Just think of it as a toaster for your socks

“DRY guy,” says Joel Beckett of Mercer Island, Wash., when he answers the phone. DryGuy is also the name of his invention, which airs out soggy gloves, hats and other garments after skiing, boating, swimming or fishing.

Its four 8-inch nozzles emit a steady airflow -- room temperature or slightly warmer. The device is no bigger than a toaster and is easier to work than some gumball machines.

Does the DryGuy do what the dry guy claims?

Indeed.

I took a hiking boot and a ski glove, filled them with water for 15 minutes, then drained them. Then I soaked a wool sock and ski hat and lightly wrung them, so they were still nearly dripping wet. I placed each item on a nozzle and set the timer for 180 minutes. After 30 minutes, all the items remained wet, but after an hour, the glove, hat and boot were drying nicely. The sock, however, remained very soggy near the base of the nozzle.

After 90 minutes, the glove, hat and boot were toasty dry, but the sock remained damp until I slid it higher up the nozzle, and after 15 minutes it was drier than Death Valley in summer.

The DryGuy works using a conspicuously low airflow. It’s quiet and runs on less juice than a hair dryer. Even on the high setting, none of the garments warmed to more than body temperature, so no worries if you slip four soggy gloves over the nozzles, set the timer on 180 and walk away. And the DryGuy is designed to prevent water from reaching the motor, reducing risk of electrocution.

This is a great product, worth every penny of its $89.95 price. For more information or to place orders, call (888) 330-9452 or visit www.dryguy.net.

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-- Scott Doggett