There are many ways of drying your wet boots, and there is also a secret way to dry them quickly. You can save a lot of time without ruining your boots if you follow my easy method. This article will give you tips on how to use items you already have to dry your wet boots.
Boots that are improperly dried have a higher risk of smelling like mold. Drying your boots immediately after they get wet is the key to keeping them in good condition. Factors that will reduce your booth life will vary from drying with high heat to leaving them air dry.
You can try to keep your boots dry but if you spend any time outdoors there is a high probability that you will encounter wet shoes or boots. Walking in them while wet is miserable, and worst yet drying them can take a long time. It’s important to know that drying them improperly will result in stinky boots. After experiencing wet boots more times than I can remember I will show you my quick drying method.
There is nothing that feels better than putting on a clean dry sock and slipping it into a dry boot!
The inevitable wet boots
You are walking along trying to be careful and bam. Wet foot. We all know the feeling. The cold sensation of water touching your foot and you can feel your sock soaking up the moisture. You did it, you got water in your boot.
Now you have to plan your next step. Do you want to keep wearing them and tough it out or do you stop and get dry footwear.
I will tell you I know that feeling all too well. I have worked as a first responder for many years, I love to hike, go hunting and also worked construction all in ranging weather conditions and terrains. There is nothing worse than getting water in your footwear.
Why is it important to dry your boots for your health
Having a wet foot isn’t terribly bad on its own but add your boots or shoes into the equation and this can cause many problems. The first thing to happen is your sock will get wet and soak up the moisture. Then you have a wet sock in your boot that will start to cause you irritation on your foot. Blisters can develop from the friction of your sock moving inside your footwear. Athletes foot also loves to thrive in these conditions.
The best thing to do is get back to where you are headed and prepare your boot for drying.
The fastest way to dry boots
Ok you made it this far and I’m going to show you my secret sauce. Lets prepare your boots for drying. I will advise you that the method I use will require you to have something that can blow cold air.
Examples of something that can blow cold air are as follows:
- Fans
- Blowers
- Leaf Blowers
- Air Compressors
- Floor air vents
- Car air vents
- * HINT* Shop Vacuums
There’s many other ways but lets just stick to the main way that I use.
Prepare your wet boots to dry fast
First prepare your boot. Take your boot off and dump any of the water out of the inside by turning them upside down. Depending on the amount of water inside your booth you may want to let them sit this way for a couple minutes.
Take out the insole of the boot and unlace them as much as you need. Take off those wet socks and put them in the wash (GROSS)..
Okay now that your boots are prepared lets move on to the best method for drying your boots.
Lets dry your boots fast
Okay now here is my secret.
I use a shop vacuum to dry my boots. How would you use a shop vacuum to dry your boots? Well my method does not use the suction of the vacuum. I use the blower option. Most shop vacuums have this but some don’t. If you don’t have a vacuum that can blow air refer to the list of items that can blow air above.
Drying your boots in minutes
Take your shop vacuum and disconnect the hose. Then you want to attach the hose on the blower area of the vac. This will blow a strong stream of cool air from your shop vacuum’s blower which will dry your wet boots.
I dried my water soaked boots in a matter of minutes using this method. I have also used my leaf blower to insert into the boot and blow until the battery died. The best way to use a leaf blower would be if you had multiple batteries of if you have one that can plug into the power outlet.
So now you know the best most effective way to dry your boots.
Now the inside is dry
Make sure they don’t have an odor before you put then back together. You may or may not have to purchase new insoles depending on their condition. I usually stick my hand inside the boot to make sure there’s no damp areas inside the booth cavity. If it all feels dry then install your insoles and lace them back up.
Luckily mine are already laced and I can just use the side zipper. My logging boots that I wear are fully laced and I have to lace them back up before using them again.
Methods of drying boots that should be avoided
You should not use a clothes dryer to dry boots
Not only will the heat from the clothes dryer be bad for your boots. It will beat the drum of your dryer for the entire duration of the cycle. This can cause your dryer damage and also your boots. The heat can cause the glue in the boot to come apart. Don’t use your dryer to dry your boots.
You should not use a paper towel to dry boots
Another method is to use a paper towel. Using a paper towel can cause the moisture to be absorbed into the towel and continue to lay inside your boot. The only way to use this method is if you put in the paper towel wadded up to soak up the moisture before using another method. This will not work well if used by itself. Replace the paper towel as often as you need to when trying to soak up large amounts of water first. If you use a paper towel, make sure to change it as soon as possible to prevent mold or mildew then use the blower method.
You should not use rice or kitty litter to dry boots
Using rice or kitty litter will take the moisture out of the boot. But then you run the risk of not getting all the tiny pieces out of the boot. These items will leave a residue behind also. Do you really want something like this inside your boot? If you are in a pinch and don’t have a power source for a blower this can be a last resort type of thing. I wouldn’t use this method unless I couldn’t use a blower.
You should not use a hair dryer on heat to dry boots
I will say that using a hair dryer isn’t completely a bad idea. You can get good/ fast drying results with a hair dryer. Make sure you use then hair dryer on cool air. Don’t use heat or it can permanently damage your boots. Use cool air and place the dryer in your boot. Make sure you check it often to make sure its not overheating inside your boot which can start a fire. Use this method with caution and check it often. Remember No Heat.
You should not use your oven to dry boots
Haven’t you learned so far.. Don’t use heat to dry your boots. Heat can ruin the leather, the binding and the glue when drying your boots. I wouldn’t use the oven because a lot of boots now have plastic on them also not to mention rubber soles. Not to mention that using the oven will not force any air into the boot which will make it dry even slower. Don’t use the oven to dry your boots.
I hope you always have dry boots!
There you have it. If you ever wanted to know how to dry boots at the fastest speed possible, these methods are your best bet. Give them a try next time you find yourself with a pair of wet boots, and may you always have dry feet!