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How do you clean your SS watches?

virginblue4

virginblue4

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 15, 2012
2,031
717
United Kingdom
So I was just wondering how people are cleaning their stainless steel watches, as they are finger print magnets!

I've just been using a microfibre cloth, however my watch is covered in micro scratches. Not that I mind, as everyone's stainless steel watch will look like this soon.
 
virginblue4 said:
So I was just wondering how people are cleaning their stainless steel watches, as they are finger print magnets!

I've just been using a microfibre cloth, however my watch is covered in micro scratches. Not that I mind, as everyone's stainless steel watch will look like this soon.
Click to expand...

Microfibre, t-shirt, jumper.... earlier I ran it under the tap and dried it with a towel.

Not a single scratch on the case.
 
MrGimper said:
Microfibre, t-shirt, jumper.... earlier I ran it under the tap and dried it with a towel.



Not a single scratch on the case.
Click to expand...


Unless you've kept it in the box since you've owned it, you've got micro scratches. They differ from normal scratches. But yes, I've also run mine under the tap a couple of times as well :)
 
virginblue4 said:
Unless you've kept it in the box since you've owned it, you've got micro scratches. They differ from normal scratches. But yes, I've also run mine under the tap a couple of times as well :)
Click to expand...

I can't see any scratches = I don't care ;)

Edit: Was a bit freaked running it under the tap tho, didn't feel right.
 
MrGimper said:
I can't see any scratches = I don't care ;)

Edit: Was a bit freaked running it under the tap tho, didn't feel right.
Click to expand...


No I agree, I can't see mine unless I shine a torch against it, but also I don't care.

And yes! It didn't feel right at all when I first did ran mine under the tap. It goes against everything we have ever been taught regarding electronics and water. Pretty cool though to be able to give it a proper 'clean'. :)

----------
JayLenochiniMac said:
An ultrasonic cleaner of course. Works so well that it kills the Watch.
Click to expand...


That thread did make me laugh!
 
I'm wiping it every 30 seconds with a microfiber cloth. Is anyone just plain out smudgy like me?
 
I've had it since 4/24 and wiped it down yesterday for the first time. (I do wipe off the part that touches my wrist when I get done at the gym). I used a kleenex.

I don't care about fingerprints - haven't really noticed any. Don't care about micro scratches either, and haven't noticed any of those. I got this watch to use it.
 
It's stainless steel so it's probably cool to put it in the dishwasher, right? :cool:

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greytmom said:
I don't care about fingerprints - haven't really noticed any. Don't care about micro scratches either, and haven't noticed any of those. I got this watch to use it.
Click to expand...

This person right here... they get it. :)
 
virginblue4 said:
Unless you've kept it in the box since you've owned it, you've got micro scratches. They differ from normal scratches.
Click to expand...

They differ? As in, they aren't scratches? I'm pretty sure a scratch is a scratch and "micro" just denotes the size.

I clean mine by rubbing it on my jeans or pants. No scratches here.
 
damp towel after a shower, t-shirt/polo shirt on the go ... if it's sweaty it gets a rinse under the faucet and a rub with a towel...

and no scratches here (SS BSB) and if I hear the word "micro-scratches" one more time I'm going to loose it ;)

shining the brightest flashlight you can find at the watch and inspecting it under a magnifying glass for reflective "micro-scratches" is about as OCD as they come...
 
flur said:
They differ? As in, they aren't scratches? I'm pretty sure a scratch is a scratch and "micro" just denotes the size.



I clean mine by rubbing it on my jeans or pants. No scratches here.
Click to expand...


Well I guess technically they're the same. I always count a proper scratch as being something you can feel with your fingernail and micro scratches you can't. However, that is just my personal opinion. :)

I'd love to see you take a close up photo with the flash on, I'm sure you have many micro scratches. And if you don't, well then, cool! :D
 
virginblue4 said:
I'd love to see you take a close up photo with the flash on, I'm sure you have many micro scratches. And if you don't, well then, cool! :D
Click to expand...

If you can't see it with the naked eye, it doesn't count. ;)

But in all seriousness, I don't clean the case, just the screen, so there's nothing from my pant leg that's coming into contact with the case. The case doesn't seem to show fingerprints, and it's only a week old, so I've no reason to clean it. (Well, I've wiped down the back side a few times, but that doesn't show, so, eh, any scratches there don't count either!)
 
I try not to wipe the stainless steel body at all because I know it will scratch even with a microfibre cloth. My plan is just to not touch the body at all and it’s been okay so far… barely smudgy/scratched.
 
DJLAXL said:
I'm wiping it every 30 seconds with a microfiber cloth. Is anyone just plain out smudgy like me?
Click to expand...

I thought to myself today, that if I was smart enough to develop some kind of hand lotion, like Purell or something, that would keep my hands from being so 'greasy' and smudging up my phone all the time, I would make millions.

My hands must just be gross. I can't touch my watch face or SS without it being smudged.
 
I posted a thread about the micro scratch situation also. It was caused by my OCD and using a microfiber cloth that I also used for my glasses and kept in my pocket.

Since I was wiping down the watch twice daily for the past 7 days, now I have micro scratches all over. They are only visible under direct light. Apparently there was some lint and dust/dirt particles on the cloth itself that scratched the polished Stainless Steel very easily.

DO NOT use a microfiber cloth that has been used for something else, get a brand new one and use it only for the watch and keep it in its packaging when not in use.

I bought a Jewelry Polishing Cloth from a local Jeweler and it works great!

I tried the Mag & Aluminum finish polish from the MacMixing video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqb8LFt4MI0&spfreload=10

But it didn't work for me. It made me nervous using it. It was made to use on cars.

Others have recommended polishing with Cape Cod Polish which is meant for Jewelery. Apparently they carry it in Ace Hardware and Tru-Value. I will be picking up some later today and will report back the results. Link Below:

http://www.capecodpolish.com/collections/all

It doesn't remove scratches but in a sense waxes the polished stainless steel, making it shine, hiding the micro-scracthes and adding a layer of protection.

A final thing to note, your polished stainless steel Apple Watch will scratch, it is in the metals nature to scratch, in fact in the watch world, which I was unfamiliar with, it is expected and wanted over time.

So if you have OCD like me, relax and enjoy your watch. :)
 
Last edited:
I've used capecods for years on the shiny parts of my High end Swiss watches and they work great.
FrankySavvy said:
I posted a thread about the micro scratch situation also. It was caused by my OCD and using a microfiber cloth that I also used for my glasses and kept in my pocket.

Since I was wiping down the watch twice daily for the past 7 days, now I have micro scratches all over. They are only visible under direct light. Apparently there was some lint and dust/dirt particles on the cloth itself that scratched the polished Stainless Steel very easily.

DO NOT use a microfiber cloth that has been used for something else, get a brand new one and use it only for the watch and keep it in its packaging when not in use.

I bought a Jewelry Polishing Cloth from a local Jeweler and it works great!

I tried the Mag & Aluminum finish polish from the MacMixing video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqb8LFt4MI0&spfreload=10

But it didn't work for me. It made me nervous using it. It was made to use on cars.

Others have recommended polishing with Cape Cod Polish which is meant for Jewelery. Apparently they carry it in Ace Hardware and Tru-Value. I will be picking up some later today and will report back the results. Link Below:

http://www.capecodpolish.com/collections/all

It doesn't remove scratches but in a sense waxes the polished stainless steel, making it shine, hiding the micro-scracthes and adding a layer of protection.

A final thing to note, your polished stainless steel Apple Watch will scratch, it is in the metals nature to scratch, in fact in the watch world, which I was unfamiliar with, it is expected and wanted over time.

So if you have OCD like me, relax and enjoy your watch. :)
Click to expand...
 
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