UGGs are soft, cozy, warm boots to wear during winter. However, cleaning them can be challenging as the insoles are made from sheepskin. So what are the best ways to clean UGG insoles?
Here’s how to clean UGG insoles in 12 easy steps:
- Vacuum and air them.
- Use UGG Shoe Renew.
- Gently wipe them with a damp cloth.
- Use baking soda.
- Clean them with UGG cleaner.
- Use a sheepskin cleaner.
- Clean them with gentle wool detergent.
- Have them dry cleaned.
- Use white vinegar and water.
- Clean them with baby shampoo.
- Use cornstarch.
- Replace them as a last resort.
After reading this article, you can choose the best method for cleaning your UGG insoles.
1. Vacuum and Air Them
If your UGG insoles aren’t too dirty, and you want to give them a fresh look and remove the surface dirt, gently vacuuming them is an excellent idea.
Before vacuuming your UGG insoles, inspect them to check for matting or clumping. If you notice any, brush the insoles gently with a wool brush. Outlavish Sheepskin Wool Brush from Amazon has long prongs and gently removes knots and clumping in sheepskin. After using this sheepskin brush, your insoles should be fluffy and soft again.
Here’s how to vacuum and air your UGG insoles:
- Attach your vacuum cleaner’s brush attachment to the suction pipe, and put the vacuum cleaner on its lowest setting.
- Gently vacuum up any dust and surface dirt from your UGG insoles.
- Place the insoles in a dry and well-ventilated area for two hours.
If you’re away from home or don’t have a vacuum cleaner nearby, you could use a hairdryer instead. Although this won’t leave your shoes squeaky clean, using it on the lowest heat setting can gently blow the dust and surface dirt off your UGG insoles.
Vacuuming and airing your UGG insoles once a week is worthwhile because this helps prevent surface dirt from becoming embedded in the sheepskin fibers. Airing also prevents odor formation and makes cleaning easier when you do a more thorough cleanup as they won’t be as dirty.
2. Use UGG Shoe Renew
If you want to use UGG’s recommended method of cleaning your insoles, you should buy some UGG Shoe Renew and use that to clean them.
UGG Shoe Renew has a gentle but effective formula that deodorizes and cleans UGG insoles. All you need to do is remove your insoles and spray a bit of this product on them. After gently wiping away the excess moisture, your UGG insoles should look and smell as good as new.
UGG Shoe Care Kit from Amazon has everything you need to keep your UGGs clean. It has a gentle brush, suede scuff eraser, cleaner, conditioner, and some spray.
You can buy UGG Shoe Renew from an official UGG outlet, or you can buy it from the UGG online store.
3. Gently Wipe Them With a Damp Cloth
When cleaning UGG insoles, it’s always best to use the most gentle method possible. A damp microfiber cloth should do when your insoles aren’t too dirty.
After immersing the microfiber cloth in cold or tepid water, rinse out the excess water. Now gently dab at any dirt or stains you find and allow the insoles to dry in a well-ventilated area.
If you want to deodorize your UGGs, you could add a few drops of essential oils to your microfiber cloth. The following essential oil types have odor-removing properties:
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon
- Grapefruit
- Lavender
- Orange
- Bergamot
4. Use Baking Soda
Baking soda is an excellent odor-absorber, and using this mix every few weeks can help keep your UGGs smelling fresh and clean.
Here’s how to use baking soda to eliminate odors from your UGG insoles and remove some of the surface dirt:
- Remove your UGG insoles and gently pat them to get rid of any dust or surface dirt.
- Sprinkle on some baking soda, and leave the insoles overnight so that the baking soda can work its magic.
- Using your vacuum cleaner’s brush attachment, vacuum up the baking soda and gently pat the insoles to remove any residual baking soda.
If you find that your UGGs get smelly quickly, you might consider repeating this process once or twice a week, depending on how often you wear your UGGs.
5. Clean Them With UGG Cleaner
UGG’s recommended cleaning method for insoles is their Shoe Renew product. However, if you aren’t able to get your hands on this, you can use UGG Cleaner and Conditioner. It doesn’t have the same deodorizing properties as UGG Shoe Renew, but it’s an excellent sheepskin cleaner.
UGG Cleaner and Conditioner (available on Amazon.com) contains non-toxic ingredients and has a pleasant coconut fragrance.
You can also buy it from UGG’s online store, and you may find them at shoe stores selling UGGs.
Here’s how to use UGG Cleaner and Conditioner to clean your UGG insoles:
- Remove the insoles from your UGG boots, and gently shake the UGG Cleaner and Conditioner bottle to ensure the product is well-mixed.
- Holding the bottle six inches (15.24 cm) away from the insoles, spray an even layer of UGG Cleaner and Conditioner. Be careful not to saturate the insoles, and do the cleaning in a well-ventilated area.
- Allow the product to take effect by leaving it on the insoles for half an hour.
- Take a clean and dry microfiber cloth and gently dab the insoles to remove the excess solution. Take care not to rub as this could damage the delicate sheep’s wool fibers.
- Let the insoles dry in a well-ventilated area.
6. Use a Sheepskin Cleaner
Your UGG insoles are made from sheepskin, and if you own other sheepskin items, consider buying a sheepskin cleaner you can use on various items instead of UGG Cleaner and Conditioner.
Moneysworth & Best Sheepskin Cleaner & Conditioner from Amazon can gently and effectively clean UGG insoles and also conditions the delicate fibers.
Below is a handy guide to using a sheepskin cleaner for your UGG insoles:
- Fill a small plastic container with cold or tepid water, and place a capful of sheepskin cleaner in it.
- Immerse a clean microfiber cloth in the cleaning solution, and wring out the excess water.
- Gently dab your UGG insoles with the microfiber cloth, being careful not to wet them too much.
- Take another microfiber cloth, rinse it in cold water, and wring out the excess water.
- Dab your UGG insoles again to remove the sheepskin cleaner, and allow them to air dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated area.
- Once dry, brush your UGG insoles with a sheepskin brush to make them extra soft.
7. Clean Them With Gentle Wool Detergent
Although wool detergent isn’t designed for sheepskin, it’s gentle enough to use on UGG insoles because it won’t strip the lanolin oils. So you can rest assured that your shoes will stay soft and fluffy.
Woolite Extra Delicates Care Detergent from Amazon has a subtle floral fragrance and will remove dirt from your UGG insoles and gently condition the fibers.
To use this method for cleaning your UGG insoles, follow the same instructions as to when you’re using a sheepskin cleaner.
8. Use Cornstarch
Baking soda is an excellent product for removing odors and removing grease or surface dirt from sheepskin. However, if you don’t have baking soda at home, you can use cornstarch instead.
Cornstarch works pretty much like baking soda, and after sprinkling some on your UGGs and vacuuming up the excess, your insoles will have a new lease on life.
9. Use White Vinegar and Water
White vinegar is a widely-used natural cleaner and it’s quite cheap. The best part is you only need a handful to clean your insoles.
Follow this useful guide for cleaning your UGG insoles with white vinegar and water:
- Fill a clean spray bottle with one part cold or tepid water and one part white vinegar.
- Before cleaning your UGG insoles, shake the bottle well to ensure that the water and white vinegar are properly mixed.
- Remove your UGG insoles and spray them with the white vinegar and water solution, taking care not to saturate them.
- Immerse a clean rag in cold water, wring out the excess water, and dab your UGG insoles to remove the white vinegar.
- Allow your UGG insoles to air dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated room.
If you don’t have a spray bottle, you could always fill a small plastic container with one part white vinegar and one part water. After immersing a cloth in the solution, you could dab your UGG insoles instead of spraying them.
10. Clean Them With Baby Shampoo
Using baby shampoo is another quick and painless solution to cleaning UGG insoles. It’s gentle, easily available, and will do a great job of cleaning your insoles.
Baby shampoo is inexpensive, and you can use it for other things, including:
- As a facial cleanser
- Washing lingerie
- Shampooing your dog
- Cleaning your make-up brushes or beauty blender
To use baby shampoo, squirt a few drops of this solution in a spray bottle or clean plastic container and follow the same cleaning process as with white vinegar and water.
11. Use Dry Cleaning Cloths
You should never machine wash or dry clean UGGs or UGG insoles because these methods are harsh and can ruin your shoes. However, dry cleaning cloths are suitable for UGG insoles and will make the process quick and effective.
Woolite At-Home Dry Care Cleaner from Amazon is gentle, has a fresh fragrance, and is available in the following pack sizes:
- 6
- 14
- 24
- 42
For this method, place your UGG insoles and a dry cleaning cloth in the dryer for twenty minutes at the lowest heat. When you remove them, they will look and smell fresh and clean.
12. Replace Them As a Last Resort
UGG insoles are challenging to clean because they’re made from sheepskin, which requires a gentle cleaning method to maintain its integrity. A downside to this is that you might be unable to remove dirt that’s embedded deep in the fibers.
If you’ve had your UGGs for a while and the insoles are caked with dirt, consider replacing them as a last resort. Thankfully, UGG insoles aren’t expensive and can be easily replaced.
UGG Women’s Sheepskin Insoles from Amazon come in various sizes and feature plush sheepskin cushioning. These insoles are also pretty affordable and will significantly extend the lifespan of your UGG boots and make them more comfortable to wear.
You can also buy UGG insoles in shoe stores selling UGGs or on UGGs online stores.
How Shouldn’t You Clean UGG Insoles?
I’ve explained the best ways to clean your UGG insoles, but there are certain cleaning methods you must avoid with UGGs.
You shouldn’t clean your UGG insoles in a washing machine, immerse them, dry clean them, or use biological or other harsh detergents. You should also avoid rubbing or scrubbing UGG insoles to remove dirt.
If you’re wondering why you need to avoid these cleaning methods, I’ve provided more information below.
- In a washing machine. Using a washing machine to clean your UGG insoles would effectively remove the dirt, but the motion would also ruin the soft texture and lead to matting and knots.
- Dry cleaning. As with a washing machine, dry cleaning agitates the cloth to get the dirt out, which can damage your UGGs.
- Using biological or harsh detergents. Biological detergents break down and remove biological dirt, which includes the lanolin naturally present in sheepskin. Harsh detergents containing bleach or ammonia will also strip the natural oils and ruin the luxurious texture.
- Immersion. Immersing your UGG insoles can result in ugly water stains on the sheepskin. Sheepskin also takes a long time to dry, and immersing them would require extensive drying in a well-ventilated area.
- Rubbing or scrubbing. If your UGG insoles are filthy, it can be tempting to rub or scrub them clean. Unfortunately, this rubbing motion can lead to more matting and knotting.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to clean UGG insoles, but it’s important to use a gentle method so you don’t ruin their soft texture. Placing them in the washing machine or using harsh detergents is a bad idea because you will remove the lanolin that keeps the sheepskin soft.
Any of the above methods will work well, and you can choose the one that suits your budget and preferences.