How to dry shoes overnight – 7 easy methods to dry footwear quickly

*BestOnTests.com is reader-supported. When you buy through Amazon and affiliated sites links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.

How to dry shoes overnight- is a common question which people have wondered about. For many, stepping into puddles or in the rain is a nightmare because it causes the footwear to make horrendous squeaking noises and moreover, it can make your feet cold.

But apart from unwillingly stepping into cold puddles, shoes should also be ideally washed so as to prevent muck, grime, and bacteria from taking root both on the inside and outside the shoes.

Washing them every two weeks is fine but anything more can lead it to become discolored. The real issue comes later on with the drying. If not attended to properly then it can get crumpled and shrink in size.

But there are tricks and ways to dry your shoes properly without damaging them in any way, let’s see what those methods are on how to dry shoes overnight:

Fastest Way To Dry Shoes: Pick Your Method

Share this Image On Your Site:

1. Using cloths

Here are the steps on how to dry shoes overnight using a cloth dryer:

1. Wash them using a mild detergent or just warm water.
2. Untie the laces.
3. Now, fill up the dryer with towels or dishrags.
4. Put the shoes in and then pair them in beside each other, but keep the toes up. As for the soles- set them against the inside of the dryer door.
5. Open the dryer door. Pair your shoes side by side with the toes up. Set the soles of the shoes against the inside of the dryer door.
6. Loop the laces around the top of the dryer door and then carefully shut the door. All this is done because the shoes hanging on the door will keep them from being knocked around in the basin.
7. Proceed to set the dryer to a low cycle or a medium one for not more than an hour.

Pros:

• It is favorable for shoes that are made up of materials that are more susceptible to getting crumpled up, like synthetics.

Cons:

• It is a time-consuming process since you will have to set the shoes carefully to get them dry.

2. Using a fan

Before talking about how to dry shoes overnight using this method, you have to check the construction of the shoes as durable gel soled shoes or leather ones work the best with this method.

1. Remove the dirt on the shoe.
2. Get those wet shoes near a table fan. The fan should be sturdy and taller than the length of the shoes.
3. Place a towel in front of the fan so as to catch the excess water which drops as the shoes dry.
4. Proceed to remove the insoles and set those in the dry on a low cycle for a few minutes (if they aren’t leather). You can also opt for setting them on a radiator to dry up.
5. Now take an old wire and a wire cutter. Proceed to cut two lengths of wire which are six inches.
6. Then bend the wires in an ‘S’ shape and ensure that it has a smaller hook on one end and a larger end on the other end.
7. Now hook the small ends onto the fan and keep those about 9 inches apart to keep the shoes separated.
8. Then loosen up the laces and stretch the shoes so that the insides get as much air as possible. Then hang them from the inside using the larger hook.
9. Ensure that the fan air reaches the insides of the shoes and also airs the outside out properly. Make the fan run on high for an hour or so.

Pros:

• An effective and easy method to carry out.

Cons:

• It doesn’t work for ‘soft’ shoes or shoes which retain water for long.

3. Using paper

How to dry shoes overnight using papers is a hack which has been around for long and is a good way to use those newspapers lying around:

1. Wash your shoes.
2. Remove the show’s insoles to dry separately.
3. Get newspapers, ball them up and stuff them in your shoes.
4. Place those shoes indoors and in a dry spot.
5. Place them close to a fan or space heater if you can.
6. If you feel like the newspaper gets wet or mushy soon then you can replace it every few hours or so.
7. To dry the outsides, wrap a few newspaper sheets around them and then use a rubber band to secure them.

Pros:

• Newspapers have good absorption power and so not just moisture but any odor also gets pulled in.
• It is the easiest method to carry out as it requires just papers.
• The shoes will dry faster than if just kept out in the air.
• There aren’t risks for shrinking.

Cons:

• It isn’t very effective for shoes which have high water retention.
• Forms of ‘hard’ paper may not get the job done as effectively.

4. Using shoe dryer

Shoe dryers are one the quick answer to all the questions of how to dry shoes overnight. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Wash the shoes.
2. Now take out the insoles to dry outside or use clothes dry on low to dry them. Take the laces out as well.
3. Put the shoes or boots on the two drying tubes. Also, check to ensure that the toe of the shoe remains higher than the heel so that it dries thoroughly as well.
4. Don’t put footwear on the drying tubes without anvils since they are made to assist in the proper circulation of warm air.
5. Ensure that there is 6 inches of clearance between the footwear and the base.
6. Now plug in the shoe dryer and don’t put any kind of obstructions near the air vents as this will just cut off natural air circulation.
7. Don’t place the shoe dryer near any secondary heat source.

Pros:

• Easy to use since you just have to put your shoe on it to dry.
• Some shoe dryers come with scents, deodorants and other methods to ensure that your shoe also smells well.
• You can use it to dry shoes, boots, gloves, waders, etc.
• Can dry shoes quickly.

Cons:

• You need a power source to make it work.

5. Refrigerator

The refrigerator is another household appliance where you can dry your shoes. Not on inside but in front of its vent. For most refrigerators, you can find them below the door. For every cooling cycle, this appliance blows out warm and dry air which can dry your shoes. If you don’t want to put your shoes in front, you can also put them behind the refrigerator where there is an intake fan. This fan will draw the moisture out of your shoes.

1. Get your wet shoes and remove it insoles (if there is any).
2. Lay your shoes on its side with the opening in front of the vent of the refrigerator. If you will be putting them at the back, put the opening of the shoes facing the fan.
3. Leave them to dry overnight.

Pros:

• You can use this method for shoes made from canvas and cloth materials like running shoes.

Cons

• It may damage leather shoes because of the warm air.

6. Rice

Aside from being a staple food, rice has many practical applications. Uncooked, dried rice can work as a desiccant and can absorb a great deal of moisture. Here is how you can use them to dry your shoes overnight.

1. Make rice sockies by filling spare socks with rice and tie them with hair elastics. Do not fill them to the brim, just enough for the rice to move inside the socks.
2. Clean your shoes to remove the excess mud or dirt.
3. Remove the insoles and put the rice sockies inside the shoes.
4. If your shoes are not soaked, you can leave it alone for 2-3 hours while the rice removes the moisture. If the shoes are completely soaked, leave them overnight with the rice sockies for the rice to absorb the moisture.

Pros

• Rice is a good desiccant. It can remove the odor too and prevents bacterial growth.

Cons

• Because uncooked rice is still a seed, it will take longer to absorb moisture. Therefore, your shoes will surely not dry faster.

7. Clothes Dryer

The quickest way you can dry your shoes is your clothes dryers. But you cannot use this method on all types of shoes. If your shoes are made with leather or have gel-core inserts, you should find an alternative way of drying. There are drying racks available to put in your dryer for a noise-free drying, but if you don’t have it, try this hack.

1. Check the label of your shoes if it is dryer safe. If it is not indicated on the label, assume that the shoes are not dryer-safe, to prevent them from damage.
2. As most shoes have shoelaces, loosen them to about 6 inches long. You can remove the laces from the top 2 holes if you can reach 6 inches from the shoes. Make sure that they are loose around the tongue so they can dry properly.
3. Tie the shoes together using the laces.
4. Hold the shoes by the laces against the inside of the dryer door.
5. Close the dryer door with the laces sticking out from the top.
6. Set the dryer on low heat to make sure that it will not damage the shoes. Run it in full cycle and repeat if the shoes are still wet.

Pros

• Dries faster than any other method.

Cons

• Not all shoes can be put inside the dryer. Leather can be damaged by warm air.

All these methods have their pros and cons but they all answer a similar question which is always hard- how to dry shoes overnight. It’s up to you to make sure that the process you are using is right for your shoe.

How to dry shoes overnight without damaging them?

Don’t dry the footwear on heaters, campfires, stoves or any other direct source of heat. This can melt the glue off your boots and potentially render them useless.

If one of these is your only option at the moment, make sure that the boots are far enough not to get damaged. Also, always dry the insides first and make sure the boots are clean and without laces before drying them.

If you follow these tips or at least just some of them, I’m sure that you will get the most out of your working or everyday boots and keep your feet dry and warm throughout the day.