How to clean and care for UGG® boots and slippers

Know what your pair is made of

The Classic boots and many slippers are made from Twinface sheepskin: one hide with a suede face outside and the wool fleece left on inside. Other styles pair suede or leather uppers with UGGplush™, a lining UGG describes as a blend of upcycled wool and TENCEL™ Lyocell, and weather boots add waterproof leathers, rubber and textiles. Our materials guide covers each one.

The finish matters too. UGG treats fancy sheepskin, fancy suede and leathers, such as metallic, printed or embellished surfaces, differently from standard sheepskin: no rubbing, no brushes and no cleaning products. Blot them gently with a soft, lightly damp cloth instead; UGG's protector spray is the only product it allows on them.

Some pairs also arrive pre-treated. When UGG relaunched the Classic boots in 2016, it added a treatment applied before sale to help the sheepskin resist water and stains. Pre-treated is not the same as waterproof, which matters for drying and protection below.

The official care products

UGG's instructions are written around its own care line. You do not need every item, but it helps to know what each one does.

The UGG Care Kit bundles all five, with the liquids in 4 oz bottles. Smooth-leather styles are different: UGG points them to its separate Leather Care Kit. If you use another brand's suede product, follow its label and test it on a hidden spot first (general good practice).

Routine care between cleanings

• Brush only when dry. Brushing wet suede pushes dirt deeper. Once a pair is dry, a soft suede brush used lightly in one direction lifts dust and restores the nap, the same finishing step UGG uses after cleaning.
• Deal with spills straight away. UGG's slipper care guide says to act as soon as a mark appears: dab it with a sponge dampened with plain water, then blot with a towel.
• Erase dry scuffs. A suede eraser like the one in UGG's kit lifts light scuffs and shiny patches. Rubbing hard wears the surface, so go gently.
• Let mud dry first (general good practice). Wet mud smears into the nap; dried mud usually brushes away.

Deep cleaning sheepskin: UGG's method, step by step

When brushing and spot-cleaning are not enough, UGG's care pages describe a hand-cleaning method for standard sheepskin boots and slippers:

1. Clean by hand only. UGG says its sheepskin footwear should not go in a washing machine or to a dry cleaner.
2. Wet the whole boot with clean, cold water. Dampen the entire outer surface evenly, not just the dirty patch. Wetting only part of the boot is what leaves water lines as it dries.
3. Dilute the cleaner. UGG's cleaner instructions call for mixing Cleaner & Conditioner with an equal amount of water. One UGG page leaves this step out, so follow your bottle's label, but never pour cleaner directly onto the boot.
4. Apply with a sponge. Put a small amount of diluted cleaner on a clean, wet sponge and work over the whole surface gently. UGG warns that aggressive scrubbing or undiluted cleaner can damage the surface.
5. Rinse with clean, cold water to remove the remaining cleaner.
6. Stuff and shape. Fill the boots loosely with paper to hold their shape and help them dry.
7. Dry slowly in a cool, ventilated spot, away from direct heat and sunlight. UGG's help center allows at least 24 hours.
8. Brush to finish. When completely dry, brush lightly in one direction with a very soft suede or nubuck brush.

Water, oil and salt stains

Water marks and tide lines

A water mark on suede is usually a drying problem: the wet patch dries with a ring around it. The official fix is the deep-cleaning method above, because wetting the whole boot evenly lets it dry to one even tone. If the boot is otherwise clean, evenly dampening the whole surface with cold water, stuffing it with paper and drying it slowly often blends a light tide line (general good practice).

Oil and grease

Do not scrub a fresh grease spot with water, which tends to spread it (general good practice). UGG's care guidance for the suede side of shearling and cow suede suggests dusting a light layer of cornstarch onto grease, oil or water spots, leaving it as long as the stain needs (up to two days for larger spots), then vacuuming it away. UGG notes that cornstarch will not mark the suede. Repeat if necessary, then brush once the area is dry.

Salt stains

We could not find salt-specific instructions from UGG, so treat this as general good practice. Let the pair dry completely, then brush off loose white residue with a soft suede brush. If marks remain, do a full clean with UGG's method. Home remedies such as diluted white vinegar are widely suggested online, but they are not part of UGG's guidance and can affect dyed suede, so test on a hidden spot if you try one. Prevention works better: keep the protector topped up and wear a waterproof winter boot when the streets are salted.

Drying wet boots the right way

How you dry a wet pair matters more than almost anything else in sheepskin care. UGG's care pages agree on the essentials:

• Stuff the boots with paper to keep their shape and absorb moisture; swap it once it is damp (general good practice).
• Let them dry naturally at room temperature in a ventilated spot.
• Keep them away from radiators, heaters, fireplaces, hair dryers and tumble dryers, and out of direct sunlight.
• Give them time. UGG's help center says at least 24 hours, and UGG's Australian care article allows around two days for a damp interior.

Heat dries the skin too quickly, which can leave suede stiff or shrunken and the lining flattened, and brushing will not undo that.

Deodorizing the lining

Sheepskin boots are often worn barefoot, so linings eventually pick up odor. UGG's suggestions:

• Freshening spray. Mist UGG's Shoe Renew (called Sheepskin Freshener in its US help center) inside each boot, then allow at least a day of drying in a cool, airy place away from sun and heat. UGG's Canadian care page suggests spraying after each wear to stop odor building up.
• Baking soda. UGG's Australian care article suggests sprinkling baking soda inside overnight, then shaking it out or gently vacuuming it the next day.
• Wiping the inside. The same article suggests a cloth lightly dampened with plain water, moving to mild soap or a wool detergent only if dirt remains, then drying in a shaded, airy spot.

Prevention is easier (general good practice): let pairs air out between wears and never put them away damp.

Protecting new and pre-treated pairs

A protector spray adds a water- and stain-repellent layer. UGG's help center recommends treating untreated sheepskin before the first wear:

1. Start with clean, completely dry boots in a well-ventilated area, and shake the can well.
2. Hold it roughly six inches (about 15 cm) from the boot and spray evenly until the surface looks damp but not soaked.
3. Let the pair dry for at least 24 hours in a cool, airy place away from heat and sun.
4. Brush the nap lightly in one direction with a soft suede brush.

Pre-treated pairs, such as UGG's Classic boots, are ready to wear out of the box, according to UGG. The treatment is not permanent: UGG says it wears down over time, faster where the boot rubs against other surfaces, and recommends reapplying protector periodically. Its pages give different intervals, so a sensible routine is to re-treat after every deep clean and at the start of each cold season (our suggestion).

Slippers, slides and UGGplush linings

Sheepskin slippers follow the same rules as boots. UGG's slipper care guide recommends spot-cleaning as soon as something spills with a sponge dampened with plain water, blotting with a towel and drying in a cool, well-ventilated spot away from sun and heat, never in a dryer, stuffed with paper to keep the shape. For heavier grime, UGG points to its Cleaner & Conditioner and the method above.

A few slipper-specific points (general good practice):

• Wipe the outsoles. UGG sells many slippers as indoor-outdoor styles. If yours go outside, wipe the soles with a damp cloth so grit does not end up on the suede or your floors.
• Groom fluffy straps when dry. Long, curly sheepskin on slides and collars mats with wear. Tease it apart gently with your fingers or a soft brush once completely dry.
• Expect footbeds to pack down. A sheepskin footbed compresses with daily wear; that is normal.

UGGplush is UGG's wool-rich alternative to a sheepskin lining, used for linings and footbeds in many boots and slippers and some sandals. We could not find UGGplush-specific cleaning instructions from UGG, so check your pair's care label. As general good practice, treat it like a sheepskin lining: no machine washing, spot-clean with a cloth lightly dampened with cool water, blot rather than rub, air-dry away from heat and fluff it with a soft brush once dry. Our slipper guide covers the styles themselves.

Storing UGG boots off-season

UGG's end-of-winter advice: pad the boots with tissue so they hold their shape, put them in their original box or a dust bag and keep them somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight, which can fade the color. A few additions (general good practice):

• Clean and fully dry each pair first; dirt and moisture left in over the summer can set stains and smells.
• Avoid airtight plastic bags and damp spaces such as basements.
• Store tall boots upright with a boot shaper or rolled paper inside so the shaft does not crease.
• Keep pale pairs away from dark ones, because dyed suede can transfer color.

What not to do

• No washing machine and no dry cleaning. UGG rules out both for sheepskin footwear.
• No tumble dryer, direct heat or direct sun for drying.
• No undiluted cleaner straight on the boot, and no hard scrubbing.
• No brushes or cleaners on fancy finishes or leathers. UGG says to blot those with a damp cloth.
• No patchy wetting. Dampening one spot is how tide lines form.
• No bleach, household stain removers or solvent sprays (general good practice). They can strip dye and dry out the skin.
• No puddles or slush in sheepskin Classics. Their water resistance is for splashes, not soaking.

Worn soles, repairs and refurbishment

When a well-loved pair needs more than cleaning, such as a worn-through sole or frayed collar binding, there are two routes. In November 2021, UGG launched UGGrenew, a US refurbishment service run with the shoe-repair company NuShoe. At launch it covered the Classic Ultra Mini, Classic Mini, Classic Short and Classic Tall with three levels of service: steam cleaning, cleaning plus a new Treadlite by UGG™ outsole, or cleaning, resoling and new bindings. Check ugg.com for whether it still runs and what it covers today. The other route is an independent cobbler with sheepskin experience.

Has a pair held up especially well, or worn out early? Write a review and tell the community how it aged, or browse durability notes in owner reviews. More questions are answered in the FAQ.