How To Clean Your Watch Strap Or Bracelet

Now that your watch like rolex Daytona is clean, you should also clean the bracelet it is strapped on. Like the watch itself, when cleaning a bracelet, you should consider its water resistance, age, material construction, etc., all of which will help you determine how to best clean it. Water resistance continues to take the cake in terms of importance, so if either your bracelet or watch is water-resistant, but not both, then you should separate the two and clean them accordingly.

For a more durable bracelet — such as one constructed from steel, titanium, or rubber — Albers recommends using a soft brush with a bar of gentle soap and water to clean the clasp and bracelet, possibly even running the bracelet under a faucet to flush out any debris.

For more precious metals, such as gold or platinum, we recommend cleaning the bracelet with just your hands, or if available, opting for an extra soft brush, as a too rigid brush can scratch the metal. In addition, we recommend using a bar of gentle hand soap or Dawn-brand dish soap with warm water to rinse, then drying with a soft microfiber cloth.

However, if your bracelet is constructed of something much less water-resistant — leather, for example — then you will need to use a gentler cleaning process.

Recommendation

We recommend addressing the surface debris first. “It is best to clean the surface of any dust, dirt, etc., with a very slightly damp cloth. This should be done without rubbing hard and is acceptable on leather-like alligator, shark, grain calf.”

Extra care should be used when approaching leathers that are super matte or dyed with tannins, “as they are naturally more susceptible to absorbing natural oils and water from a too damp cloth.” She recommends using only a slightly damp cloth or a dry microfiber cloth for these. Some leathers that qualify here are attractive salmon leather straps, vegetable calf, and ostrich.

Ultimately, it’s a good idea to maintain the surface of your strap by wiping it every so often to prevent any complicated to remove dirt from settling, which is good advice not only for your luxury leather strap but also for metal bracelets watch itself.

Some companies offer a strap care kit to help rejuvenate its leather, which the company tells us adds “life back into your strap, brightening its color and suppleness.” The kit includes a cream, cloth applicator, and water-resistant spray, all of which should be applied to the strap on a clean surface. It is known that some Jean Rousseau straps, like the water-resistant alligator, are already developed with these protective layers infused into the leather fibers, so they wouldn’t require this treatment.