How to Dry Work Boots

When going to work, one must be sure that he is ready for the daily drill of 7 to 8 hours. For this, he must be comfortable enough. Without comfort, you are most likely to get tired enough that it will become a burden to work beyond a few hours. Plus, you will be on your feet most of the time. So, make sure your shoes are nice and clean.

What if you encounter a rainy day and your shoes are all wet? It surely will worry you as you will be going with wet boots the next day. But now worry not as we have brought all the possible and easy ways for you to dry your shoes. So that you don't have to carry wet shoes to your work and be embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Preparing Boots for Drying

Before drying your boots, there are a few things you need to consider.

• Make sure to clean the boots before drying. If there is any mud or dirt on them, drying them before cleaning the mud can leave permanent stains, and that is not what we want.
• It is generally a good practice to remove the laces before drying them. Both the boots and laces dry better that way.
• If the insole of the boot is modular, removing it is also a good option. This makes the boots, as well as the insole, dry well individually, as the air reaches the places covered by the insole otherwise.

Some Common Misconceptions and What to Avoid

There are some basic mistakes to avoid when it comes to drying work boots:

• Do not try drying your boots with direct heat, such as heaters, blowers and campfires. Excess heat can damage the outsoles.
• The heat from blowers and heaters can make leather boots brittle, and as a result, your boots would be damaged as a whole.
• Worst case scenario: Excess heat, such as the heat from heating sources overnight, can burn your boots, and a working man never wants that.

Best Ways to Dry your Work Boots

The warning stickers on a boot dryer will tell you to use the machine only for it's intended purpose, and not to operate it while anyone is inside. This is because heat rises, so if the machine ever malfunctions while someone is in there they could be seriously injured or even killed. It also says not to put anything other than boots inside. It may say this for safety reasons, but I'll give you another good reason not to put anything else in there: The air flow is very limited with these machines, so by putting anything other than your work boots in the dryer will dramatically decrease the amount of hot air that's distributed throughout the boot.

There are two ways to dry boots: The wet method and the dry method. I'll give you a step by step walkthrough of each process below:

The Wet Method (quickest and easiest)

Take both insoles out of your boot.

Turn one of them inside out so the entire inner sole is showing and place it in a microwave safe bowl.

Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of water on top of the insole and place it in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Take it out and squeeze as much excess water as you can into the bowl.

Place the bowl on a flat surface and stick your boots in it. Make sure that the entire boot is submerged, not just the tongue.

The water will run down the sides of the boot and into the sole. This will cause them to dry much faster than they would otherwise because they are constantly being heated by warm air.

The Dry Method

This process will require at least one boot dryer and a non-insulated boot dryer bag (I got mine on [ http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Boot-Dryer-Bag/dp/B000FZV7UA ] ). If you don't have a bag you can make one, but it will take longer to dry your boots. Start by turning the tongue of either boot inside out and placing them in opposite corners of the dryer bag.

Make sure they're all the way up against each other so that there's no space between them.

Place both insoles inside the dryer bag with the boots, and then put one of them on top of each boot. This allows air to enter from all sides so both insoles will dry evenly.

Note: If your boots have a waterproof membrane inside, do not place the membranes directly inside the bag with your insoles or you'll end up with a moist mess.

Also note that a non-insulated bag will take longer to dry your boots than an insulated bag because it does not trap the heat inside.

The best way I've found to use the bag is to let each boot sit in it for about 5 minutes, and then remove one of them. Place it back in the dryer bag, and repeat this process for 8-10 minutes. Doing it this way allows your boots to dry while minimizing creases on the leather.

Turn both of your insoles right side out when they're finished drying. It's not necessary to clean them if you used the wet method, but if you used the dry method it's essential that they're clean.

Note: A good way to tell when your insoles are completely dry is by squishing them. If water comes out, they're not ready yet. This took me a little while to learn, but now I can remove my insoles from the dryer right when they're done. Pay attention that the insoles will not be completely dry for at least 24 hours. You can speed this process up by using a hair dryer on low heat to help evaporate any water inside, but you shouldn't do it too much or your insoles will shrink and crack.

Other Quick and Efficient Ways to Dry Work Boots

It may take more than 48 hours for thick boots to dry. So, drying the boots efficiently and quickly is the goal here. Thankfully, the methods explained below help dry the boots quick and they are efficient.

Moreover, majority of the below mentioned hacks will cost you nothing. As these hacks require things that you can easily find at home. However, you will have to pay a little bit of money for a boot dryer. But, what's more than a nice dry pair of boots for work? So, bear with us till the end and master some amazing ways to dry your boots to work.

1. Using Newspaper

This method is not as quick as the other methods listed, but if the shoes are delicate, using newspaper or kitchen roll is not a bad option, and it is efficient.After the cleaning process, drain out the water from your boots and take out the insoles to dry them separately.

Now vigilantly stuff your boots on the inside with newspaper. Try to make loose rolls of the newspaper for maximum absorption. Also, wrap the pairs of boots in a newspaper from the outside.

Bonus tip: Changing the newspaper every 1-2 hours will speed up the drying process and efficiency.

2. Using a Towel

Another method to use if your boots are delicate is this. Using a towel will not damage the shoes. Using an old towel is recommended because we're working with shoes here. Make sure the towel that you are using is fully dry.After cleaning and removing the insoles and laces of the shoes, put one side of the towel inside the shoes, and wrap the shoes in the towel using the other side.Now place the wrapped shoes under a fan for better results.Bonus tip: Here too, changing the towel and repeating the process can dry the boots quick.

3. Table Fan

Using a table fan for drying work boots is a very common and one of the most reliable methods. However, the setup should be sturdy. Take out the insoles from your shoes and place them out in the sun to dry, or a raised surface on the table so they can be dried using the same fan.A copper wire can be used to make a hinge to hang the shoes to the fan. Another hack is to use the laces of the shoes to tie them to the fan. Turn on the fan and leave the boots to dry overnight.Bonus tip: Placing a towel under the shoes can soak up any excess water droplets from the boots, making them dry faster.

4. Using a Rice Jar

The rice jar method is another hacky method to dry boots, or particularly anything.Take a jar large enough to contain your boots. Fill the jar with approximately 2-3 inches of rice so the shoes are completely dipped in rice.Put the boots inside the jar in a way that makes them completely dipped in rice. Close the lid at the end and leave the jar for about 12-24 hours, and the rice will absorb the moisture in the shoes.

Bonus tip: Filling the insides of the shoes with rice will make them dry faster.

5. Using a Biscuit Jar

This method is very similar to the rice jar method. The only difference between the two is that instead of rice, biscuits are used. The procedure for this hack is also the same. Take a jar of suitable size, fill it with biscuits, put your shoes in the jar and close the lid.The biscuits soak the moisture from the boots and make them dry.

6. Using Shoe Inserts

Shoe inserts are made of moisture-wicking fabrics and cedar filling. They are available in markets and are a great option. They not only absorb the moisture in the wet shoes but also help get rid of the odour.

Bonus tip: Shoe inserts are also antimicrobial coated to avoid germs and bacteria growth.

7. Using a Boot Dryer

Yes, you read that right. Boot dryers are a thing, and their only purpose is drying boots, as the name suggests. They are extremely efficient because they are machines.Boot dryers collect dirty water dripping from the wet shoes. The machine uses thermal convection to heat the insides of the shoes and dry them efficiently and quickly.

8. The Sun

Last but not the least "the sun". The sun is our natural energy source and it produces zero waste. The ultraviolet rays from the sun can dry your boots and also kill bacteria inside the boots.

But this way has its downsides. The sun is not available 24/7 and on rainy days, and this method is not as quick as the other ones. Besides that, this is the greenest way to dry your shoes.

Things to Do After Drying Your Shoes

If you think after drying your shoes, they are ready to wear; you are technically right but not actually.

Some bacteria grow inside the shoes and can cause toenail fungus and athlete's foot. Even after drying, these bacteria remain, and they should be treated.

You can use a UV (ultraviolet) sanitiser to kill the germs and bacteria. It can kill all the germs in your shoes, all within 45 minutes. (A UV shoe sanitizer is not needed if the sun is used to dry your shoes). After that, all you need to do is use some saddle soap to bring back the shine and smoothness of the shoes, and your boots are ready to wear!

FAQs on Ways to Dry Work Boots

Question 1: Is Drying My Work Boots Safe?

Answer: Yes, totally. Shoes are not damaged by washing or drying. However, excessive heat can liquify the glue holding the sole and outer shoe, making the outsoles fall apart.

Question 2: How Much Time Will Your Boots Take To Dry?

Answer: We cannot predict the exact time boots can take up to dry. But it usually depends on the method we used to dry them. However, typically boots take up to a day to dry.

Question 3: Can I Wear Half-wet Boots if They Aren't Fully Dry?

Answer: No, you cannot wear half wet boots before they are fully dry. Using half-soaked boots is usually not a very good idea. It can have negative effects on your feet. Plus, if not fully dried your shoes will stink. So, it's better to dry the boots fully.

Conclusion

An important thing to know is that the most important thing to dry is the insole and inner part. After drying that, drying the outer part is easier.

Now that we've discussed the process, the method choice is yours. Whatever you choose, you'll get clean and dry shoes at the end, and you can wear them to work the next morning easily!

You can use these methods whenever you feel like washing your shoes, and the best part is that some of them are very efficient and quick to dry your shoes.