What is the best way to tumble-dry wet sneakers?

Question

When I wash my sneakers and attempt to tumble-dry, a loud thumping sound permeates my apartment and often they will kick the door open.

How can I best tumble-dry my sneakers without the noise and risk of the door opening and stopping the cycle?

Answer 1

Dry them with several heavy bath towels which will both mute the sound and distribute the shock sufficiently to prevent the drier door from jarring open.

Answer 2

How can I best tumble-dry my sneakers without the noise and risk of the door opening and stopping the cycle?

You don't. A tumble dryer is not meant for shoes. It will not dry them particularly effectively, and both the shoes and the dryer may suffer damage if you try.

Instead, just set the shoes out to dry in a warm (but not too hot!) place, preferably with some air circulation. If you happen to have a fan heater, try setting it to blow warm air over the shoes. This does the same thing as a tumble dryer would, except that it won't also toss and bang the shoes around for no good reason. If you don't have one, even just a plain old fan ought to help.

Ideally, you should also unlace the shoes and pull the flap out to better expose the inside and let it dry.

Or, possibly the most effective solution, just buy a shoe dryer made for the purpose. It'll set you back some $20 to $40, depending on the model and where you get it from, but it's a one-time investment (well, until it breaks down, anyway, but it'll most likely outlast your shoes by a fair margin).

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Alternatively, some people recommend stuffing the shoes full of paper (newspaper / tissue paper / etc.). I have a mixed feeling about this — it may indeed help to absorb moisture, but it'll also block air circulation inside the shoe. I'd suggest just using a fan, but if you don't have one, paper might help in a pinch, at least if you change it often.

For that matter, if you're going to stuff your shoes full of something to dry them out, try dehydrated silica gel — you can buy it in several kilogram / pound bags from pet stores or supermarkets as "crystal cat litter", and it's even reusable if you heat it to dry it out. Just fill an old (but clean and hole-free!) sock about halfway with the silica grains, tie a knot in the sock to keep the silica in, and slide your homemade desiccant bag into the shoe. I've tried this, and it works great e.g. for drying boots while hiking.

Answer 3

Dry them one at a time. Tie the laces of both shoes together and leave one out of the machine. This should reduce the amount of movement, reducing the sound and risk of opening the door.

Or "Why not place them both in, let the shoestring hang out and tie something different on it, so they don't fall in?" ^{Thanks @Angelo Fuchs}

Answer 4

When I tumble-dry my football boots, I usually put them in with some thick socks.

Put the thick socks on the outside of the shoes to prevent the heavy parts from clattering too much. A couple of thick pairs on each shoe usually does the trick, especially if you also dry them with thick towels, as another poster has already suggested.

Answer 5

Many clothes dryers have an optional drying rack designed for items such as shoes, etc. which aren't meant to be tumble dried. The shoes would sit in the rack inside of the dryer and can be dried without risking damage to the dryer or the shoes. It would probably work best if the shoes were put on the rack on their side or upside down. They are on the expensive side, but are worth it if you wash shoes regularly.

Here is an example of one: http://www.whirlpool.com/-[W10121663]-1001500/W10121663/