How to Dry Tennis Shoes
Tennis shoes can be fairly expensive investment, so you need to ensure you are caring for your footwear correctly. Though they are not exposed to the same conditions as other sporting footwear, you will eventually need to know how to launder and how to dry tennis shoes. However, you need to be careful when washing and drying your footwear to ensure you are not causing unnecessary damage. Read on for some essential guidance on how to properly care for your tennis shoes to ensure that they last you for as long as possible.
Washing Tennis Shoes
Before you think about how to dry your tennis shoes, you should make sure you have washed them correctly. To clean tennis shoes properly, you should first begin by removing any excess dirt and debris. A firm brush is a good idea if you are dealing with particularly stubborn dirt, especially around the soles. If you are planning on placing your tennis shoes in a washing machine, you should also remove the laces. Laces will often become tangled as they tumble around the drum of a washing machine, so it makes sense to remove them prior to cleaning. You can soak and wash laces separately, or place them inside a small mesh bag and launder them alongside your shoes in the machine.
Cleaning any type of sneaker or tennis shoe in a washing machine can be noisy, so consider adding some towels to the machine before you start the washing cycle. These will not only reduce the amount of noise generated by a wash, but also help remove excess dirt from the exterior of your footwear. If you regularly launder footwear in your washing machine, using towels will also protect the drum and prevent your appliance from becoming damaged. You also need to think about temperature settings when washing tennis shoes in a machine. Avoid opting for higher temperatures as these can damage the integrity of your footwear. Never choose anything above a warm cycle. Using a detergent is okay, but you should avoid using any products with chlorine in them. Fabric softener agents should also be avoided as these will damage the stiffness of your footwear.
How to Dry Tennis Shoes Properly
When drying your tennis shoes, you should avoid exposing them too excessively high temperatures. These can damage the finish and materials of your footwear, as well as loosen the glues holding individual sections together. A good method for drying tennis shoes is to first stuff them with paper or dry fabric. Once each shoe has been stuffed with dry material, squeeze each shoe tightly to physically remove excess water. This method will help remove a great deal of water from shoe components like inner sole. Remove any sodden fabric and repeat if necessary.
If you are not in a rush, you should always to air dry your footwear naturally. Once you have squeezed out any excess water from the inside of the shoe, you can lay them flat on a rack or suspend them from a washing line. Before leaving your tennis shoes to air dry, you should reinsert your cleaned laces them or add new ones through the eyelets. Allowing your tennis shoes to dry naturally also has the advantage of helping eliminate any lingering odours, eliminating the need for further products.
If you have to use a tumble dryer, avoid high temperature settings and longer cycles. Never dry a pair of tennis shoes in a tumble dryer at anything above a medium heat settings. Tumble dryers can cause significant warping to tennis shoes, especially the soles. Even when drying footwear at lower temperatures, you should never leave your shoes unchecked for more than 15 minutes. Continually check the status of your shoes in increments, ensuring your shoes are not exposed to tumble dryer heat any longer than they need to be.
