Here's the secret to cleaning your Ugg boots at home
Get your sheepskin boots clean and fluffy again
Credit:
Uggs
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
My friend was devastated when her brand-new Uggs got caught in an unexpected downpour. The boots were left soaked and stained, and once they dried, they looked so rough that she boxed them up and stashed them in the back of her closet.
Spending $40 at the dry cleaners didn’t seem worth it to her, so she figured the boots were a lost cause. That’s when I had an idea—why not see if I could revive them using the laundry labs at Reviewed? With nothing to lose, she handed them over, hopeful for a second chance at saving her favorite pair.
Before their trip through the washing machine, these Uggs were badly stained around the toes.
So, I washed my friend's Uggs in a washing machine—and it worked!
Has winter done a number on your non-Ugg footwear? Check out our article on how to get salt stains out of your shoes.
Here's how to wash your Uggs—in 4 steps
Step 1: Prepare them for washing
To keep them safe and prevent fleece from escaping, wash your Uggs in a mesh laundry bag.
First, put the boots into a big mesh laundry bag. The idea is to protect the Uggs and contain any escaped fleece.
Then, place them into the tub of the washing machine. I used a Samsung front-loader in our laundry lab, but you can use any washing machine for this.
This laundry bag will keep shoes from suffering damage in the wash.
Step 2: Pour a small amount of clear detergent into the dispenser
I used All Free & Clear, a perfume- and dye-free detergent. Regular blue detergent could have left a stain.
This laundry detergent cleans brilliantly, without all the additives.
Step 3: Determine the correct cycle—hint, it's delicates
Set the cycle to delicates with a cold water wash and start the washer. I also threw in in a few old sheets and towels to cushion the spin, and to make sure the washer ran enough water into the tub.
Step 4: Let your Uggs air-dry overnight
When the load completes, remove the boots from the washing machine, and take them out of the bag. Then, reach in and fluff up the fleece inside the boots, and let them air-dry overnight.
The result
After washing them, the boots looked nice again, and the insides were soft and fluffy. In this picture, they are almost dry, and the color is more uniform.
This technique was an even bigger success than I expected. My friend's Uggs came out looking clean and fresh, and the fleece inside felt soft and fluffy. For the first time in years, they're going back into her wardrobe rotation.
Then, I washed my green suede Ugg moccasins the same way—and that worked just as well.
Obviously, you never plan to wear sheepskin boots in the rain, but sometimes you have no choice when you’re already out. And, after you wear any pair of Uggs for a while, they're probably going to end up looking (and smelling) funky, too. So, when this happens to yours, now you know how to make them look great again—without a trip to the dry cleaners.
This laundry bag will keep shoes from suffering damage in the wash.
This laundry detergent cleans brilliantly, without all the additives.
Related content
how-to
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.