How To Clean Your Apple Watch

Written by Sandy Petit

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Posted on January 31 2023

Clean and dry your Apple Watch

Keep your Apple Watch clean and dry. Soaps, cleaning products, abrasive materials,* compressed air, ultrasonic cleaning, and external heat sources can cause damage and shouldn't be used with your Apple Watch. 

To clean your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off your Apple Watch and remove it from the charger.
  2. If you have a leather band, remove it from your Apple Watch.
  3. Wipe your Apple Watch clean with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth. If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth with fresh water. If your Apple Watch has substances or debris visible in places such as the speaker ports, you can hold your Apple Watch under lightly running, warm, fresh water until it's clean. Soaps and other cleaning products shouldn’t be used.
  4. Dry your Apple Watch with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth, including the surface of the back crystal.

* To ensure your watch maintains all functionality and to keep a consistent finish across the enclosure and external components, we do not recommend polishing or buffing the watch with abrasives.

Clean and dry the Digital Crown

If the Digital Crown gets stuck or won’t move, check for debris and wipe down your Apple Watch. If you find substances around the Digital Crown, follow these steps to clean it, and repeat as needed:

  1. Turn off your Apple Watch and remove it from the charger.
  2. If you have a leather band, remove it from your Apple Watch.
  3. Hold the Digital Crown under lightly running, warm, fresh water from a faucet. Soaps and other cleaning products shouldn't be used.
  4. Turn and press the Digital Crown continuously as water runs over the small gap between the crown and the housing.  

When the debris or substance has been washed away, dry your Apple Watch with an absorbent, non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. 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.