How to Wash On Clouds: Safe, Expert Cleaning Guide

If you are searching for exactly how to wash On Clouds, you are in the right place. As a professional dry cleaner and textile scientist with 20 years of experience, I see dozens of heavily damaged running shoes cross my counter every month. People spend $150 or more on premium Swiss-engineered running shoes, only to destroy the structural integrity of the foam and adhesives in a single 45-minute washing machine cycle.

Here is the exact, lab-tested methodology to clean your On Running shoes without melting the glues, shrinking the engineered upper, or collapsing the signature CloudTec® sole.

1. Direct Answer (The TL;DR)

To wash On Cloud shoes safely, hand wash them. Remove the laces and insoles to clean separately. Use a soft-bristled brush with a pH-neutral liquid surfactant or mild soap and cool water (under 30°C / 86°F). Avoid washing machines, harsh detergents, and high heat, which degrade the adhesive bonds and damage the Helion™ superfoam midsoles. Always air dry your shoes out of direct sunlight.

2. The Science of On Clouds: Materials & Chemistry

On Running shoes are high-performance engineering marvels. Cleaning them safely requires recognizing the delicate materials that make up their construction. Treating a synthetic foam polymer like a standard cotton t-shirt is a recipe for complete material failure.

• Helion™ Superfoam: A proprietary copolymer blend consisting of an olefin block copolymer and ethyl-vinyl acetate (OBC/EVA) used in the midsole. It provides lightweight, spongy cushioning but is highly sensitive to high heat and alkaline chemicals.
• Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Speedboard: This rigid transition plate sits above the sole to transfer kinetic energy. Exposure to temperatures above 30°C (86°F) can warp this structural layer. If the internal temperature exceeds the polymer's glass transition temperature (T_g), the board bends permanently.
• Engineered Polyester Mesh: The hydrophobic synthetic knit upper provides structure and breathability. Harsh scrubbing with stiff nylon bristles causes severe fiber pilling and structural tearing.
• Fluoropolymer Membranes (Waterproof Models): These breathable, microporous barriers keep liquid $\ce{H2O}$ out while letting water vapor escape. Standard heavy-duty surfactants leave hydrophilic residues that clog these micropores, stripping the shoe of its breathability.
• Open-Cell Polyurethane Foam: Used in the insole to wick moisture away from the foot. This material acts like a sponge for acidic sweat and anaerobic bacteria, requiring specific chemical sanitizing protocols to eliminate persistent odor.

The Threats of Improper Cleaning

• Adhesive Delamination: Hot water or harsh chemical solvents melt the hot-melt polyurethane glues holding the shoe together, causing the entire sole assembly to peel away from the mesh upper.
• Hydrolysis: Leaving open-cell polyurethane elements submerged in water for extended periods accelerates chemical degradation, leading to brittle, crumbling soles.
• UV-Induced Photo-Oxidation: Exposing wet, exposed Helion™ foam to direct sunlight causes a rapid chemical yellowing effect. The UV rays break the polymer chains, creating color-shifting chromophores. This damage cannot be reversed.

On Cloud Anatomy & Cleaning Protocols

3. Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow this precise 7-step method designed by textile scientists to wash On Clouds without compromising their structural integrity. Gather your supplies before you begin. You will need a soft-bristled horsehair brush, a microfiber cloth, liquid dish soap, baking soda, 70% isopropyl alcohol $\ce{C3H8O}$, and cool water.

Step 1: Preparation & Cavity Clearance

The signature CloudTec® sole features deep, open pods that easily trap gravel, twigs, glass, and packed mud. Do not wet the shoes yet. Adding water turns dry, loose dirt into a thick, concrete-like clay that bonds to the Helion™ foam walls.

• Action: Take a blunt-tipped wooden clay tool, a crochet hook, or a thick wooden toothpick. Gently dislodge any trapped debris from the sole cavities. Work slowly to prevent puncturing the inner foam walls of the pods. Tap the soles together sharply over a trash can to knock out any remaining loose grit.

Step 2: Dry Soil Brush-Down

Removing loose particulate matter from the upper mesh before wetting the shoe prevents mud from staining the inner fibers. This is exactly the protocol I recommend when you [wash Vans sneakers] or any shoe with a tightly woven upper.

• Action: Take a completely dry, soft-bristled horsehair brush and sweep the entire upper mesh, tongue, and heel collar. Use single-direction strokes, flicking outward to lift away the dust. Do not use stiff nylon grout brushes on the upper chassis; they will catch and fray the polyester threads.

Step 3: Insole & Lace Sanitization

Insoles trap dead skin cells and sweat, creating an ideal breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria excrete lactic acid and isovaleric acid, which causes the distinct acrid smell of dirty gym shoes. Laces drag on the ground and collect heavy soil. Both must be treated separately from the shoe body.

• Action: Pull the laces out of the eyelets and remove the inner foam sockliners. Soak the laces in a small bowl containing 1 cup (240ml) of warm water and 1 teaspoon (5ml) of mild dish soap. Agitate them with your fingers and rinse.
• Odor Neutralization: Spray the insoles heavily with 70% isopropyl alcohol $\ce{C3H8O}$ to kill the odor-causing bacteria. Follow immediately by dusting the damp insoles heavily with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The baking soda chemically neutralizes the acidic sweat byproducts through the following reaction: $$\ce{NaHCO3 + C3H6O3 -> NaC3H5O3 + H2O + CO2^}$$ Let this powder sit on the insoles for 30 minutes. Wipe the resulting paste clean with a damp cloth and set the insoles aside to air dry.

Step 4: Mesh Spot-Treatment

Treat stubborn organic stains like grass, mud, or heavy sweat rings on the upper mesh before washing the rest of the shoe.

• Action: Apply a single drop of liquid laundry detergent containing protease and amylase enzymes directly to the stain. Protease chemically breaks down the peptide bonds in organic protein stains, while amylase targets complex starches found in mud. Work the detergent gently into the mesh with a soft brush. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the enzymes to break down the stain matrix.

Step 5: Midsole Foam Cleansing

The Helion™ superfoam midsoles accumulate black road grime, brake dust, and oily street residue.

• Action: In a small basin, mix 1 teaspoon (5ml) of mild, pH-neutral dish soap into 2 cups (470ml) of cool water (always keep the water temperature strictly under 30°C / 86°F). Dip a clean microfiber cloth or your soft-bristled brush into the soapy solution and gently scrub the outer walls of the CloudTec® pods. Avoid hard, abrasive scrub sponges (like the green side of a kitchen sponge), as they will gouge micro-scratches into the smooth foam surface, creating pockets where dirt will settle permanently in the future.

Step 6: Microfiber Blotted Rinse

Do not submerge On Clouds in a bucket of water or hold them under a running faucet. Submersion saturates the internal Speedboard cavity, accelerates polyurethane hydrolysis, and rapidly weakens the hot-melt adhesives holding the sole to the upper. This same strict low-water rule applies when you [wash Skechers sneakers] containing delicate internal memory foam layers.

• Action: Dampen a clean microfiber cloth with cool, clean water. Wring it out until it is barely damp. Press and blot the upper mesh and the midsole to lift away the soapy residue. The capillary action of the microfiber will pull the dirt-suspended soap bubbles out of the polyester weave. Keep rinsing the cloth in clean water and repeating the blotting process until absolutely no soap bubbles remain on the shoe.

Step 7: Structural Air Drying (The "Zero-Gravity Dry" Method)

Drying is the most critical phase of sneaker maintenance. Wet internal foam is highly susceptible to warping, shrinking, and developing mildew.

• Action: Insert raw, unvarnished cedar shoe trees into the toe boxes. The cedar absorbs internal moisture while holding the engineered mesh taut, preventing the toe box from collapsing as it dries. If you lack shoe trees, tightly crumple unprinted white packing paper and stuff the interior. Never use newspaper; the wet moisture will transfer black carbon ink directly into your interior lining. Suspend the shoes by their heel loops or place them completely upside down on a wire drying rack. Let them dry in a well-ventilated room with moderate humidity (40-50% RH) completely out of direct sunlight for 24 to 48 hours.

4. Laundry Lab Pro-Tips

As a textile scientist, I employ a few specialized techniques at the counter that extend the lifespan of performance athletic wear. Incorporate these habits to keep your shoes performing at their peak.

Cornstarch Blotting for Grease Stains

If you step in a puddle of street oil, fresh asphalt, or bicycle chain grease, do not scrub it with soap and water right away. Applying water to an oil stain drives the hydrophobic lipids deeper into the polyester matrix.

• The Fix: Dust the completely dry mesh heavily with pure cornstarch or diatomaceous earth. Let the powder sit completely undisturbed for 4 hours. The ultra-fine powder draws the lipids out of the synthetic polyester fibers via capillary action. Brush the powder away, and then proceed with wet washing.

The "Zero-Gravity Dry" Method

Never dry On Clouds sitting flat on their soles. Moisture inside the shoe will pool in the deep recesses of the footbed directly above the CloudTec® cavities, degrading the adhesives over time and inviting bacterial growth. Always hang them by the heel loops or dry them upside down to allow gravity to pull moisture away from the deep interior footbed toward the breathable mesh collar.

The Sieve and Pick Technique

Keep a small wooden toothpick or a blunt-tipped clay detailing tool in a small dish near your shoe rack. Instantly clearing small pebbles from the hollow CloudTec® sole after every run takes 10 seconds, but it prevents sharp stones from rubbing, grinding, and puncturing the inner foam walls of the pods over miles of impact friction.

The "Do Not" Checklist

• Never use chlorine bleach $\ce{NaClO}$: Chlorine rapidly breaks down polyurethane polymer chains. Using bleach will instantly degrade the shoe's structural rebound and permanently turn crisp white Helion™ foam into a sickly, irreversible yellow.
• Never tumble dry: The ambient heat inside a residential dryer easily exceeds 55°C (130°F). This thermal energy will permanently warp the TPU Speedboard, shrink the engineered mesh, and melt structural glues, completely ruining your shoes.
• Avoid oxygen bleaches on waterproof membranes: If you own an On Cloud Waterproof model, do not use oxygen-based powders like sodium percarbonate $\ce{2Na2CO3.3H2O2}$. When dissolved, these powders can leave microscopic mineral crystalline deposits inside the microscopic pores of the waterproof membrane, entirely blocking the shoe's breathability.
• Check the Care Label: Always look inside the tongue. If the manufacturer explicitly states 'Wipe Clean Only' for a specific limited-edition material, do not saturate it with water.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put my On Clouds in the washing machine?

No. The aggressive mechanical agitation and high-speed centripetal spin cycles of washing machines stretch the engineered mesh, permanently warp the internal TPU Speedboard, and cause severe adhesive delamination. Always hand wash your running shoes.

How do I clean white On Clouds without them turning yellow?

White EVA and Helion™ foams yellow due to chemical photo-oxidation from UV light or due to highly alkaline chemical residues left behind by harsh soaps. Wash them with a mild, pH-neutral soap, blot repeatedly to remove all residues, and dry them indoors completely away from direct sunlight.

What is the best way to clean On Cloud Waterproof shoes?

Clean waterproof models exclusively with a specialty tech wash (like Nikwax Tech Wash) instead of standard laundry detergents. Standard commercial detergents contain hydrophilic surfactants that bind to the microporous waterproof membrane, drawing water in and destroying its water-repellent properties.

How do I remove stubborn mud from the bottom pods?

Wait for the mud to dry completely. Use a stiff, blunt wooden tool to crack and dislodge the dried mud clods out of the pods. Once the heavy chunks are gone, use a damp cloth to wipe the internal foam walls clean.

How often should I clean my On Cloud running shoes?

Deep clean your running shoes every 50 to 100 miles, or whenever they become heavily soiled with wet mud. Pick out the trapped stones and brush away dry dust after every run. This basic daily maintenance extends the lifespan of the engineered mesh and the structural integrity of the Helion™ foam. For similar advice on keeping synthetic sport fabrics intact, check out my guide on how to safely [wash Nike shoes] to prevent early upper blowouts.