How to Clean Uggs at Home

Attention, fashionistas: you can clean dirty Uggs at home. Due to their suede exterior and sheepskin interior, Uggs are highly susceptible to stains and damage. And as with other suede shoes, there are a number of cleaning do’s and don’ts. Follow our step-by-step guide, according to Ugg Official, to say goodbye to water stains, mud stains and more. You can use supplies from around the house, or purchase an Ugg Care Kit.

Can I Put Uggs in the Washing Machine?

While it’s possible to wash some everyday footwear in the washing machine, never clean your Uggs in the washing machine. Doing so will ruin the sheepskin and leather, making the Uggs unwearable.

What to Do if Uggs Get Wet

Here's what to do if you get water on your Uggs. If left to dry without intervention, water stains will appear.

What You’ll Need:

• Soft suede brush or sponge

What to Do:

1. Dry. Let them fully dry away from sunlight or heat.
2. Brush. When they’re dry, gently brush away any water marks with a soft suede brush or sponge.

How to Spot-Clean Your Uggs

Here’s how to treat that tough grease, mud or food stain.

What You’ll Need:

• Corn starch
• Soft suede brush or sponge
• Vacuum

What to Do:

1. Brush. Gently brush existing stains with a soft suede brush or sponge to remove dust or dried grease.
2. Treat with cornstarch. Place a mound of cornstarch on the stain. For minor spots, let the cornstarch sit for a few hours; for more serious stains, you can leave the cornstarch on for up to two days.
3. Vacuum away the cornstarch. Use the handheld attachment on your vacuum.

How to Wash Your Uggs

If your Uggs are dirty all-over, here’s how to give them a bath.

What You’ll Need:

• Suede eraser
• Soft sponge
• Bowl of cold water
• Ugg Cleaner and Conditioner or a 1:1 mixture of water and white wine vinegar
• Paper towels

What to Do:

1. Remove scuffs. Remove any small scuffs with a suede eraser. Gently brush downwards while applying medium pressure.
2. Dampen the suede surface. Use a clean, damp sponge to lighten dampen the surface of the Uggs all over. Use downward strokes. Do not oversaturate with water.
3. Apply cleaner directly to the sponge. Apply a dime-size of cleaner directly to your sponge.
4. Scrub in a circular motion. Gently scrub the cleaner all over the surface of the Uggs using a circular motion. Sheepskin can be damaged if it’s scrubbed too aggressively.
5. Wipe with a clean, damp sponge. Wipe away any residue or extra cleaner with a clean, damp sponge using a downward motion.
6. Let the Uggs dry stuffed with paper towels. Stuff the Uggs full of paper towels and let them dry for 24 hours away from sunlight. Do not use an electric dryer to speed up the drying process.
7. Brush with a suede brush. Gently brush the Uggs all over, using a downward motion, with a suede brush to bring up the nap – or the natural bumpy suede texture.

How to Clean the Inside of Your Uggs

If you’re already washing down the outside of your Uggs, you might as well restore the inside to a clean, odorless state as well.

What You’ll Need:

• Cold water
• Washcloth
• Liquid soap
• Paper towels
• Baking soda
• Vacuum

What to Do:

1. Scrub the lining with soap. Add a dime-size amount of liquid soap to a damp washcloth and use it to gently scrub the inside of the Uggs.
2. Wipe the soap away. Use a clean, damp washcloth to remove the soap, washing the washcloth between wipes as needed.
3. Stuff and dry overnight. Stuff the Uggs with paper towels and let them dry overnight.
4. Deodorize with baking soda. Sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda inside the Uggs and let them sit overnight. The baking soda will soak up odors.
5. Remove the baking soda. Vacuum out the baking soda or shake it out.

How to Care for Your Uggs on an Ongoing Basis

If you proactively protect and maintain your Uggs, you may never have to deep clean them.

Wear your Uggs in dry environments. Although Uggs are winter boots, it’s smartest to avoid wearing them in the snow, rain and salt, which will all stain the suede.

Spray with a suede protector every three months. Apply a water and stain repellent, such as Ugg Protector to your new shoes. For extra caution, apply every few months, as the protector wears off.

Lightly brush after wearing them. Use a soft brush to regularly brush the Uggs in a downward direction to restore their nap.

Deodorize frequently. Spray the inside of your Uggs with Ugg Shoe Renew Spray to prevent them from getting smelly in the first place. Dry completely before wearing.