A guide to Cleaning Leather Apple Watch bands

If you want to preserve your Apple Watch leather strap at its best, you must take good care of it. Just a simple daily cleaning routine and a little attention when you wear it and when you take it off. 

How to take care of your leather watch strap

First and foremost, be careful not to stain your Apple Watch with leather band with food, oil, lotions, moisture, sweat or perfume. If possible, remove it while sleeping and bathing. 

Avoid leaving your iWatch strap in direct sunlight.

Prolongued exposure to sunlight or high intensity source of light can lead to a discoloring, fading and deformation of the leather.

Never soak a leather band in water nor clean it with an abrasive or acid leather watch strap cleaner. Remember that leather treated with aniuline tanning methods is sensitive to water, humidity, grease and exposure to intense light.

Here you find more tips on how to take care of leather watch straps.

Using a leather Apple Watch band while doing some sport

If you would like to use a leather strap also when exercising or working out, you should get one only for that purpose, maybe a casual and durable leather band such as one from the Vintage or Heritage Meridio collection. 

These bands are made in Italy and have been specifically treated so as to keep their beautiful colors, their nuances might change in time and become better and richer with age.

Be careful to remove your iWatch band after training, to wipe it with a clean dry cloth and to leave it breathe and dry before wearing it again. 

How to clean a dirty leather watch band

If you choose to wear a soft Nappa leather Apple Watch iBand, or an exotic leather one (Python, Ostrich or Galuchat), you will need to protect your leather watch strap from water and moisture as much as possible and wipe it every day when you take it off. 

Once a week, clean your leather watch band following these instructions for leather watch strap care:

1. Remove the band from the iWatch.

2. Wipe the band with a dry cotton or microfiber cloth to remove dust, avoid scratching the leather.

3. Gently wipe both sides of the band with a clean damp soft cloth. 

4. Add a drop of moisturizing liquid hand soap to the damp cloth. 

5. Wipe the watch band in small circles to remove stains. 

6. Do not insist on a specific spot otherwise you might create a new stain.

7. Use another clean damp cloth to remove the soap.

8. Gently dry the leather with a clean dry cloth.

9. Let the band dry completely before attaching it to your Apple Watch again or storing it. 

10. Don’t expose leather bands in direct sunlight or at high temperatures. 

You don’t need specific cleaning products (specialized saddle soap is only good for unfinished leather bands). 

You may occasionally use a leather conditioner to soften the band if the kind of leather allows it. 

How to clean a white leather apple watch band

If your Apple Watch band is made from white leather and it has an oil, grease or moisture stain, you can clean it by sprinkling some talc powder or cornstarch on it. 

Allow it to dry for a few minutes, then blow away the powder and gently wipe the watch band with a soft dry cotton or microfiber cloth. 

Remember to remove the band from the watch before cleaning it! 

Cleaning a leather watch band with vinegar

If you mix one part white vinegar with three parts water, you can make your own home-made leather watch band cleaner, ideal to clean a leather Apple Watch band. 

Always try this on the inside of the band first, because there is the risk that the vinegar might affect the color of the leather. 

How to clean a leather watch strap that smells

Denatured alcohol is effective if you want to clean the leather watch strap and remove stains and smell from the internal side of bands like Cavallino or Galuchat. Don’t try it on the outside part of the band if you are not hundred per cent sure.

Clean a leather watch band baking soda

Baking soda is sometimes used to remove smell and stains from sport leather, however don’t use it on a delicate leather like Nappa or Croco or Python. 

For sport leather iBands you can mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of water to make a polish paste for your leather watch strap. Rub this paste on both sides of the band and wait for about an hour. When the paste is dry, wipe it away with a damp cloth and allow the band to dry completely before attaching the strap to the watch again. 

If the leather is too dry, you can make it soft again with a leather conditioner for watch straps. This will restore the leather of your watch strap.