Smartwatches get dirty. Filthy, even. Like anything else you wear day in and day out, a smartwatch gets sweaty, clogged up with lint, and caked with grime. Gross.
Cleaning a smartwatch, or a fitness tracker for that matter, is a simple project, as long as you know a bit about the device and its materials. For example, if you have an Apple Watch, you need to know what kind of wristband you have, such as silicone, stainless steel, leather, or gold. Once you know your materials, you just have to pick the right cleaning supplies. In many cases, you won’t even have to buy anything special. Many common household items will do.
So let’s talk about supplies first.
Supplies
Depending on what kind of smartwatch you have and the material of the band, you’ll need a few different things to clean them. Here’s a list of possible supplies. Note that a lot of them are common household items:
- water,
- mild liquid soap, either dish soap or hand soap,
- distilled white vinegar,
- microfiber cloth,
- unused coffee filter,
- cotton ball,
- all-purpose leather cleaner and conditioner,
- clean cotton sock,
- cotton swabs (aka Q-Tips),
- toothbrush,
- straight pin or toothpick, and
- isopropyl alcohol.
Now let’s talk about how to tackle cleaning different areas of a smartwatch.
Screen
Smartwatch screens need nothing more than to be firmly wiped with a microfiber cloth. 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.
Never use chemical solvents on electronic screens! No Windex. No 409 spray. 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. You really don’t need much soap.
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. Don’t use a paper towel because it will leave lint behind. Gently rub the coffee filter or cotton ball on the screen, and any fingerprints or grime should come off.
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. Using diluted vinegar on the screen should only be a last resort! You really ought to use nothing more than microfiber cloth.
The Band
How you clean your smartwatch band depends entirely on what kind of material you have. If you can detach the band from your watch first, that’ll make it easier to clean.
Leather
Always clean leather with a leather cleaner and conditioner. Conditioning leather both cleans and protects it. I use a brand called Meltonian. It’s ideal for distressed leathers, which is an indicator that it’s mild and probably won’t damage other kinds of leather.
Always test a small spot of the leather first with the conditioner to make sure it doesn’t discolor. Shake the bottle well. Apply a small dab to an old but clean white cotton sock. 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. If you don’t see any discoloration, you can clean the rest of the band the same way.
Silicone
Silicone is known for its resiliency, but you can ruin it with certain liquids. For example, against all intuition, a silicone-based liquid can wreak havoc on solid silicone. With silicone, I like to use liquid soap, diluted heavily in water.
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. Add a little warm water. If you can, detach the bands from the smartwatch first. Or if the watch is waterproof, dunk the whole thing. Rub the band gently between your fingers or with a soft cloth. A toothbrush can help you clean in all the little grooves. If you can’t detach the watch, just dip the ends of the band in the solution to clean it. Rinse, wipe or pat the band dry, and air dry thoroughly.
Metal
Metal watch bands are often the toughest to clean because they have so many chain links and other gaps where grime can get trapped. But you have a lot of options.
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. A quick pass with a toothbrush will finish the job. Rinse thoroughly in warm water, then pat dry and air dry completely.
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. If you don’t have jewelry cleaner, the safest cleaning method (to prevent ruining the band) is to use the same solution of dish washing soap and water as stated above; you can also dissolve about a spoonful of baking soda into this same solution and soak the band for 15 or 20 minutes, then gently scrub it. Whichever method you use, be sure to rinse the band thoroughly in clean water at the end and then dry it thoroughly.
Stainless Steel
To clean stainless steel, I prefer to use a tablespoon or so of distilled white vinegar in about a half cup of warm water. Detach your band from your watch and let it soak for 15 minutes. White vinegar cleans just about anything. Again, use a toothbrush to loosen any build-up, and finish with a rinse in clean water and thorough drying.
The Nooks and Crannies
Smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearable devices often have little nooks and crannies along the edges and at the charging ports that can get jammed up with dirt, grit, and lint. To clean these tiny spaces, I reach for cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol.
Not everyone agrees with using alcohol for electronics, but in small doses on very specific areas it’s fine. Never use it on leather. Never use it on a screen. But most other surfaces can at least tolerate brief contact with it.
Grab a Q-Tip, dab it in isopropyl alcohol, and swab it around the tiny holes and crevices of your smartwatch. If the cotton swab doesn’t fit, pull a bit of the cotton away and twist it in your fingers to make a little javelin end and try again. If you still can’t get the grime out, take a toothpick or straight pin, wipe it off using rubbing alcohol, and then gently scrape away any icky stuff packed in there. You can also twirl a bit of cotton onto the end of a pin or toothpick for homemade Q-Tip alternative.
How Often Should I Clean My Smartwatch?
How often you clean your smartwatch is a matter of preference. How often do you clean your smartphone, or its case, or your computer’s keyboard? It’s up to you. But the longer you wait between cleanings, the more difficult the job will likely be.
I recommend that you wipe your smartwatch screen often (daily), wipe down the band a few times a week (I like to run a damp towel over the band after I get out of the shower, for example), and do a deep clean a few times during the life of the device.
