How often should you clean your smartwatch?

TechSmartwatchesHow often should you clean your smartwatch?Here’s how to avoid bacteria build-up on your wearableWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Here’s how to avoid bacteria build-up on your wearable

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Woman cleaning smart watch with antibacterial wet wipe at home.

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Whether you’re anApple Watchfan, a Pixel-totingAndroiduser, or someone taking their first few steps with aFitbit, there’s never been a better time to buy afitness trackerorsmartwatch.

While they range in terms of features, compatibility, and price, the kinds of sensors and tracking capabilities that were once solely in the realm of $500 devices have been democratized down to much more affordable alternatives. And, with better battery life on many of them, it’s understandable that you want to wear them more often.

That comes with some sanitation concerns, though, as wearing a tracker on your wrist for days on end can lead to some issues, making cleaning them a priority for all users.

Here’s how often you should clean your smartwatch and how to do it safely.

Why you should clean your smartwatch

After a run, a gym workout, or anything in between, the first thing most of us likely do is hop in the shower to clean off the sweat, dirt, and anything else.

The trouble is, with a device as personal as a smartwatch or fitness tracker, you may not take it off for days afterwards. That’s multiple days of sweat, bacteria, and more that’s lingering on your device and its strap, and while it can be harder to notice on silicone options, cloth ones can soon start to smell, too.

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Close up of a woman cleaning smart watch with fabric on street background

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How often you should clean your smartwatch

It’s entirely a personal choice, but in our opinion, we’d recommend taking off the watch at least once a week to give it a once-over, especially if you’re a fitness junkie that works out with any degree of regularity.

Doing it more often makes each cleaning less of an arduous task. Depending on your fitness tracker, you may be able to associate the need to clean it with charging.

For example, this writer has anApple Watch Ultra, and while I do a more thorough clean once a week, I tend to do a quick wipe of the display daily and clean the underside every few days when it’s charging time.

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How to clean your smartwatch

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are more durable than ever, but there are still things to consider when giving your tracker a wash.

For one, if there’s any hint of physical damage that may have exposed the inner workings, you’re better off avoiding water - although, in that instance, we’d usually recommend booking a repair or replacement if possible to prevent further safety issues.

Apple recommendsnot using “soaps, cleaning products, abrasive materials, compressed air, ultrasonic cleaning or external heat sources” to clean yourApple Watch. Instead, the company suggests wiping yourAppleWatch clean with a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth with fresh water.

Not surprisingly,Google advisesyou to follow a similar treatment when caring for your Pixel Watch. Instead of using soap or other chemicals,Googlesays you should use ‘fresh water’ and a ‘soap-free cleanser to clean the band’.

Fitbit saysyou should only use “fresh water and a soap-free cleanser (like Cetaphil) to clean the band.” Interestingly, Fitbit suggests using fresh water and a toothbrush to clean the charging contacts on the back of its fitness tracker “to ensure they stay bronze or gold in colour.”

Conversely,Garmin advisesagainstusing a toothbrush to clean crevices on its watches, especially on devices that have cavities for speakers and microphones. Instead, the wearable giant suggests using water to rinse excess dirt or a dampened, lint-free cloth for cleaning.

Here’s the best way to clean your smartwatch’s various pieces: