Can You Wash On Clouds in a Washing Machine?

If you are wondering, "can you wash On Clouds in the washing machine?", the professional answer from the dry cleaning counter is a hard no. As a textile scientist, I see ruined athletic shoes cross my desk weekly. The mechanical agitation and hot water degrade the proprietary CloudTec® Helion™ superfoam and dissolve critical polyurethane adhesives. Instead, hand-wash them using a soft brush, lukewarm water (below 30°C/86°F), and a mild, pH-neutral non-ionic surfactant.

Throwing premium athleisure shoes into a washing machine is a fast track to structural failure. Here is the exact science behind how to safely clean them without destroying the specialized polymers.

The Shoe Science: Why the Washing Machine Destroys On Clouds

Modern running shoes are highly engineered chemical compositions. Placing them inside a washing machine drum rotating at 800 to 1200 RPM introduces harsh thermal and mechanical stresses that instantly degrade these high-performance materials.

• Helion™ Superfoam & EVA Cushioning: On’s proprietary midsole cushioning combines rigid and flexible copolymer elements-primarily Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and Olefin block copolymers (OBC). The high-G spin cycle of a washing machine causes viscoelastic deformation. This is the permanent flattening of the hollow CloudTec® pods, replacing a bouncy, responsive ride with a squishy, dead feeling.
• TPU Speedboard®: The rigid transition plate embedded in the sole provides kinetic energy return. It is manufactured from Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). High mechanical twisting forces combined with hot water push the polymer past its glass transition temperature (T_g), causing the structural plate to permanently warp or suffer microscopic stress fractures.
• Polyurethane (PU) Adhesives & Hydrolysis: On Clouds rely on specialized thermal glues to bond the individual outsole rubber pods to the Speedboard. Submerging the shoe in water triggers a chemical reaction called hydrolysis. Under the presence of heat and prolonged moisture, the urethane linkages break down into amines, alcohols, and carbon dioxide gas:

$$\ce{R-NH-CO-O-R' + H2O ->[\Delta] R-NH2 + R'-OH + CO2^}$$

This chemical breakdown destroys the structural integrity of the glue, resulting in delamination-where the outsole pods literally peel away from the bottom of the shoe.

• Recycled rPET Mesh: The lightweight engineered polyester upper easily tears, snags, and pills when violently rubbed against heavy cotton towels or the steel washing machine drum. Handling rPET requires strict friction control, a principle detailed in our how to wash polyester guide.
• Enzymatic Breakdown: Standard household laundry detergents contain protease and lipase enzymes designed to digest organic stains like sweat and oils. These biological enzymes cannot distinguish between organic body oils and the synthetic polyurethane coatings binding your shoe together. Over time, the enzymes aggressively eat away at structural welds.

The On Cloud Material Cleaning Matrix

Before applying any liquids to your footwear, consult this technical care matrix to match the correct cleaning agent and temperature to each specific shoe component. Using the wrong solvent will cause irreversible damage.

Step-by-Step Manual Restoration Guide (7 Steps)

Follow this precise 7-step manual protocol to clean, sanitize, and restore your shoes safely.

Step 1: Preparation and De-Lacing

Pull the laces out entirely and remove the soft sockliners (insoles) from both shoes. Set them aside on a dry towel. Washing the shoe with the insoles inside traps dirty water against the primary foam bed, making complete extraction impossible.

Step 2: Dry Brushing the Mesh Upper

Never introduce water to a muddy shoe. Mud turns into a penetrative dye when wet. Use a dry horsehair detailing brush to gently sweep away loose dirt, dusty gray residue, and dried clay from the upper mesh. A horsehair brush is required because stiff nylon bristles will hook into the recycled rPET threads, pulling them loose.

Step 3: Sole Chamber Cleansing

Turn the shoe over. The hollow CloudTec® chambers act as physical traps for gravel and hardened mud. Take a dull plastic tool (the handle of an old toothbrush works perfectly) and pop out wedged rocks. Fill a pressurized spray bottle with distilled water ($\ce{H2O}$) and spray directly through the channels from a distance of 6 inches (15 cm) to blast out fine silt without saturating the inner footbed.

Step 4: Upper Mesh Detailing

Fill a small bowl with exactly 1 cup (240ml) of lukewarm water. Use a digital thermometer to verify the liquid remains strictly below 30°C (86°F). Add exactly 3 drops of a mild, pH-neutral non-ionic surfactant (like a specialty sneaker cleaner or clear dish soap containing decyl glucoside). Dip the tips of your horsehair brush into the foam-not the liquid-and work it into the mesh upper using tight, circular motions.

Warning: If you are cleaning an On Cloud Waterproof model, skip the soap. Surfactant molecules physically lodge inside the microporous PTFE/Polyurethane membrane, permanently destroying the shoe's breathability and waterproofing. Clean waterproof models using straight cold water and a damp sponge.

Step 5: Insole Sanitization and Deodorization

The removable open-cell foam sockliner absorbs sweat heavily, creating an ideal breeding ground for Brevibacterium, the bacteria responsible for foul foot odor. The bacteria feed on sweat and expel isovaleric acid ($\ce{C4H9COOH}$), which smells like rancid cheese. This open-cell structure behaves much like Merino wool blends, which we cover extensively in our wash Allbirds guide.

Mist the insoles with a 50/50 mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol and water to instantly kill the bacteria. Once the alcohol flashes off, dust the insoles with sodium bicarbonate ($\ce{NaHCO3}$). The baking soda chemically neutralizes the odor-causing acid:

$$\ce{C4H9COOH + NaHCO3 -> C4H9COONa + H2O + CO2^}$$

Step 6: Controlled Rinsing

Never place the shoe under a running faucet. Take a clean microfiber cloth, submerge it in pure cold water, and wring it out until it is barely damp. Firmly wipe down the entire shoe upper to lift away suspended dirt and soap residue. Any surfactant left behind will oxidize under UV sunlight, leaving a sticky, yellow film.

Step 7: Structural Drying

Insert cedar shoe trees into the toe boxes. The cedar absorbs internal moisture while holding the upper fabric taut, preventing the toe box from caving in as the fibers dry. Prop the shoes up at a 45-degree angle with the toes pointing toward the floor. Gravity forces the water down to drip off the toe cap, preventing a muddy waterline from pooling in the heel counter. Place the shoes in a well-ventilated room with an oscillating fan.

"Laundry Lab" Pro-Tips & Prevention

Decades of handling expensive athletic textiles at the dry cleaning counter reveal that preventative maintenance dictates how long a shoe physically survives. Similar to the thermal sensitivity seen when you wash Nike shoes, controlling the physical environment is critical.

• Pro-Tip 1 (The Speedboard Flush): If the central TPU Speedboard becomes coated in mud, do not scrub it aggressively with a brush, as abrasive grit will scratch the polymer finish. Use a plant mister filled with warm water to flush the central channel clean from 6 inches (15 cm) away, letting the muddy water cascade onto a towel.
• Pro-Tip 2 (Preventing Hydrolysis): Always store your On Clouds in a dry, climate-controlled room. Leaving running shoes in a damp garage, a hot car trunk, or a humid basement triggers atmospheric hydrolysis. The ambient humidity slowly degrades the polyurethane adhesives over weeks, meaning the outsole pods might peel off during your next run even if the shoe was never technically washed.
• Pro-Tip 3 (The 24-Hour Microbial Threshold): Your shoes must dry entirely within 24 hours of cleaning. If the dense foam remains damp past the 24-hour mark, mold spores take root deep within the synthetic layers, producing an incurable mildew smell. If you live in a humid climate, utilize a non-heat sinusoidal shoe dryer to force ambient air through the toe box.

Critical Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid the Clothes Dryer: Standard residential tumble dryers operate at temperatures ranging from 50°C to 65°C (125°F to 150°F). These temperatures exceed the safe thermal limits of synthetic uppers, causing immediate thermal shrinkage. The high heat warps the TPU Speedboard, completely ruining the shoe's biomechanical support.

Avoid Oxygen Bleach (Sodium Percarbonate): Do not apply oxygen-based whitening powders to white On Clouds. When dissolved in water, sodium percarbonate ($\ce{2Na2CO3.3H2O2}$) breaks down into sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, releasing active oxygen:

$$\ce{2Na2CO3.3H2O2 -> 2Na2CO3 + 3H2O2}$$ $$\ce{2H2O2 -> 2H2O + O2^}$$

While excellent for cotton, this aggressive oxidation directly attacks polyurethane adhesives and synthetic textile dyes, instantly turning white mesh an unfixable, dingy yellow.

Avoid Submersion Soaking: Placing your shoes in a bucket of soapy water for hours guarantees adhesive failure. Prolonged saturation deeply penetrates the microscopic gaps between the Cloud pods and the midsole plate, making drying near impossible and accelerating the physical peeling of the sole.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I machine wash my On Cloud shoes on a "Delicate" or "Hand Wash" cycle?

No. Even delicate cycles subject the shoe to physical impacts inside the drum. The mechanical force, paired with the spinning weight of a wet shoe, induces viscoelastic deformation in the hollow CloudTec® pods, permanently flattening the cushioning.

What should I do if my On Clouds get soaked in a rainstorm?

Remove the insoles instantly. Pack the inside of the shoes tightly with dry paper towels to absorb internal water. Prop them at a 45-degree angle, toes pointing down, near an active room fan to force evaporation within 24 hours.

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

Avoid chlorine and oxygen bleaches, which chemically burn polyurethane finishes. Hand-wash with a soft horsehair brush using cold water and a dilute non-ionic sneaker cleaner. Rinse aggressively with a damp microfiber towel to strip all soap molecules before drying.

Can I dry-clean my On Cloud running shoes?

No. Commercial dry cleaning uses aggressive chemical solvents like perchloroethylene. These chemicals instantly dissolve polyurethane thermal adhesives and melt synthetic TPU components, causing the entire shoe structure to collapse into pieces.