Watch cleaner

[Gab27]

Originally Posted by puma1552

My watch is new and not yet grubby so all I've done so far is run it under the sink under a gentle stream and rub my fingers all over it, I have not used soap.

Could soap leave residue in the link pins and cause premature gunking/wear? I know dirt and grime will erode pins on Jubilee bracelets, how would soap residue be any different? Seems it would be almost impossible to get everything out.

Hand soap/body soap/shampoo will gum up in the crevices of the watch over time. It's not going to hurt the watch but it can get a bit yucky and is quite difficult to remove. I learned this the hard way with my first 'nice' watch.

Dish soap, on the other hand, removes all of that nasty stuff that builds up from routine wear. After I go fishing, for example, my watch is covered in sunblock, bug spray, sweat, and (if I am lucky) fish slime/guts. Dish soap and a soft brush removes all of that.

[LSU-MOOSE]

I’ve posted this before.
Geeky answer headed your way. Don’t use soaps designed for human use on your watch. Use dish soap or other type of cleaner designed to not leave residue. Boring detailed answer follows if you don’t wish to keep reading.

I used to sell industrial surfactants/detergents. Every one is designed with a specific goal or set of goals. The main goal is to change the surface tension of water to displace what you want removed. Additional qualities are designed for specific uses (explained below).

In the case of a watch we are removing human oils, dust, dirt and whatever else you may have encountered. Most if not all cleaners in your home will do this easily. Dish soap works very well because they are designed to handle animal oils and fats (some of us are bigger animals than others) and other deposits on your cookware and dishes. They get deep down into the crevices and displace the unwanted material. This works well for your watch and bracelet.
What dish soap DOES NOT DO is leave unwanted material behind that might attract more unwanted material. Dish soap is designed to leave spotless, very clean surface with no residue.

Human soap does all the above with two unwanted residuals left behind. The first is microscopic oils that make your hair or skin “feel” softer. These oils attract dirt and microscopic dust down in the crevices of your moving parts of your bracelet. The second unwanted residual is fragrance so you will smell nice, also microscopic particles to attract unwanted material just mentioned.
This unwanted residual prematurely attracts abrasives into these crevices increasing wear on the internals of the bracelet.

I know a lot of old saggy bracelets can be attributed to many things but I think washing with human soaps contributes.

I use dish soap only once a month. No need to chance the increased wear on the bracelet internals.

[harvey]

Originally Posted by Airkingchnr

Very mild baby shampoo ( johnson and johnson in the UK)and the softest toothbrush you can buy... loads of running water and a very soft drying cloth. Works every time

…exactly what I have done for the last 18 years.

[creepy neville]

Originally Posted by LSU-MOOSE

I’ve posted this before.
Geeky answer headed your way. Don’t use soaps designed for human use on your watch. Use dish soap or other type of cleaner designed to not leave residue. Boring detailed answer follows if you don’t wish to keep reading.

I used to sell industrial surfactants/detergents. Every one is designed with a specific goal or set of goals. The main goal is to change the surface tension of water to displace what you want removed. Additional qualities are designed for specific uses (explained below).

In the case of a watch we are removing human oils, dust, dirt and whatever else you may have encountered. Most if not all cleaners in your home will do this easily. Dish soap works very well because they are designed to handle animal oils and fats (some of us are bigger animals than others) and other deposits on your cookware and dishes. They get deep down into the crevices and displace the unwanted material. This works well for your watch and bracelet.
What dish soap DOES NOT DO is leave unwanted material behind that might attract more unwanted material. Dish soap is designed to leave spotless, very clean surface with no residue.

Human soap does all the above with two unwanted residuals left behind. The first is microscopic oils that make your hair or skin “feel” softer. These oils attract dirt and microscopic dust down in the crevices of your moving parts of your bracelet. The second unwanted residual is fragrance so you will smell nice, also microscopic particles to attract unwanted material just mentioned.
This unwanted residual prematurely attracts abrasives into these crevices increasing wear on the internals of the bracelet.

I know a lot of old saggy bracelets can be attributed to many things but I think washing with human soaps contributes.

I use dish soap only once a month. No need to chance the increased wear on the bracelet internals.

Awesome answer !

Ivory and / or Dawn have always been my ‘go to’ in the past - now I know why they have worked so well for me !

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by LSU-MOOSE

I’ve posted this before.
Geeky answer headed your way. Don’t use soaps designed for human use on your watch. Use dish soap or other type of cleaner designed to not leave residue. Boring detailed answer follows if you don’t wish to keep reading.

I used to sell industrial surfactants/detergents. Every one is designed with a specific goal or set of goals. The main goal is to change the surface tension of water to displace what you want removed. Additional qualities are designed for specific uses (explained below).

In the case of a watch we are removing human oils, dust, dirt and whatever else you may have encountered. Most if not all cleaners in your home will do this easily. Dish soap works very well because they are designed to handle animal oils and fats (some of us are bigger animals than others) and other deposits on your cookware and dishes. They get deep down into the crevices and displace the unwanted material. This works well for your watch and bracelet.
What dish soap DOES NOT DO is leave unwanted material behind that might attract more unwanted material. Dish soap is designed to leave spotless, very clean surface with no residue.

Human soap does all the above with two unwanted residuals left behind. The first is microscopic oils that make your hair or skin “feel” softer. These oils attract dirt and microscopic dust down in the crevices of your moving parts of your bracelet. The second unwanted residual is fragrance so you will smell nice, also microscopic particles to attract unwanted material just mentioned.
This unwanted residual prematurely attracts abrasives into these crevices increasing wear on the internals of the bracelet.

I know a lot of old saggy bracelets can be attributed to many things but I think washing with human soaps contributes.

I use dish soap only once a month. No need to chance the increased wear on the bracelet internals.

This needs to be made a sticky.

I’ll see myself out….

[gt0279a]

-Soft (baby) toothbrush
-wristclean cleaner spray
-ultrasonic on the bracelet maybe once a year.

Wristclean ( formally Veraet ) offers a free sample of their cleaner to try it out.

https://www.wristclean.com/products/...spray-sample-1

[puma1552]

What is Wristclean actually made of?

[Boaters]

Originally Posted by padi56

Use what Rolex themselves recommend just plain old soap and water.

Touche'

[Rolex1982]

Originally Posted by joli160

tooth brush, dish soap and warm water, every now and then the bracelet in an ultrasonic

+1