Introduction: Slipper, Shoe and Glove Dryer

A simple wire rack dries things easily if you have floor air vents. I machine wash my slippers (Wal-Mart), and this rack dries them quickly while retaining their shape. Since I wear the slippers for hours each day during cold weather, I also put them on the rack every night between washings. Keeps them fresh as a daisy, and I know where to find them. See my related Instructables, including a glove dryer for an overhead air vent, click on "unclesam" just below the title above or in the INFO box to the right. On the new page that appears, repeatedly click "NEXT" to see all of them.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Two heavy wire coat hangers, of color to suit your decor
Pair of combination pliers having wire cutter
Screwdriver, flat blade
Floor air vent cover, pulled from duct where rack will be used

Step 2: Cut Off Hanger Hook

Remove the hanger's hook, leaving all the untwisted wire.

Step 3: Form the Loop

Straighten the hanger's elbows. Form a wide loop exactly at the middle of the wire by wrapping it partway around something round. Size the loop to fit your footwear. Something 3 and one quarter inches diameter creates a loop that fits in my male U.S. size 8 slippers.

Step 4: Size Does Matter

You know what they say about men who have big feet. That's right, it means they have big slippers. Push the loop up into the toe of a slipper or shoe and mark each leg of the loop about an inch and one half beyond the heel of the slipper. Remove the loop and bend each leg outward at the mark.

Step 5: Bend the Legs Up

Bend each leg to parallel its side of the loop.

Step 6: Form Tabs

Bend each leg out of the plane of the large loop to form a short tab about three eighths of an inch long. The tab should not be so long that it will interfere with operation of the movable vanes in the vent cover.

Step 7: Mark for Hooks

Place the tabs of the loop into the vane slot closest to the end of the vent and mark where to bend to form the hooks. Photo shows what the hooks look like once they have been formed. Remove the loop from the vent cover and form the hooks. The first part of the hook takes the angle of the fixed vent vane, and the tip of the hook is a short bend backward.

Step 8: Form the Hooks

It may take several tries to get the hook shape just right, installing then removing the loop each time. It is easiest to install the loop by first squeezing the two hooks together and inserting them into the appropriate vane slot. Next rotate the loop to allow it to expand, then insert the tabs into the end vane slot. Pivot out the tabs then squeeze the hooks together to remove the loop.

Step 9: Final Installation

The fit need not be tight.

Step 10: Bend Tabs

The rack loops should stay in place under their own weight or the weight of a slipper, and you can remove them when not in use. However, they can be permanently mounted by bending the tabs. Hold each leg in place while using a screwdriver to bend its tab forward. If the rack is to be removed when not in use, do not bend the tabs.

Step 11: Bend the Loop

Make a sharp bend in the wire loop as shown. This will keep the heel area of the slipper from being crushed against the base of the wire loop.

Step 12: Make a Second Loop

Bend and install the second loop. The photo shows the loops installed using another permanent attachment method. This dryer rack is out of the way, so I leave it in place all the time.

Step 13: Alternative Attachment

No tabs are formed in the wire, but the same hooks are formed on the legs. The sides of the loop are bound to the end fixed vane using any maleable wire, such as the iron wire used to fasten rebar, sold by the roll at home centers. The ends of the small wire loops are twisted tight from below, with the movable vanes open, using longnose pliers. The resulting pigtails are bent aside so they cannot interfere with the operation of those vanes.

Step 14: Gloves and Mittens

Wet gloves or mittens can be slipped onto the rack so long as their cuffs are not too tight. Mister glove waves "Hi!" to all the Instructable-istas.
Unclesam