Your Apple Watch is starting to lose its shine and you would like to clean it while taking care not to damage it?
By dint of keeping it on your wrist, your Apple Watch can get dirty. As always with an electronic device, you may hesitate on the right way to properly clean your Apple Watch, without risking damage. But don’t worry, Celside Magazine will detail the do’s and don’ts for you!
Cleaning your Apple Watch: getting started
First of all, you must turn off your Apple Watch and unplug it from its charger. We then advise you to detach the bracelet, to clean it separately. Especially if it is in a material that does not particularly like water (leather, metal, nylon). To do this, you must hold down the bracelet removal button, at its link with the iWatch, and slide it to the side.
Then move to a properly ventilated, healthy and humidity-free room to clean your Apple Watch.
Clean an Apple iWatch: products and gestures to avoid
As with any device or audio device that uses electronics, such as a tablet, AirPods or a camera, cleaning a connected watch requires a lot of gentleness in the gestures and the products to be used.
Here is the list of products and techniques to avoid to clean your Apple Watch:
- the soap
- cleaners or detergents
- abrasive materials
- compressed air
- ultrasonic cleaning
- external heat sources (such as a hair dryer)
How to clean an Apple iWatch watch?
Once these precautions have been taken, use a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. Use it to wipe down your Apple Watch and remove any traces of dust. Then run the watch under running hot water for about fifteen seconds – without soap or any other cleaning product. Use the cloth to clean any smudges and residue. On the screen, the operation should be quite fast. On the back part, where the heart sensors are located, you can take a little longer. Do not hesitate to rub.
Then switch to the Digital Crown, the wheel of your connected watch. This is the point of the Apple Watch where dirt accumulates the most. Pass it under hot water for about fifteen seconds, while turning it to remove the dirt. Then rotate the Digital Crown while pressing it to allow water to flow through the gap separating it from the dial. Again, avoid any soap or cleaning product.
How to properly dry your Apple Watch?
To dry the watch and the Digital Crown, use an absorbent, non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. Take the time to wipe the surface of the crystal back. Also, be sure to wipe down the surface of the Digital Crown, the space between the dial and the case, and surrounding areas to remove any traces of water.
How do I clean the Apple Watch speaker or microphone?
Unlike other audio devices, there’s no need to clean your Apple Watch’s microphone or speaker. The microphone, the amplifier, like the rest of the electronics of the watch and its enclosure are indeed protected inside, around a waterproof membrane. No need to clean them, then.
As for the speaker of your Apple Watch, it is designed to receive water regularly, at least each time you use your watch with the water mode, so you do not need to clean it. After each bath, as soon as you turn on the screen again by turning the Digital Crown, the watch emits a series of tones, and evacuates the water from the speaker. Any other maneuver to clean the speaker of your Apple Watch could therefore damage it, and should be avoided.
How to clean the leather strap of an Apple Watch?
The leather model is the most fragile of the Apple Watch bracelets. Leather does not support immersion in water. You must therefore use another bracelet for any aquatic activity! Likewise, absolutely avoid exposing your leather strap to direct sunlight, strong heat or areas of high humidity.
As for cleaning, it requires a lot of precautions. You should clean the leather band of your Apple Watch with a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. In case of stubborn marks, you can lightly dampen the cloth with clear water. When done, wipe your leather strap dry with a paper towel. Finally, let it air dry, away from direct sunlight, in a cool, well-ventilated room. You can also optionally use leather cleaner or conditioner.
How do I clean an Apple Watch Sport band made of fluoroelastomer or single loop silicone rubber?
The Apple Watch’s sport strap is made of fluorinated elastomer, a strong and durable material that is sweat-resistant and fairly easy to clean, just like the single-loop silicone rubber strap, and more generally all sports straps. Apple Watch designed in these materials.
Start by rubbing your bracelet gently with a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. If the bracelet is quite dirty, you can add a little clear water. For more stubborn stains, you can even use a mild hypoallergenic hand soap. Be sure to let your bracelet dry thoroughly before putting it back on.
Finally, to ensure complete disinfection, you can use 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes. A higher percentage could be dangerous for your bracelet. Soap and isopropyl alcohol are, on the other hand, to be avoided if you want to clean a leather or nylon Apple Watch strap. Finally, in the case of stains from garment dyeing (typically with a denim jacket), you can use a drawing eraser or a magic eraser to clean a fluoroelastomer or silicone rubber strap. The effect is stunning!
How to clean the Milanese or metal band of your Apple Watch?
Cleaning a Milanese bracelet or any other metal bracelet of an Apple Watch requires a lot of delicacy. Use a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. You can optionally add a little clear water. In case of really stubborn dirt, you can opt for a little water mixed with mild hypoallergenic hand soap, or even disinfect with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes.
But beware ! You must imperatively carefully dry your Milanese bracelet in a cool and well-ventilated room. Indeed, Apple’s metal bands are not resistant to water, which can also seep into the crevices between the links of your Milanese bracelet, with the risk of rust appearing in the long term.
How to clean the nylon strap of an Apple Watch?
Finally, the nylon strap is probably the most problematic to clean of all Apple Watch straps. Indeed, you will have real difficulty removing residue or stains with a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. You can replace it with a wet brush with soft bristles, rubbing very gently. But at the risk of causing the fraying of the nylon!
You can use a little water to clean it, but be sure to dry your Apple Watch nylon strap thoroughly afterwards. Indeed, if you put it back on while it is still damp, it can easily take on a bad smell.