On Cloud recommends that you hand wash their shoes, and that is the most gentle way to clean them, but it’s tedious and it doesn’t get them nearly as clean as a washing machine. I’ve run my On Cloud shoes through the washing machine many times and my shoes are still looking pretty good.
On Cloud are one of my favorite running shoes but they are not cheap. Because of this, I want to make them last as long as possible but I also like keeping my shoes clean.
Below are 3 methods for cleaning your On Cloud shoes.
What not to do
- Do not wash with hot water.
- Do not put shoes in the dyer.
Dryers will cause wear on your shoes by needlessly agitating them and heating them. Air dry your shoes by placing them on their side. Having the opening facing to the side will allow for maximum airflow. The reason why is hard to explain but trust me, they will dry quicker on their side.
How do you wash On Cloud shoes?
1. Machine wash – The most practical
Let’s face it, you’re not going to hand wash your shoes. On Cloud shoes are expensive and you want them to last as long as possible, but your time is far too valuable to spend hand washing shoes. Also, hand washing will not get your shoes as clean as a machine washer.
On Cloud does recommend you hand wash these shoes, and if your game, I have instructions below on how to do that but let’s start with what you’re probably going to do which is machine wash them.
Note: a front-load washer is much more gentle and will get your shoes just as clean as a top-load washer.
- If your shoes are very dirty, rinse them off with cold or warm water before washing.
- leave lace in the shoes and double-knot them so they don’t come undone. This will keep the tong from flopping about in the machine.
- Pre-soak your shoes in a bucket with water and gentle detergent. Place something heavy over your shoes to keep them submerged. Depending on how dirty, soak for 1 to 12 hours.
- Put your shoes in a mesh bag, the kind made for washing bras or other delicates.
- Use a small amount of delicate detergent, best for your feet if it has no perfumes or allergens.
- Wash on the gentle cycle with cold water.
- Set them on their side to dry. Preferably in a low-humidity environment.
2. Spot clean & disinfectant spray – The most gentle
If you just want a little touch up you can spot clean your On Clouds and spray a little disinfectant inside of them.
- Remove the laces.
- With a shoe brush, brush the entire outside of the shoe.
- To remove stains, use an old toothbrush dipped in warm water with detergent until the stain comes then pat dry with a towel.
- Brush the shoes again to even out the stain-treated area.
- Spray some disinfectant inside of the shoes to kill any bacteria. Lysol disinfectant spray works well.
A shoe brush works best, but a toothbrush or even a soft bristle hair brush will also work.
3. Hand Wash – Gentle and recommended by On Cloud
- Rinse off your shoes.
- Remove laces and insole.
- Pre-soak your shoes. laces, and insoles in soapy water for 1 to 12 hours, depending on how dirty.
- Scrub shoes with a soft brush with soapy water. Gentle laundry soap or dish soap.
- kneed the laces and insoles with your hands, or just run them through the washing machine in a mesh bag.
- Rinse off the soap from the shoes.
- Set them on their side to dry. Preferably in a low-humidity environment.
- Spray some disinfectant inside of the shoes to kill any bacteria. Lysol disinfectant spray works well.
Wrapping up
Having a simple, easy way to clean your shoes will make it more likely that you will do it more often. If cleaning your shoes becomes a chore, then you’ll never clean them. Modern front load=washers are very gentle and make quick work of gently getting your shoes very clean!