The Solution For Drying Shoes To Avoid At All Costs (It Can Be Dangerous)

Wintertime brings frigid weather and blankets of snow across a good chunk of the country. No matter if you're shoveling or sledding, it's (almost) inevitable that you'll get snow everywhere, from your gloves to your shoes. Let's face it — no one likes cold, wet shoes, especially if you need to put them on again shortly after taking them off. Although there is an affordable hack that gets your damp shoes dry in no time, many people still think that drying shoes on a heater (like a space heater or radiator) is safe.

Using any heater device, whether it's a portable space heater, your home's radiator, or heating vents, is simply not safe. In the same vein, shoes are one thing you should never dry in your dryer. Perhaps the biggest reason why you should avoid the heater is the risk of fire. Many synthetic shoe materials, like nylon, have relatively low melting points. If left touching or too close to a direct heat source, they can melt or ignite. Since people tend to want to leave shoes near the heater at night (once the day is done), you run the risk of a fire starting while you sleep. 

Leaving your shoes on top of (or next to) a heat source can block its ventilation, causing the unit to overheat, potentially leading to a fire. More than that, though, is the potential of toxic fumes that it could produce. Many shoes contain treated leathers, plastics, and chemical dyes. When these materials are subjected to high heat, they can "off-gas," releasing unpleasant and potentially harmful chemical vapors into your living space.

Instead of using heat, it's best to stick with airflow. Place your shoes on a towel in front of a floor fan or a desk fan. Fans help whisk away moisture as soon as it reaches the surface, and this method dries them much faster than air drying alone, while keeping the structural integrity of your footwear intact and avoiding the fire risks associated with high heat. To get the most out of this trick, place the shoes close to the fan, keeping some space to allow for proper air circulation. Make sure you lean the opening of the shoes towards the airflow to maximize the amount of air that enters and circulates inside. 

If you have mesh sneakers like running shoes, you can use the same trick people use for wet phones. You can fill a plastic bin with about an inch of uncooked white rice, placing the shoes inside and closing the lid. The rice acts as a desiccant, pulling moisture out of the air and the fabric. Essentially, anything that absorbs or whisks moisture away safely without using intense heat is the best option for getting your shoes dry fast. Once your shoes are dry, you can use this Dollar Tree trick to keep them tidy.