How to clean Apple Watch Band

How to clean Apple Watch Band 

Owning and wearing an Apple Watch is an amazing way to not only stay well on top of your schedule and fitness goals, but as Fitstraps regular winner as the most stylish fitness watch on the market, it will keep your wrist looking fashionable also. However there is no point in wearing the most stylish watch on the market if you are going to allow your Apple watch band to look worn, dirty, and covered in stains, it's important to clean your Apple watch band. Remembering to regularly clean your Apple watch strap can help maintain its appearance and also extend its lifespan. In this article, we'll provide some amazing tips for how to clean your Apple watch effectively clean all the different types of Apple Watch straps on the market today. We will show you how to clean leather, metal and steel, nylon, and classic silicone straps. Additionally, we'll discuss the best products and techniques to implement when it comes to keeping a clean Apple watch band on your wrist every day of the year and keeping your Apple Watch looking its best. So let's not waste any more time and get started! 

Why should I keep my Apple watch bands clean? 

It's no secret that Apple Watches have pushed themselves right up to the front of the Fitness watch pack and are one of the most popular fitness watches on the market today. With their sleek and stylish designs, endless features and capabilities, and ability to capture data points from your health and activity to monitor fitness and workout goals, it's no wonder why they have become so popular when you pair all this up with their style factor. However, if you don't make that tiny little bit of extra effort and keep your Apple Watch strap clean, you could not only be letting your favourite watch down from a style point of view but you could also be hindering its functionality and capabilities. One of the things that not many fitness watch lovers realize is that having a dirty watch band can actually negatively affect the accuracy of the data readings that your watch collects. This is because mini pieces of dirt and small specs of sweat can accumulate around and in the sensors along the strap, which are responsible for recording your health metrics such as heart rate, and calories burned functions. Not only will this make your results less accurate than they should be, but it can also lead to long-term damage to the actual Apple watch itself. Fortunately, keeping your Apple Watch clean isn't difficult; with Fitstraps here to guide you and a few small tools, you’ll be well on your way. Obviously, not all straps are created equal and how you clean your classic silicone Fitstrap will be a little different from how you will clean your leather strap, so we’ve covered everything you will need below-

How to Clean a Silicone Apple Watch Sport Band? 

When it comes to flaunting a classic silicone Apple watch band, silicone material bands have always been a hit with both gym goers, runners, and any Apple watch lover opting for a slightly more casual look. Keeping your braided solo loop Silicone Apple Watch band clean and well-maintained is essential for extending its lifespan and also keeping it looking like new all year round. When you are cleaning your silicone straps there are a few pieces of key information that users should be aware of before you get off and running. 

It’s always important to make sure you are using the proper tools, techniques, and solutions in order to make sure your watch band is cleaned properly. When it comes to cleaning materials, natural cleaners such as warm water and mild soap are your best choice when it comes to a silicone sport band. To begin with, make sure you remove your strap from your device and brush away all the small pieces of dirt and debris that have accumulated on the surface of the watch band. We would then recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush (we’ve found the bamboo ones with the black bristles to be perfect) to scrub away any stubborn dirt that refuses to be moved. Once you have done this, dip a microfiber cloth into warm water with some mild soap and gently rub over the watch band. We always recommend avoiding using any harsh abrasive materials, as this could cause damage to your strap as you clean it. After you have done this, rinse with slightly warm water and use a soft cloth to gently pat dry your band. Once you are happy with how clean the strap is, leave it in a dry and warm area of your house and allow the strap to air dry fully before you clip it back onto your Apple watch. This part is extremely important, as you don’t want any moisture to remain between your device and the strap itself as this is a cause of corrosion around the end of the band. We recommend keeping on top of this and repeating the cleaning process every couple of months in order to clean your strap clean and well-maintained.

A few things that we would like to quickly mention are things that should be avoided when it comes to cleaning a silicone sport band. We recommend that you never use any abrasive type cleaners, for example, bleach or any harsher detergents, when cleaning your Watch band. Using these types of chemicals can easily damage the silicone material and leave it looking even worse than it did before you started the cleaning process. We would also point you away from using any solvent-type products when it comes to silicone bands, such as rubbing alcohol or anything similar, to clean your straps. Finally, make sure that you never soak your Apple Watch strap for extended periods of time in water or other cleaning solutions as this could cause permanent damage to your watch band. To summarise, cleaning your silicone Apple watch strap should be done every few months using warm water and very mild soap, and always avoid using abrasive or harsh cleaners on your band, as well as any solvents. By following the maintenance tips above, your white Apple watch band will remain white (if it was white, to begin with) and you will only ever see clean Apple watch bands clipped to your wrist from now on.

How to clean your Apple watch leather band

Having a clean Apple watch band on your wrist all year round doesn't need to be a massive chore, if you use the right cleaning materials and follow these best practices, you will have your strap looking like new again in no time. Firstly, remove your Apple watch strap from your device, if you need any help with this please refer to this blog post. As you would with the silicone band, dampen a soft lint free cloth but with a leather band we would recommend using slightly cooler water and gently apply it onto your strap. Avoid using too much pressure on the band or being too rough with it, as this could easily damage the leather. Once you’ve done this let the strap sit a few moments before buffing with a dry microfiber cloth to remove the excess moisture and any dirt that has been loosened by your first action. If this doesn’t remove enough dirt and you need some slightly tougher cleaning power, use an extremely small amount of very mild soap mixed with some more cool water on the microfiber cloth before wiping it down. With a leather band, we would recommend cleaning slightly more regularly than a silicone band, aiming for once a month depending on how often you wear your strap would be a good guide. As we mentioned when talking about silicone band cleaning, never use any harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaning products, as these may seriously damage leather. By using these simple steps and getting into a regular habit of it, you won’t believe how long you can keep your leather bands looking like new.

How to clean a metal Apple watch band

Cleaning your Metal and stainless steel bands really is a key part of maintaining their longevity and keeping it looking shiny and new for as long as possible. Regular cleaning will help keep pieces of micro dirt and sweat at arm’s length, keeping the condition of your strap well protected for years ahead. Here's how we recommend that you clean your Stainless steel watch band in order to get the best results, what equipment you need, the best practices, as well as what you should avoid. Before getting started ensure that your metal strap has been removed from your Apple watch device and your watch placed somewhere safe. As with the previous materials mentioned, avoid harsh abrasives and solvents such as bleach or rubbing alcohol, as these will strip away the protective layer on your metal watch band. Instead, we are going to use an undiluted solution of very mild washing-up liquid (if in doubt water it down even more) in a bowl along with a damp sponge or lint free cloth. However, before we get started with the actual cleaning of the metal band we would recommend attempting the removal of as much debris as possible from the strap as possible using a toothbrush with very soft bristles. If too much debris is left in the watch strap before you start scrubbing it clean, this can easily lead to scratches appearing on the metal which will most likely make the watch band look even worse than before you started your deep clean. Once this step has been completed, put your metal watch strap into the bowl of soapy solution for between five to ten minutes. After you have done this, rinse off the solution with cold water and use your soft cloth to dry it thoroughly. While metallic watch bands don’t need to be cleaned as frequently as the straps mentioned above, we would still recommend keeping on top of this at least every two months in order to keep your solo loop metal band looking as nice as possible for as long as possible.

How to clean your Nylon Apple Watch Strap

Nylon Apple Watch straps are becoming some of the most popular straps on the market at the moment due to their comfort, versatility along with the growing number of colours and patterns available. Although nylon watch bands are known to be both hard-wearing and durable, it is always important to keep your strap clean in order to keep it at the top of its game for as long as possible. Here's our quick guide on how to clean your nylon Apple Watch:

As mentioned when cleaning the metal straps above, we will prepare a cleaning solution and place it into a bowl. Mix a few drops of very mild washing-up liquid (dilute with water if needed) with warm water and stir until the soap is fully dissolved into the water. Grab yourself a clean, soft lint free cloth and dip it into the solution and squeeze any excess moisture out of the microfiber cloth before you being to gently wiping down your nylon Apple watch band. Begin at one end of the strap and make your way down to the other end to make sure you avoid streaks on the nylon. Then use another cloth with only warm water to wipe away the soapy solution before we let the strap dry, once the solution has been wiped off leave the strap to air dry in a warm, dry part of your home. Avoid the temptation of speeding up the process by using your hairdryer as this has been known to cause damage to the nylon material. If you Follow these quick steps should help you keep your nylon Apple Watch band looking fresh, stylish, and good as new for a long time to come. 

How to prevent your Apple Watch Strap from getting dirty in the first place. 

So you know how to keep your Apple watch band clean, whichever type of material of band you wear? However, they do say that prevention is better than cure, so here are a few bonus tips that you may find helpful when it comes to keeping the dirt at bay in the first place.

1. Try your best to avoid wearing your Apple Watch when you are in the shower or when you are in the swimming pool. Even though the actual watch is water resistant, it is still possible for water to get into the small gaps between the watch band and the body of the watch itself. This can allow small pieces to build up around this area over an extended period of time if nothing is done about this.
2. Use a watch strap protector on your watch strap. If you’re someone who likes to wear their watch all throughout the day, investing in a protector can help keep dirt and sweat away. There are specially made watch strap protectors that will fit nicely over the top of your strap so you don’t have to worry about it getting dirty ever again.
3. Select a wide range of Apple Watch bands made from different materials that are easy to clean. If you think you will be wearing your strap for exercising or doing anything in which stains will easily build up on your strap then straps such as Leather straps may not be a great choice as they tend to be more prone to dirt builds ups than other materials. Therefore keeping your leather band for evening and casual wear and maybe use your nylon or silicone band for when you exercise would be the best way to extend the life of your leather band. Having a good range of replacement straps for your Apple Watch is an important part of staying organized, and can help prevent your strap from getting dirty. Not only will having several straps on hand give you more options to pick from when it comes to changing up your look, but it can also make sure that you don't have to take the same strap on for every occasion. By having a few different Apple watch bands to select from, you can rotate them between wearing and cleaning. This means that your watch strap will never get too grimy or stained, as you won't be wearing the same one for too long without giving it a good clean.
4. While you wear your strap always make sure that you avoid contact with harsh chemicals that may cause damage to the strap. Examples of this would be things such as sun tan lotion and fan tan-type products that can contain chemicals that can easily discolour your watch band. Even though Apple Watches are designed to be resistant to water and dust, your strap can easily be damaged by chemicals and solvents. Keep your watch away from these substances to keep your clean Apple watch bands looking new for longer. 

So there you have it, the Fitstraps comprehensive guide on cleaning your Apple Watch band it is important to keep your Apple Watch strap clean and free of pieces of dirt, rubbish, and sweat build up around the band. To do this, you just need to first consider what material your strap is made of—silicone, leather, or metal—as each requires slightly different cleaning methods. Avoid harsh cleaners or scrubbing tools as these can damage your strap.

Keeping a clean Apple Band clipped to your wrist not only ensures it looks good but also keeps it working optimally for longer. With the correct cleaning techniques, your Apple Watch strap will remain in pristine condition for years to come. By investing a bit of time and effort into regular cleaning, you can ensure not only that your watch looks good but also that it continues to function optimally. If you loved this article and found it helpful, please remember to share it with any of your Apple Watch friends who are also looking to keep their strap clean via the buttons at the bottom of the page.