To get water stains out of UGGs, dampen the whole stained panel evenly from seam to seam with cold water, let it dry slowly for at least a day, then brush the nap. The stain is the edge where wet suede met dry suede, so you remove it by giving the panel no edge to dry into. Wetting only the mark is what makes it worse.
SneakerSalt is not affiliated with UGG. Everything below is about the suede outside of sheepskin UGGs. The steps for the boot as a whole, and for the inside, are in their own guide.
Does water stain UGGs?
Water on its own doesn't ruin them. UGG's own cleaning instructions start by dampening the entire boot with cold water and finish with a cold rinse. Its product pages also say the sheepskin on the classic boots is pre-treated for water repellency. That is a head start, not a guarantee.
What leaves the mark is uneven wetting. A splash from a puddle, a drip from an umbrella or a patch of slush soaks one area while the rest stays dry, and the boundary dries into a visible line. UGG care text published by the retailer Zappos puts it plainly: wet the entire boot when cleaning so it dries evenly, or you can end up with water lines. Timberland adds a warning about suede in general: it is porous, and too much water causes staining and warping.
So a pair that got soaked all over in a downpour is, oddly, often in a better position than a pair that caught one splash. Black boots are no exception: the marks form the same way and come out the same way.
The day they get wet
Start here, before you think about stains at all:
- Blot, don't wipe. Press a dry towel onto the wet areas to take up what is sitting on the surface.
- Leave the brush alone. Nike's suede advice is to let moisture dry before brushing, or you can cause a stain. Wait.
- Stuff them. White paper towels hold the shape and draw moisture from inside. The American Cleaning Institute prefers them to newspaper, whose ink can transfer.
- Dry them slowly. UGG says at least 24 hours, somewhere cool and ventilated, away from direct heat and sun. Not on the radiator, not by the fire.
- Brush once dry. Lightly, in one direction, to lift the nap.
If they come out of that with a line, move on to the fix.
How to remove water stains from UGG boots
- Start with a fully dry boot. Brush off any dried dirt first, so you aren't wetting mud into the nap.
- Pick your area. The whole panel the stain sits on, from one seam to the next. Seams make natural edges, so if your damp area ends at a seam, there is no new line in the middle of the suede. If the mark crosses several panels, or you aren't sure where it ends, do the whole boot, which is what UGG does anyway.
- Dampen it evenly. A clean sponge or cloth, cold water, wrung out well. Work over the whole area with even strokes until it is uniformly a shade darker. Damp, not dripping.
- If the boot is dirty too, clean it now. UGG's method uses its sheepskin cleaner diluted half and half with water, applied with a wet sponge, never poured straight on, and scrubbed gently. Rinse with cold water.
- Stuff and dry. Paper towels inside, 24 hours or more, cool and airy, no heat.
- Brush the nap. UGG's instruction is a very soft suede or nubuck brush, used lightly and in one direction only.
- Judge it dry. Damp suede always looks darker than it will end up. If the line is fainter but still there, do a second round.
This works at home with nothing but water, a sponge, paper towels and a soft brush. The general suede technique is in our suede and nubuck guide.
Stubborn and old water marks
A line that has sat through a whole winter may need more than one round. Two gentle rounds are better than one heavy soaking, because too much water is what warps suede in the first place.
For a mark that survives that, Clarks suggests blotting tougher suede marks with equal parts water and white vinegar. Test it on a hidden spot first, since white vinegar can change the colour of some dyes. Then dampen the whole panel with plain water as above, so the vinegar patch doesn't leave an edge of its own.
Two other things look like water stains but aren't. A white, crusty tide mark from winter pavements is road salt, and salt needs its own treatment before the water method. A dark shadow that stays dark is more likely oil, which needs an absorbent powder rather than more water.
And some damage doesn't reverse. If the boot was soaked and dried by a heater, it may be stiff or out of shape as well as marked. The water method can even out the colour. It can't undo that.
What doesn't help
- Spot-wetting the mark. A damp cloth on the line alone just creates a new line a little further out.
- A hair dryer or radiator. UGG says to keep drying boots away from direct heat.
- Dry shampoo or cornstarch. Both are absorbents. They are a common fix for oil, but a dried water line has nothing in it for a powder to soak up.
- A suede eraser. Useful on dry scuffs. No source claims it removes water lines.
- Any foam dabbed on the mark, ours included. On one spot it is just another wet patch with an edge. Spread thinly over the whole panel, seam to seam, and blotted, it works the other way; our suede guide finds one light pass usually evens out rain spots and water marks, and it lifts the grime at the same time. On suede we rate it "good, blot only".
The washing machine doesn't help either. UGG says never to machine wash its sheepskin, and a full soak in a drum is exactly the "too much water" that warps suede. Our washing machine guide explains why in more detail.
Keeping water marks off next time
A protector spray on clean, dry boots is the usual defence. Nike's suede care notes that a suede protectant can help prevent water stains from forming, and UGG sells its own protector. Follow the product's directions and let it dry before you wear them out. After that, the routine is the same as the day they get wet: blot, stuff, dry slowly, brush.
Questions people actually ask
How do you clean UGGs after snow?
Let them dry slowly first, stuffed, away from heat. Brush them once dry. If a white crust appears along the toe or sides, that is road salt, not water. Diluted white vinegar is the common fix for it, followed by an even damp wipe of the whole panel.
Do water stains on UGGs go away on their own?
Not reliably. A line that has dried in stays where it is until the panel is evenly re-wetted and dried again. Wearing them in the next rain is as likely to add a line as remove one.
Can you put UGGs in the washing machine to get water marks out?
No. UGG says never to machine wash or tumble dry its sheepskin. By hand, the fix needs a sponge, cold water and a day of patience.
One light, even pass for the line and the grime around it:SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, free shipping, a brush and a cloth in the box, and you keep the bottle if it doesn't work.
