To clean UGG slippers, brush the dry dirt off the suede, clean the whole outside lightly and evenly rather than one spot, blot it, and give the pair a full day to dry away from heat. Then treat the inside as a separate job, because on a slipper that is where most of the dirt ends up. UGG's own rule is hand wash only: no washing machine, no tumble dryer.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with UGG. This page covers the slipper styles, the Tasman and other suede pairs worn mostly indoors. Boots collect mud and road salt. Slippers collect socks, bare feet, kitchen spills and floor dust, so the routine shifts toward the lining.
First, check which lining you have
The Tasman has a suede upper, but its lining depends on the version. Some are lined with 17mm sheepskin. Others use UGGplush, a textile blend of 60% upcycled wool and 40% TENCEL lyocell. The label inside the slipper, or the product page for your exact pair, tells you which one you own.
That matters twice. UGG's hand-wash method is written for sheepskin, so on an UGGplush pair, read the care label for the lining before you wet it. And neither lining is on the list of materials we have tested our foam on, so whichever you have, the foam stays on the suede outside. For other UGG slipper styles, check the label too. Not every pair is sheepskin all the way through.
Cleaning UGG slippers at home: the outside
Start dry. If the pair got soaked, leave it a day before you do anything. If there is mud on the toe from a trip to the bins, let it dry completely and then brush it off, because brushing mud while it is still wet works it down into the nap. Use a soft brush, short strokes, one direction. On slippers that never leave the house, this step alone often clears the grey film of floor dust along the toe and sides.
A light clean, without UGG's cleaner
For everyday grime, such as a dull toe, a grubby heel or a mark from the kitchen floor, you don't need UGG's own cleaner and conditioner. A light foam clean is enough:
- Test a hidden patch. Inside the heel, or under the collar. Foam it, blot it, let it dry, then check the colour and how the nap feels.
- One light pump per side. Spread it thinly from seam to seam rather than just over the mark, so the whole panel dries at the same rate.
- Ten seconds, then blot. Press a folded dry cloth onto the foam and lift it off. Use a fresh part of the cloth each time. No rubbing.
- Stuff and wait. Paper towels inside, room temperature, no heater. Brush the nap up once the suede is completely dry.
That is the job our foam was made for. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam comes with a brush and a cloth in the box, and on suede we rate it "good, blot only". It lifts the grime sitting on the surface. Don't expect it to undo a mark that has been ground into the nap for a whole winter.
A full hand wash, the way UGG describes it
For a pair that is grubby all over, UGG's own method washes the whole slipper with its sheepskin cleaner:
- Dampen all of it with clean, cold water. The whole slipper, so it dries evenly. Wetting one area and not the rest is how visible water lines start.
- Dilute the cleaner half and half with water and put it on a wet sponge. Never apply it straight onto the sheepskin.
- Scrub gently. UGG warns that the surface can be damaged by hard scrubbing or by cleaner used undiluted.
- Rinse with cold water, then stuff the slipper lightly with paper towels.
- Dry naturally for at least 24 hours somewhere cool and airy, out of direct sun and away from radiators.
- Brush once dry, lightly and in one direction, with a very soft suede or nubuck brush.
This is a proper wash, so plan for an evening in socks. Don't put your feet back in until the lining is dry right through.
How to clean the inside of UGG slippers
Slippers often get worn barefoot, every evening, for months. The fleece takes the sweat and gets pressed flat at the heel and the ball of the foot long before the suede looks tired.
- To freshen it: UGG's care text suggests a dry mix of two teaspoons of baking soda and two of corn flour (cornstarch), left inside overnight and shaken out in the morning. Do it when the slippers are fully dry, not straight after wearing.
- To keep it fresh: the NHS advice for shoes in general is to let them dry out before wearing them again and not to wear the same pair two days running. Slippers worn every night never get that rest, and that may be why some pairs smell. Our insoles and shoe odour guide covers the rest.
- For a spot on the fur: press a cloth dampened with cold water onto it, then press a dry one on top. Cold only, and don't soak the lining.
- For matted fur: once the slipper is dry all the way through, a gentle going-over with a clean, soft brush lifts the pile a little. That is common advice rather than UGG's, and it won't make fleece that has been flattened for two winters look new.
Keep our foam off the inside. Sheepskin wool and UGGplush are both untested, and we'd rather tell you that than guess.
Spills, mud and marks
- Drinks and water: blot at once with a dry cloth, pressing rather than wiping. If a ring dries in anyway, even out that whole side of the slipper, seam to seam, with a barely damp cloth or one light pass of foam, and let it dry slowly. Dabbing only the ring just pushes the edge further out.
- Butter, cooking oil, food: a common fix is cornstarch or talc on the spot, left overnight to draw the oil out, then wiped away. Our foam gets only a partial result on oil that has already set into suede.
- Salt, if you wear them outside in winter: diluted white vinegar dabbed on with a cloth is the usual answer, somewhere between one part vinegar to two of water and equal parts.
- Black or white pairs: test anything wet in a hidden spot first. White vinegar can change the colour of some dyes, and a changed patch is easy to see on very dark or very light suede.
The suede side follows the same rules as any suede. The suede and nubuck guide covers the blot technique in more detail.
Can UGG slippers be washed in a washing machine?
No. UGG says hand wash only, says never to machine wash or dry clean its sheepskin, and its slipper care page says not to tumble dry. That goes for men's styles too, since the rule is about the material, not the size. A Tasman with an UGGplush lining still has a suede upper, and Nike's suede advice explains the problem: suede absorbs water, so washing it can set stains in rather than lift them out.
If a pair has already been through the drum, stuff it with paper, dry it slowly away from heat, and brush it once it is dry. How it comes out is not something anyone can predict. Our washing machine guide explains what a cycle does to footwear in general.
Questions people actually ask
Can I use Dawn dish soap on UGG slippers?
It isn't part of UGG's method, which uses its own sheepskin cleaner, diluted. Nike advises against soap and water on suede, and warns that strong dish soap can discolour some materials. If you try it on one spot, use very little and test first.
Can I use a magic eraser on UGGs?
Better not. A melamine sponge works by abrasion, like very fine sandpaper, and common advice keeps it off suede because it wears the nap down. A suede eraser on dry marks is the gentler option.
Can you clean UGG slippers with vinegar?
For salt marks, diluted white vinegar is common advice, not something UGG publishes. Test it on a hidden spot, because it can shift some dyes.
How do I clean leather UGG slippers?
Check the label first, because leather is not suede. Smooth leather usually gets a dry brush, a damp cloth and then a conditioner, after a patch test. On white leather our foam is rated excellent; on coloured leather, try an inside panel first.
Five minutes on the suede, a night of baking soda on the inside: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is $24 with free shipping, the brush and cloth come in the box, and if it doesn't clean your slippers you keep the bottle anyway.
