Can You Wash Uggs?

UGG Australia is a clothing company that designs boots called Uggs. In addition to boots, the company sells slippers, sandals, and shoes. UGG has lines for men, women, and children. The styles, especially the boots, are popular in the winter. They are made of sheepskin, leather, or suede. Although the material lasts for years, the footwear tends to attract stains from daily wear. Luckily, there are UGG products and home cleaning remedies to care for them.

UGG Care Kit
UGG produces an official UGG Care Kit that includes a hard bristle brush and scuff eraser. It also has a bottle of Sheepskin Cleaner & Conditioner, Sheepskin Stain & Water Repellent, and Sheepskin Freshener. The items sell individually as well. Using a care kit greatly extends the shoe life, especially if wearers clean the stains as soon as they appear.

The Cleaning Process
Remove any loose dirt or hair from the boots prior to cleaning them with the brush. It helps to get the footwear wet; the boots should not be soaking or damp, but somewhere in between. Apply the Sheepskin Cleaner & Conditioner to a clean sponge. Gently scrub the boots over the entire exterior surface of both boots. Avoid cleaning just the dirty spots to maintain a consistent color. Stains often go unnoticed on boots, particularly winter stains like salt residue or ice melt. If the boots have heavier stained spots, do not overly scrub these areas and avoid less noticeable ones.

Rinsing
Rinse the boots under a faucet using cold water to reduce shrinkage and color fade. After the cleaner is completely rinsed off, owners need to stuff the boots with paper towels, newspaper, or socks. This helps retain the shape of the boots. Sagging is especially common in the toe area. UGG recommends spraying the Sheepskin Stain & Water Repellent and Sheepskin Freshener on the boots after cleaning.

Drying
The boots need to dry for 24 to 48 hours. A cool, dry place is ideal. Avoid using a heating device or sunlight for drying. The heat wrinkles the sheepskin. The boots are not wearable until they are completely dry, or they will stretch. After they are dried, restore the soft look with a gentle brushing.

According to UGG Australia, the UGG Care Kit is only for Twinface Sheepskin boots or slippers from the Classic, Ultra, and Ultimate collections.


Other Cleaning Methods
If owners do not want to risk cleaning other types of Uggs footwear with the UGG Care Kit, there are other options available including typical leather and suede cleaners, as well as at-home remedies for stains. Owners should stay vigilant because the longer a stain sits, the more difficult it is to remove.

Recommendations
For general maintenance, brush the boots with any stiff bristle brush. Use a damp cloth with cold water to scrub the boots gently without soap or cleaner. Remember, anytime boots get wet, stuff them, and allow them to dry completely without the use of heat.

Many people use traditional leather and suede shampoos to remove stains from their leather goods, including UGG boots. The bottle should have specific instructions relating how much shampoo to mix with water.

For specific stains, people can use several at-home remedies. Although the products may help remove the stains, they should also complete the entire cleaning process to keep the footwear from showing changes in coloring throughout the surface of the boot.

Boot dryers are a convenient means of safely maintaining boots for people who frequently get their footwear wet. These blow a steady stream of room-temperature air through multiple vents. However, people should not put soaking wet boots on the boot dryer. They are ideal for damp boots. Boot dryers silently dry the boots within a matter of hours rather than days.