Do’s and don’ts for cleaning your dirty Apple Watch

Apple Watch has become the world’s most popular smartwatch and it’s used in a wide range of environments and activities. With that in mind, it’s not a big surprise that the wearable has been found to hold on to harmful bacteria, so making a regular cleaning habit is important. Let’s look at the do’s and don’ts of sanitizing and cleaning Apple Watch.

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A recent study has found Apple Watch bands host dangerous bacteria and along with the bands, that bacteria can end up on the watch itself.

Below we’ll look at how to clean and sanitize Apple Watch as well as how to get debris out of the Digital Crown and more. We’ve also got a dedicated guide on cleaning Apple Watch bands.

• Related: Do’s and don’ts for cleaning your dirty Apple Watch band

Watch cleaning DON’Ts

Per Apple’s instructions:

• Don’t use soaps
• Don’t use cleaners or abrasive materials
• Don’t use ultrasonic cleaning
• Don’t use compressed air or heat

Watch cleaning Do’s

1. Remove your watch band to more easily clean all parts of your watch (full guide on cleaning the different types of watch bands)
2. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the front, back, and sides of your Apple Watch
3. If needed, lightly dampen the cloth with clean water
4. Apple says you can use a Clorox wipe or 70% alcohol to disinfect your Apple Watch
   • Flosser picks and cotton swabs are handy for cleaning tough spots
5. Make sure to dry off your Apple Watch with your cloth before reattaching the band and powering it back on
6. Another option is to use a UV sanitizer to regularly sanitize your Apple Watch

How to clean the Digital Crown and more

1. If you have sand, dust, dirt, or debris stuck in your Digital Crown or other parts of your watch, power it off
2. If you have a leather band, remove it
3. Run your Apple Watch under lightly running, warm, fresh water (don’t use any soaps, chemicals, or abrasives)
4. Turn and press your Digital Crown while running it underwater for 10-15 seconds
5. Dry off your Apple Watch with a microfiber cloth
6. Apple highlights to “Rotate and press the Digital Crown as you dry it, and be sure to remove water from the surface of the Digital Crown, the space between the Digital Crown and the watch case, and the surrounding surfaces.”

Take a look at Apple’s support page on cleaning your Apple Watch for more details.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how-to guide as well as the following articles:

• watchOS 10 widgets: How the new Apple Watch UI works
• Do’s and don’ts for cleaning your dirty AirPods Pro and charging case
• How to see iPhone battery health and when is it time for a replacement?
• Apple Watch: How to see calories burned – active, passive, and total

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