Gold: To brighten up a gold band, detach the band from the watch piece and then clean it with a standard jewelry cleaning solution by following the instructions. Rinse thoroughly in warm water, then pat dry and air dry completely. A quick pass with a toothbrush will finish the job. Most metals: With most metals, a dip in a bowlful of water with a few drops of dish washing liquid (the kind for washing dishes in the sink, not the dishwasher) will loosen any grit. Metal watch bands are often the toughest to clean because they have so many chain links and other gaps where grime can get trapped. Rinse, wipe or pat the band dry, and air dry thoroughly. If you can't detach the watch, just dip the ends of the band in the solution to clean it. A toothbrush can help you clean in all the little grooves. Rub the band gently between your fingers or with a soft cloth. Or if the watch is waterproof, dunk the whole thing. If you can, detach the bands from the smartwatch first. Put a small amount of soap-and it can be dish-washing soap, like Dawn, or hand-washing soap like Dial-into a bowl or a stopped-up sink. With silicone, I like to use liquid soap, diluted heavily in water.
For example, against all intuition, a silicone-based liquid can wreak havoc on solid silicone. Silicone is known for its resiliency, but you can ruin it with certain liquids. If you don't see any discoloration, you can clean the rest of the band the same way.
Rub it into the leather, wait a few minutes for it to dry, and then buff the same spot with a clean patch of your sock.
Apply a small dab to an old but clean white cotton sock. It's ideal for distressed leathers, which is an indicator that it's mild and probably won't damage other kinds of leather.Īlways test a small spot of the leather first with the conditioner to make sure it doesn't discolor. Conditioning leather both cleans and protects it. LeatherĪlways clean leather with a leather cleaner and conditioner. If you can detach the band from your watch first, that'll make it easier to clean. How you clean your smartwatch band depends entirely on what kind of material you have. Using diluted vinegar on the screen should only be a last resort! You really ought to use nothing more than microfiber cloth. If all else fails, dilute a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar into a half cup of water, dab a clean microfiber cloth, coffee filter, or cotton ball in it, and very gently wipe the screen, like you're lulling a baby to sleep by massaging its temples-that's how gentle. Gently rub the coffee filter or cotton ball on the screen, and any fingerprints or grime should come off. Don't use a paper towel because it will leave lint behind. If you don't have a microfiber cloth, or if you notice a lot of residue that isn't coming off easily, you can take an unused coffee filter (shown below) or a cotton ball and barely spritz it with water.
If the watch is waterproof ("water-resistant" with a rating of 1 ATM or higher), you can get it wet to clean it, and you can even dunk it in a very diluted bath of lukewarm water and liquid soap-about one drop of soap per cup of water. Never use chemical solvents on electronic screens! No Windex. Wash and hang dry the microfiber cloth from time to time, and that'll take care of any oily build-up in the cloth itself. Smartwatch screens need nothing more than to be firmly wiped with a microfiber cloth.
Now let's talk about how to tackle cleaning different areas of a smartwatch. Mild liquid soap, either dish soap or hand soap,Īll-purpose leather cleaner and conditioner, Note that a lot of them are common household items: