You’ve been working hard on your fitness or at the very least moving around quite a bit with your Apple Watch. Now, your shiny new Apple Watch band has all your sweat and grime all over it. Here are our tips to clean and prevent it from smelling.
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What Causes the Apple Watch Band to Smell
If your Apple Watch band smells, you’re not alone. Just like your clothes or dishes would start to smell if you kept using them and didn’t wash them, so would your Apple Watch band. The good news is that while you’re cleaning one of your smelly Apple Watch bands, according to Macworld, you can simply swap out the current band for a clean one that doesn’t smell and keep your day going with your Apple Watch.
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Preventing the Apple Watch Band Smell
If you’re using a sports band or a material that seems to irritate your skin, consider switching out your current Apple Watch band for one that is more friendly to your skin. You can also use deodorant on your wrist to help prevent the smell. Just like you would put deodorant on your armpits, you can also use deodorant on your wrist. Read on for some other tips on how to clean Apple Watch bands based on material.
- Run It Through the Dishwasher — If your Apple Watch band is made from a silicone material, or better yet, our signature Flaxstic™ material, you can run it through the dishwasher. This material won’t melt or fade in the warm water. It’ll be able to withstand a wash and dry cycle in the dishwasher.
- Scrub with a Toothbrush and Soap — Clean your Apple Watch band with a little elbow grease by scrubbing it with an old toothbrush and dish soap.
- Soak Overnight in Dish Soap — Let your Apple Watch band soak overnight in a mixture of some dish soap and water. It doesn’t have to be any special kind of mineral or distilled water. Good old-fashioned tap water will do just fine.
Deodorizing Nylon Watch Bands — There are different kinds of Apple Watch band materials like nylon, resin, leather and so on. There are also different sizes. Keep that in mind when you’re swapping out any current Apple Watch bands. Find out which size is best for you by browsing both the 42/44mm Apple Watch band and 38/40mm Apple Watch band options. With a nylon watch band, you can mix laundry detergent and water and then let the nylon watch band soak for a few hours. When you remove the straps from water, squeeze gently to remove any excess water. Allow the nylon band to dry overnight. Keep in mind that a nylon watch band easily retains sweat and body odor, so you’ll need to clean this watch band a little more frequently or use preventative measures like deodorant on your wrist.
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Cleaning Resin Watch Bands — Resin watch bands are produced from plant-based organic materials. With this kind of watch band, just use mild dish soap and a toothbrush to scrub. Keep scrubbing and rinsing until the watch band is clean. Allow it to air dry.
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Cleaning Leather Watch Bands — Use a lint-free and non-abrasive cloth to clean the leather portion of your leather watch band. You can lightly dampen the cloth with water if it needs a little more TLC. Just don’t soak the leather band in water because leather bands are not water-resistant. Allow the band to air dry before attaching it to your Apple Watch. Keep your leather band away from direct sunlight, high temperatures and high humidity. Prevent your leather watch band from smelling by placing it in a plastic bag with a few teaspoons of baking soda. The baking soda will soak up excess moisture and any odors. Have it sit in the bag for about half a day or a full day.
