After a summer full of activity, your watch may have made it through, but your watch strap may be a little worse for the wear. Don’t worry: we’ve outlined some tips on how to care for the most common types of watch straps. After all, the strap secures the watch to your wrist, and without proper care your watch is at risk of falling and meeting the pavement.

Leather

For a regular leather strap, it’s important to take your watch off as often (preferably every night) as you can. This gives the leather the opportunity to breath and release odor, as well as air out to get rid of sweat and moisture.

Obviously you can use leather cleaner to clean the strap, but there are other low-key ways to get the job done. An essential tool to have is a clean cloth (microfiber works well). You can dampen the cloth and wipe the strap free of debris, or even use mild hand soap for a deeper clean. Be sure to give it ample time to dry!

Stainless Steel

There are several ways to clean a stainless steel bracelet, depending how soiled it is. We’d start with dish soap, water, a light brush, and some elbow grease. You do have the option of soaking the bracelet in order to loosen debris, but please make sure that the bracelet has been removed from the watch. For stubborn debris like gunk and even rust, a little bit of lighter fluid should do the trick!

Rubber Strap

Rubber and polyurethane straps are easy to clean! Water and dish soap will help shed dirt, sweat, and any other particles caked onto your strap.

Nylon

You can spot clean your strap with a little bit of soap and water or you can just throw it in the washing machine. For the washing machine method, it’s recommended to throw the strap into a garment bag to prevent the metal hook from snagging other items.