I'm going to let everyone in on a little secret. I've had the same pair of Ugg boots for almost ten years and I've never washed or cleaned them. So feel free to stop being my friend and judge me all you want. They've been through more snow and rain and dirt than I care to admit but they still get the job done. and I know what you're thinking and I agree- Uggs are not cute and they look ridiculous. But, when I'm scraping ice off of my windshield in the middle of a midwestern snowstorm and my feet feel like I'm walking around on warm cats, I throw my fashion sense out the window.
So the other night when I took off my boots, I gave them a quick once-over and realized how sad they were. They're stained and dirty and let's not even talk about how bad the insides of them smell. I don't have to go into too much detail, but Uggs are meant to be worn barefoot. Bare feet sweat when they're hot (remember? the warm cats?) so inevitably, they didn't smell or look good anymore. and even though they're UGGly (HA), I figured it was high time they got a little TLC. So I'm going to explain quick and painlessly how to clean the inside and outside of UGG boots.
--you will need--
baking soda
vacuum cleaner with an attachment
laundry detergent
paper towels
a sink/tub/wherever you want to do your dirty work
First a WARNING: this is not a tutorial for someone that 1. has no patience 2. needs their boots cleaned quickly or 3. doesn't want to put in a little elbow grease. Thick wool and suede are not exactly famous for drying quickly after being dunked in water and that's exactly what we're about to do. and I promise it's worth it, but expect the drying process to take a few days.
here we go!
start out a day early and sprinkle baking soda into the inside of your boots. this will already start to eliminate odors and little germies that have been growing in there (so disgusting, i could die)
the next day, take a vacuum attachment and suck out the baking soda from the inside of your boots. some of you might be able to stop right there but my boots were in rough shape and they needed to actually be scrubbed.
- start by filling your bathtub or sink with warm water and add a few tablespoons of laundry detergent. slowly spray the outside of your boots and rub the laundry detergent into the exterior. I can't even express to you how satisfying it is to watch dirt and crud come off of these boots. it was glorious.
- after you've used your fingers to rub a little love into the outside of your boots, it's time to tackle the inside. spray the water in, dump the water out, and pour in a little detergent. Use your fingers to massage the soap into the wool inside of your boots and be warned, it aint pretty!! some of the wool will probably come out, that's the price you pay, I guess. Keep rinsing them until the soap is completely removed from the inside and outside of your boots.
(another warning- expect to see some bleeding from the color of your boots. the bathtub water was super brown and most of it was just color. again, this is ok!)
- ring out your boots as well as you can and i promise, they're still gonna be damp as hell.
- fill the inside of each boot with paper towels (stuff them full!) this will soak up most of the water inside and will also keep your boots shape while they start drying. the next day, replace the paper towels. you'll probably do this another day or two.
DO NOT put them in the dryer, on a heat vent or in front of a blow dryer. Direct heat on wool boots is a no no. this is where patience comes in. put those babies somewhere with lots of airflow and sunlight, preferably upside down if you can.
and there ya have it! they will be back to their beautiful selves, soon. i promise. mine are now almost completely dry and smell like a field of wildflowers (it's been two days) and i'm so happy with the results. these boots deserved some lovin' and i'm so glad they are back to tip top shape. happy scrubbing!!
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