The tent can be sprayed down with water and wiped down, but cleaning detergents can undo the waterproofing properties. That being said, sometimes people want to clean their tent with detergents to make it look cleaner, but we don't recommend it. The tent I've been using for 10 plus years looks "broken in" and we don't mind it. Years and years of use will eventually make any canvas product look more worn or seasoned, if you will.