Have you ever thought about drying your shoe and wondered what happens if you put shoes in the dryer?
Depending on what kind of shoes they are, two things happen when we put our shoes in the dryer. Your shoe will be fine if the correct technique and method are used.
But if you use the wrong techniques or the shoe needs to be dryer friendly, then there are chances that either the machine or the shoe will get damaged.
For example, a low-heat tumble drying might work for canvas tennis shoes, sneakers, or synthetic fabric running shoes, but leather dress shoes will shrink, dry out, and maybe crack.
Table of Contents
- What Happens If You Put Shoes In The Dryer?
- How To Dry Your Shoes The Right Way
- How To Dry Your Shoes The Right Way Using Dryers
- How To Dry Shoes Without Using a Dryer
- FAQ’s
- Conclusion
What Happens If You Put Shoes In The Dryer?
Using a dryer to dry your shoe has two answers: Yes and No, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions and your drying method.
You either dry your shoe and get it in good shape or damage it or your machine.
If your shoe is dryer friendly, then you can use the dryer on it, and it will be fine for its drying, provided the proper techniques and methods are used.
But when you use the wrong techniques or methods, then there is a chance that your shoe might shrink or get damaged. In some cases, your machine may become damaged during drying.
Also, some shoes cannot tolerate the use of dryers based on the manufacturing materials, while others can withstand it. You can get this information on your shoe label.
If you are looking at mostly fabric or mesh sneakers, wash them according to the manufacturer’s care guide, and your shoes will be fine.
PVC, faux leather, leather shoes, fabric heels, dressy or work-related boots, high heel shoes, and flats that don’t have a lot of structure should not be put in a dryer because the glue in the shoes will melt, which will make them not fit properly and fall apart.
Also, if the shoes have rubber soles, don’t put them in a dryer because they may melt or, at the very least, deform in shape.
What Types of Shoes Can You Dry?
The use of drying machines in shoe drying makes shoes easier and faster, but you have to be sure that the shoe can withstand the heat.
You can find out by checking the manufacturer’s instructions on the shoe label. Some shoes that can withstand the dryer’s heat include
- Canvas
- Cotton
- Polyester/nylon.
One caution to keep in mind about cotton fabric is that it shrinks, especially after the first few washes. It shrinks less.
Cotton shoes can shrink if you stuff them with small dryer-safe cloth items. Polyester can also shrink, but only if the dryer is set to high. Nylon has its problems with high temperatures. It melts instead of shrinking.
How To Dry Your Shoes The Right Way
The English man has an adage that says that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, and when you apply it to the situation at hand, it simply means that if you must use a dryer for your shoe, then use the proper method.
When using a dryer to dry a shoe, you must follow precautions.
Attention should be paid to details so that neither your shoe nor your machine is damaged.
How To Dry Your Shoes The Right Way Using Dryers
Drying your shoes using a dryer requires the correct methods and steps because a mistake from you may ruin your shoes or even damage your machine.
Below are the steps you should follow to get the best from drying your shoes.
1. Check the Label on Your Shoes
The first thing to do is to check the label inside your shoe.
There you will see the manufacturer’s instructions concerning the shoes, like size dimensions, the materials used to construct the shoe, manufacturer origin, and so on.
Check the label for the drying symbol; it looks like a square, in case you don’t know what it looks like.
If the square has a circle inside it, you can machine dry. You can’t machine dry if there is an X through the circle.
Sometimes you may see more creative labels and offer the square with the circle inside and a dot inside that circle; it simply means dry in low temperatures.
2. Remember the Basics of Normal Drying
While drying your shoe using the dryer, remember the basics.
You would only want to go through some processes to find out the shoes didn’t dry properly or come out the way you wanted.
3. Fill your Machine and Shoes with Dry Friendly Items
Having carried out the first two steps, the next thing to do is to take any dry-friendly item and small towels to fill the dryer so that you can absorb the shoes.
This is to prevent your shoes from tumbling around the machine at the risk of warping your shoes or dryer.
Also, you can stuff small rags or dry-friendly items inside your shoes to help with the drying, which will go a long way in helping to prevent any shrinking while drying.
4. Knot Your Shoes and Hang Them on the door
If you want to keep your shoes from slamming inside, ensure that your shoelaces are tied together.
To get the best result, knot them together at the ends of the laces. Then drape them inside the dryer, leaving some lace out of the machine.
As you shut the dryer door, the knots will prevent them from dropping inside the dryer.
The loader you have doesn’t matter whether you have a top-load dryer or a front-load dryer. Just ensure that the shoes are hanging.
5. Put the Correct Settings On
Make sure you set the dryer on the air-dry setting but if you notice that your dryer doesn’t have it, then put it on to the lowest temperature.
This is to avoid overheating or overdrying your shoes to prevent them from shrinking while drying.
Some machines do have an automatic setting for 60 minutes. But you should check your shoes every 15 minutes.
It is best to determine your shoes’ dryness based on how powerful your dryer is and how wet the shoes were.
This will help determine how long your shoes will stay in the dryer before you bring them out.
How To Dry Shoes Without Using a Dryer
If you need to dry your shoes but are still determining the effects, the dryer will have on your shoe. You can try the following ideas:
- Stuff your shoes with newspapers, socks, rags, or other dry-friendly items to help absorb the water.
- You can hang your shoes in front of a fan or a room air conditioner by tying a double knot in the shoe strings and using an S-hook.
- Place your shoes on a register if you’re using either the furnace or the air conditioner.
- Put the shoes under the sun to air dry but ensure you protect them from the sun by putting them in the shade.
- Put your shoes in a large uncooked brown or white rice container to dry. Alternatively, put rice inside socks, remove the liners, and place the sock inside your shoes to absorb moisture.
- Get a pair of socks, put baking soda or cat litter inside, and put it inside your shoes to dry.
- You can also use hair dryers to dry any shoe, including suede and leather shoes.
Read: How often should you dust and vacuum your house?
FAQ’s
What Are the Shoe Materials That are Not Safe for the Dryer?
You should never dry several materials in shoes, including uppers, liners, soles, and heels.
What Shoe Materials Are Used in the Uppers That Aren’t Dryer Safe?
You should keep two shoe materials from drying in the dryer: leather and suede. Drying these materials in the dryer dries them out too much.
When suede and leather are exposed to heat, the leather wraps, suede stiffens, and the suede surface cracks and breaks off.
If leather shoes are dried in the dryer, they can develop wrinkles and creases because heat causes leather to stretch, soften, and lose shape.
What Shoe Materials Used in Liners, Heels, and Soles Aren’t Dryer Safe?
Liners are designed to absorb moisture, and if you’re trying to dry your shoes, you want to drain that moisture out.
How Can You Dry Shoes in the Dryer Without a Loud Noise?
If you dry your shoes in the dryer on air dry without tumbling and placing them on a drying rack, they won’t make any noise.
You can put your shoes in a mesh laundry bag if they don’t have laces, a dryer rack, a dryer strap, or a dryer shoe bag.
You can tumble your shoes with a small laundry load of clothing or towels. The clothes and laundry bag will soften the thumping.
Conclusion
Your question about what happens if you put shoes in the dryer has been answered, right?
Two things happen when we put our shoes in the dryer; if the right technique and method are used on a shoe, it won’t damage.
But if you use the wrong techniques or the shoe needs to be dryer usage friendly, then there are chances that either the machine or the shoe will get damaged.
But before using the right or wrong method, ensure that the material is dryer friendly by reading the manufacturer’s instructions on the shoe label.