Ask yourself seriously: how often have you cleaned your Apple smartwatch? Maybe the answer is even “never.” But just as dust damages electronics, and you probably wash your own car at least once in a while, some of you even polish it. You should also clean your Apple Watch sometimes. We’ll tell you the best way to clean the apple watch band and other parts.
The Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch on the entire market and has even overtaken luxury brands like Rolex, or the Patek Philippe, in terms of customer satisfaction. It has become indispensable, and I wear it every day. But that is also noticeable: Sweat on the bottom of the watch, the Digital Crown becomes more sluggish, and last but not least, the bracelets suffer despite the almost daily change. In the following guide, I will now explain what you can do about it.
What do you need to clean Apple Watch?
The Apple Watch is very easy to clean, and you usually have everything you need at home. So you should have the following utensils handy:
- A bowl of lukewarm water
- A little soap
- Some nail polish remover
- Cotton pads
- Stainless steel polish
- Two lint-free microfiber cloths
- And some mild detergent
Cleaning Apple Watch: The right way
Before we turn our attention to the wristbands, we should also pay attention to the Apple Watch. In order to clean it. Keep the Watch clean and dry in the long term. If you want to clean the Watch, it is best to proceed as follows:
- You should first turn it off and remove the wristband.
- Then you can hold the body under gently running warm water for about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Clean it with a bit of soap that you lather up beforehand.
- Wipe the smartwatch with a cloth that does not scrub and does not shed lint.
- Dampen it if necessary.
- Dry your Apple Watch with another cloth.
This washes off the flakes of skin, the skin grease, and the salts from the sweat – Apple does not recommend using soap, but I have not had any bad experiences with it.
Now we turn our attention to the Digital Crown. Here, individual hairs from the arm can get caught between the crown and the case, making the Digital Crown challenging to operate. Then you should hold the crown under lukewarm running water and turn it back and forth. The Digital Crown should then move smoothly again.
How to clean your Apple Watch Band
Just as you take care of the Apple Watch, you should also take care of the wristbands. Apart from superficial dirt, dirt accumulates, especially on the connector plugs. You should remove that regularly in any case to ensure the longevity of the wristbands.
- Detach the wristband from your Apple Watch.
- Clean it and the connectors with a damp cloth.
- You can also clean the connectors with the cloth and isopropyl alcohol.
If your bracelet is made of leather, be extra careful when cleaning the damp cloth, and only on the connectors.
Let the bracelet dry, and then put it back on.
Enjoying this guide on how to clean apple watch band? You can also read another related article on cleaning AirPods and the charging case.
How to clean the digital crown
The digital crown can be stuck on the Apple Watch. Presumably, the residue has then accumulated. Here’s how to clean it:
- Turn off the Apple Watch.
- Remove straps that could be damaged if they come into contact with water.
- Hold the digital crown under warm running water for up to 15 seconds.
- Meanwhile, turn the digital crown steadily.
- Then dry the digital crown.
Cleaning the straps of the Apple Watch
The bulk of the wristbands for the Apple Watch consists of four materials: Fluoroelastomer/silicone, woven nylon, leather, and stainless steel. Each of these materials requires different care and must be cleaned differently. Before moving on to cleaning, remove the strap from the Apple Watch.
Cleaning fluoroelastomer/silicone.
You can clean the bands made of fluoroelastomer/silicone, just like the Apple Watch, with lukewarm water and a little soap. I recommend an old toothbrush for the dirt in the recording or the punched holes with the Nike sports bands.
However, one thing can not be removed with it – the discoloration on the tape, which is noticeable, for example, by wearing jeans, on the bright silicone bands faster. But even here, there is a trick because I do not want to withhold from you. Just put some acetone-free nail polish remover on a cotton pad and wipe the fluoroelastomer/silicone bracelet several times with it.
The silicone itself will retain its color, but it will remove the unsightly discoloration. However, excessive use of this method is strongly discouraged because otherwise, the surface coating of the bracelet can loosen. I do this once or twice a year, and so far, everything is still okay with my straps.
Cleaning the nylon straps
The best way to clean nylon sports bands is to put them in a bath with hot water and add some mild detergent like Persil Color Megaperls. Then let the tape soak for a good hour so that the dirt swells. Then take an old toothbrush and start scrubbing gently. Repeat this process until the nylon bracelet is clean again. Especially the bright bands need a certain amount of time. Then simply let it dry, and that’s it.
Cleaning a link bracelet
For the link bracelet made of stainless steel, it is best to buy an ultrasonic bath for jewelry. Fill it with hot, not boiling water, add a little washing-up liquid and the bracelet – then let it run for 30 minutes.
Then rinse the bracelet under running water to dissolve even the last dirt. Then let it dry on a tea towel. If you need to do it quickly, you can also wipe the bracelet dry with a lint-free microfiber cloth. By the way, such an ultrasonic bath is also recommended for eyeglass wearers.
Cleaning the leather straps
People have been using leather for thousands of years, and in my opinion, there is nothing more noble for an Apple Watch than a beautiful leather strap. However, this also requires the most attention in terms of cleaning and care – not because it is time-consuming or complicated, but because you have to use the proper ways.
Leather is an organic material that works, and it will change shape and color somewhat with time. However, this is how the desired patina of leather is created. Back to the cleaning, because it is pretty simple, many do it wrong. The most important rule is: Never clean under running water or clean with water at all!
To clean your leather bracelet optimally, I recommend clear leather grease. This is color-neutral and is therefore suitable for any color. Give very little of the leather grease on a sorted-out tea towel or a sorted-out stocking, and rub the bracelet without great pressure.
Then wait half an hour and wipe the leather bracelet again with a soft, clean cloth. This way, you have not only cleaned the leather but at the same time refreshed and impregnated the color. Then leave the bracelet for another day so that the care can soak into the material.
Tip for cleaning the stainless steel Apple Watch
The stainless steel Apple Watch is not only heavier, but it also looks a bit fancier thanks to the high-gloss finish. However, this finish suffers over time due to all the small, fine surface scratches – it dulls.
But even here, the old shine can be conjured up again with little effort by polishing the case. And it’s very easy to do: apply a bit of stainless steel polish to a very soft and lint-free cloth and polish the body with it. Depending on the degree of scratching, this takes between 5 and 20 minutes. Then wipe the Apple Watch again with a second cloth.
If the Apple Watch stainless steel has really deep scratches in the case, you can not polish them out so, but that won’t be easy even for a jeweler.
Finally, a note: Even in the time after Corona, a regular wiping of the Apple Watch, as well as the straps with an appropriate disinfectant cloth, is a hygienic matter.
How to avoid skin irritations
You should also clean the underside of the Apple Watch regularly to avoid skin irritations. You should also not put the smartwatch on too tightly and also take it off regularly.
In addition to taking care of the Watch, you should also do something good for the underneath skin. Even if Tim Cook takes a shower with the Watch, you should take it off regularly now and clean the wrists band.
Do you have any other tips & tricks for cleaning the Apple Watch or its straps? Please write me your feedback in the comments below. Hope this guide helps you to clean your apple watch the band.
