet, remove it and stuff fresh paper into your shoe again.
5. To dry the outside of your shoes, wrap a few pages of newspaper firmly around them.

How to Dry Shoes Using Uncooked Rice

Rice is not just versatile in the kitchen, it surprisingly effective if you need to dry your shoes. Uncooked, dried rice works as a desiccant and can absorb a great deal of moisture over time. Using rice to dry your shoes also has the added bonus of being a good deodorizer. This method will take a little longer to dry your shoes than newspaper, but it’s a gentle and natural way to dry your shoes without damaging them. 

1. Grab a pair of spare socks and fill them with some uncooked rice. Tie off the opening to avoid spilling your rice everywhere.
2. Remove the insoles and slip the rice-filled socks into the shoes.
3. Depending on how wet your shoes are it could take as little as 3 hours or overnight to dry them using rice.
4. Again, if the rice is soaked through, remove your rice-filled socks and then repeat the process.
5. Consider placing indoors out of direct sunlight which will allow your shoes to dry more evenly.

Read more:

• How to Wash Dirty Sneakers and Other Shoes in the Washing Machine
• 10 Ethical and Sustainable Shoe Brands for Every Occasion
• How to Clean Shoelaces (White and Other Colors)

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Tags: Clothing Guide Practical Tips