The Power of a Perfectly Cleaned Leather Watch Strap
Wearing a time piece is not solely for the sake of telling the time, it's a reflection of your personal style and taste. Regardless of the model, the watch strap plays a crucial role in elevating your overall look. Likewise, high-quality leather watch straps are not only durable, comfortable, and breathable, but they also add a touch of sophistication to any outfit and look.
Leather watch straps are a great way to add extra style to your watch. It is important, however, to maintain them properly. If you neglect your leather strap - no matter if it's a generic brand or one of our own Solitaire straps - it will become stained, greasy, and smelly. Furthermore, a dirty or worn-out strap can’t add much to your style, detracting from the overall aesthetic. That's why it's important to regularly clean and maintain your leather watch strap to ensure that it continues to enhance and sharpen your desired look and class!
The Secret to a Sparkling Leather Strap: A Step-by-Step Cleaning Guide
With just a few simple steps, you can restore your rubber strap to its previous glory and keep it in excellent condition for many years. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can give your leather strap a professional level of cleaning.
1. Detaching the strap
Before cleaning the watch strap, detach it from the watch case to protect the timepiece, even if it's waterproof. Most watches will require specific tools to remove the strap, such as screw-in lug bars or spring bars, which obvious that it requires specific tools and extra care for their removal. However, some straps such as our Solitaire straps will have a convenient quick-release mechanism. To remove your strap, simply slide the small button inwards. Then, while holding the button, pull out the watch strap.
2. Start by wiping the leather down with a dry cloth
After the watch straps are removed from your timepiece, it’s time to clean the straps with a dry cloth. Using soft cloth is best in practice, such as a microfiber cloth or a jewelry cloth. Gently wipe the strap down with your dry soft watch cloth to remove large pieces of debris like sand, grit, or dust. This will prevent accidental scratching of the strap when we start with the more intensive cleaning.
3. Dampen cloth and wipe it down
Now, take a piece of microfiber cloth, and moisten the cloth by absorbing some water by dipping it into the mild soap solution. Squeeze out the excess right after. Keep in mind that the cloth should be soaked, but not dripping, as excessive water can deform the leather.
4. Gently Clean the Leather Using the Cloth
Clean the leather with light pressure and move it circularly. Lightly tapping the band with the cloth is highly effective. Be gentle on the strap to avoid damage and spend extra time on visible dirt spots. You can repeat this step by adding some more soap to get all the dirt, dust, particulate matter, and grime off.
Use a clean microfiber cloth and damp it in cold water to gently wipe down both sides of the leather band to remove soap residue. Avoid soaking the band as it may cause damage.
5. Allow the Leather Band to Dry Naturally
After wiping off the soap from the strap, it needs to be fully dried before use. You can wipe away excess water with a soft towel or microfiber cloth, then let it dry in the air so place it in a cool location. Avoid direct sunlight, radiators, or hair dryers as they can cause cracking from over-drying the leather.
6. Apply the Wren’s Delicate Gel Over the Dry Strap
7. Reattaching the Strap
To reattach the watch band to the watch case, apply pressure to the ends of the spring bar pins and align the watch band to the designated grooves in the case. Ensure the spring bar pins are securely seated in their sockets. In the case of a quick-release mechanism, such as a Solitaire strap, activate the release button and align the strap with the watch case. Verify the pins are properly engaged in their sockets after reattachment.
Having fun wearing your favorite watch strap of a generic brand or our Solitaire straps is great, yet you should never forget that your watch could become dirty. As it's a delicately engineered piece of art, it will both look and function at its best when it's clean, free from dirt, and odorless.
