7 Super Fast & Effective Ways to Dry Shoes at Home (2025 Update)

"Rescuing" Your Favorite Shoes During the Humid Season

The rainy season or humid days often leave your favorite shoes in a damp, uncomfortable state. The consequences are not just foot odor and mold, but also rapid degradation: leather peels, fabric rots, and sole glue detaches. Especially for Sneakerheads or owners of high-end leather shoes, this is truly a "disaster."

How can you fix this quickly without ruining your shoes? In this article, DeAir will share 7 "miracle" dehumidifying tips using simple household items, and introduce a professional preservation solution to keep your shoe cabinet always dry.

1. Why Must You Dry Shoes Immediately?

According to dermatologists, the warm, damp environment inside a shoe is a "paradise" for disease-causing bacteria and fungi (like athlete's foot). Beyond health issues, moisture destroys the shoe's structure:

• Material Damage: Water rots fabric and makes genuine leather hard and cracked.
• Glue Failure: High humidity reduces the adhesion of sole glue, causing the sole to separate.
• Unpleasant Odor: Shoe odor is actually waste produced by bacteria eating sweat and dead skin in a damp environment.

2. 7 Simple & Effective Ways to Dry Shoes at Home

1. Use Old Newspaper or Paper Towels (The Classic)

This is the simplest and cheapest method. Newspaper has excellent moisture absorption capabilities and helps maintain the shoe's shape.

• How to: Crumple old newspaper or paper towels, stuff them tightly inside the shoe. Wrap an extra layer of newspaper around the outside if the shoe is very wet.
• Note: Change the paper every 2-3 hours. Avoid using paper with heavy ink for white/light-colored canvas shoes to prevent ink transfer.

2. Use Uncooked Rice (Powerful Absorbent)

Rice is a great natural desiccant. You can pour some rice into a small cloth bag or a clean sock, tie it tight, and place it inside the shoe. Leave it overnight, and the rice will absorb moisture and odors.

3. Use Baby Powder

Baby powder both absorbs moisture and deodorizes foot odor very well. Sprinkle a thin layer of powder on the insoles before wearing or after taking off your shoes.

4. Use Rock Salt or Baking Soda

Heat up rock salt in a pan, put it in a cloth bag, and place it in the shoe. The heat and hygroscopic nature of salt will dry the shoe quickly. Baking soda has a similar effect and is a powerful deodorizer.

5. Utilize Silica Gel Packets

Don't throw away the desiccant packets from food or medicine boxes. Collect them and put them in your shoes when not in use. This is the best way to preserve shoes daily and prevent mold.

6. Use a Hair Dryer (Watch the Heat)

You can use a hair dryer for rapid drying. However, Nike recommends not using high heat directly on leather or athletic shoes as it can melt glue and crack leather. Only use the cool or warm setting and keep a safe distance.

7. Dry Near AC Condenser or Behind the Fridge

Take advantage of the heat radiated from the AC outdoor unit or the back of your refrigerator to dry shoes slowly and safely.

3. Infographic: Comparison of Shoe Drying Methods

4. Professional Solution: Protecting Your Shoe Cabinet with a Dehumidifier

The tips above only solve the problem when shoes are already wet. To proactively prevent mold for your entire shoe cabinet and expensive bags, especially during the humid season, you need to control the surrounding environment's humidity.

The optimal solution is using an Olmas home dehumidifier. With the ability to maintain stable humidity at 50-60%, Olmas dehumidifiers will protect all your leather shoes, bags, and clothes from mold attacks without drying out the materials.

Specifically, the Olmas OS-16 and OS-25 models feature a dedicated Clothes/Shoe Drying mode, helping to dry items gently and safely, far superior to harsh sun drying or heat drying.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)