Can You Put Hey Dudes In The Dryer?

Can you put Hey Dudes in the dryer when these shoes are notorious for being sensitive to water? What can you do to keep them in prime condition without damaging the materials?

Let’s find out the answer and alternative methods to achieve what you want!

Is It Safe To Put Hey Dudes In The Dryer?

The main purposes people have in mind when throwing their shoes into the dryer are to dry them and to shrink them. However, instead of giving you what you want, the dryer will damage your shoes beyond repair.

There are many methods for you to achieve the desired results without risking your favorite shoes.

What Happens If You Put Hey Dudes In The Dryer?

Maybe you need a more thorough explanation of the unwanted consequences of putting Hey Dude shoes in the dryer.

Here are some results that can happen.

Material Damage

Hey Dude uses a variety of materials like leather and canvas, which are quite sensitive to the heat of the dryer. They might turn faded and brittle under the heat, eventually cracking and losing quality.

Deformation

Aside from the heat, the motions inside the dryer can cause misshaping to Hey Dude shoes. Under pressure and tumbling, the deformation can cost you the fit and take away comfort.

Shrinkage

Canvas and fabric can contract and shrink because of the heat from the dryer. This is a very common issue.

Shrinkage will completely ruin the fit and the aesthetics.

Shorter Lifespan

The function of a dryer also contributes to the tearing and wearing of the materials. Hence, the shoes might deteriorate prematurely and lose their lifespan.

Check more: How To Wash Hey Dudes

5 Safe Ways To Dry Hey Dudes

Air Drying

We should start with the most basic method!

To air dry your shoes, you only need a hanging rope and something to keep the shoes dangling from them. You won’t need any other tool.

The downside of this method is there must be some shade to protect the shoes from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the materials will turn very brittle and vulnerable to cracks.

Dry With A Fan

Almost like the first method, you can use a fan to speed up the process.

You only need to put the shoes in front of the fan and let the fan blow the wetness dry. Once they are all dried, we will put the insoles back and set up the lacing system.

However, we don’t always have an electric fan and a power source. Thus, this method is not always available.

Newspapers

When your shoes are still wet, you can ball some newspapers up and stuff them inside. The paper can absorb moisture while still retaining the shape of your footwear and taking only 6 – 7 hours.

Nonetheless, you can’t leave the shoes alone because the paper will reach its absorption limit in 3 – 4 hours. More newspapers for replacement must be ready for use.

Dryer Sheets

If you have dryer sheets, you can put some of them in your shoes and give them a whole night to dry up.

The dryer sheets can not only take the moisture away but also remove bad odors during the process.

You can rely on dryer sheets when you need a budget solution, though they need much more time than other methods to reach a favorable result.

Warm Air Blower

We will say it again: never use a hot air dryer on your Hey Dude shoes. We are talking about a blower here.

You will need to keep it 15 – 20 centimeters away from the shoes so the materials won’t suffer from the heat.

It’s effective and speedy but you have to be extremely careful. This method is not advisable if you don’t know exactly what you are doing.

Check more: How To Tighten Hey Dude Shoes?

FAQs

1. How To Prevent Hey Dude From Shrinking?

If you want to protect your Hey Dudes from shrinking, you need to be careful in both the washing and drying processes.

With washing, the caution notes vary for different materials.

• Leather

Dryness will render leather vulnerable to cracks. Hence, we need a leather conditioner or polisher to maintain the necessary humidity.

However, washing them with water is not a good option. A wet cloth is enough for you to wipe the stains off.

• Suede

Spray washing is the most suitable method for you because the stretchy suede cannot handle the usual washing. For disinfection and deodorization, baking soda and white vinegar will do the job.

• Canvas

Canvas is more durable and stretchable than leather and suede. But it is water resistant and not completely waterproof.

We recommend using cold water, mild detergent, and low-cycle mode so the shoes won’t be scratched or deformed.

• Wool

Water will shrink wool quickly. Thus, it is not an option.

You can try to spray washing and acetone to cleanse undesirable stains.

For drying, simply choose one of the methods we have mentioned above!

2. Does Water Ruin Hey Dude?

Your Hey Dudes won’t be ruined by one drop of water! But it is another story if you soak them for hours, especially hot water that causes the dye to seep out and make a mess.

Aside from washing tips for Hey Dudes, you can try waterproof sprays to give your shoes a protective layer so you can confidently partake in outdoor activities.

3. How To Deodorize Hey Dude?

If we don’t use dryers for laundry items, there might be some bad odors lingering after. Fortunately, we have a few options to maintain a more pleasant smell.

• White vinegar or baking soda

Every household has these reagents. You can sprinkle a little bit of them in the shoes and leave them overnight.

With baking soda, we would have to remove it afterward, but vinegar will quickly dry up.

• Tea bags

After enjoying a cup of tea, you can utilize the tea bag and get rid of the annoying smells because it has great absorption.

• Freeze

Foul odors come from bacteria. Freezing your shoes might be a good way to deactivate and even kill them, thus eliminating the smell.

However, the downside of this method is that not everyone likes the idea of putting footwear in their freezer, even if they have plastic bags to wrap around the shoes.

• Dryer sheets

If you have spare dryer sheets to use, it’s probably the simplest way to deodorize your shoes.

Simply stuff the shoes with these sheets and put them away the next morning. Scented sheets are also available for more efficiency.

4. Do Hey Dude Shoes Wear Out Quickly?

Hey Dude shoes will wear out but not quickly.

The more you use them, the more these soft materials stretch and mold to your feet. But it will take a few months at least.

Hey Dudes can stretch up to half a size, so they will feel loose over time if they fit snugly at first.

It’s not something you should be worried about though, for the elastic bands and laces will help you adjust the fit as you want.

Closing Words

In short, you cannot put Hey Dudes in the dryer, whether it is for drying or shrinking them.

Although these shoes don’t do well against water, we have various safer options to dry and shrink them without putting them at risk of damage.

Being careful while washing Hey Dude shoes and avoiding overly harsh factors are the best way to prolong their lifespan.