Everyone appreciates looking good among their peers. Having your outfit represent your personality will increase your confidence levels, and a simple addition to your accessories such as a watch could go a long way into improving how others see you. This is because watches portray you as a time conscious individual who, at the same time, appreciates the dazzle that the watch introduces into your personal style.
While leather watches promise to make you stand out, they will not do so forever unless you take great care of them. Without enough care, leather is bound to undergo wear and tear or even lose color. Although there is still the option to replace the leather watch straps, learning how to take care of them will help you maintain the attractiveness of the watch for longer.
Here are six insightful tips for watch leather strap care:
1. Clean the Straps Regularly
Aside from leather watch straps, watch straps made from materials such as plastic will have no problem when exposed to water. As for the leather ones, you should avoid using a wet cloth or completely soaking the leather in water as this will ruin its appeal. Instead, apply some moisturizing soap onto a piece of cloth before proceeding to wipe and scrub the dirt on both sides of the straps.
For heavier stains, make a mixture of baking soda and water and apply it on every inch of the straps before leaving them to sit for some time, preferably overnight. Wipe off the paste afterwards. Once you are satisfied with the outcome, you can leave the straps to dry.
2. Give the Straps Some Rest
Just like your socks, your watch straps come into contact with your oily and sweaty skin. Such exposure will result in the gradual damage of the straps. Unlike socks, however, you cannot place your watches’ leather straps in the washer and dryer for a quick clean up.
The best option is to avoid wearing the watch 24-7 or to at least let the straps have some rest to breath. You can replace the straps regularly or even change the watch for some time. Ideally, giving the watch some rest from your wrist as your sleep will suffice when looking to prevent wear and tear from sweat.
3. Watch Out For Moist Areas
As mentioned above, moisture and leather should not come into contact as the leather will typically lose color when exposed to excessive moisture. For this reason, avoid taking a bath with the watch or even going for a swim when wearing it. When the weather is looking a little bit humid, moisturize the straps to retain your watch’s appeal.
Where you store the watch will have a significant impact on how long you can use its leather straps. Store your watches in a dry place such as in your sock drawer. Also, watch out for where you place them while doing chores like cooking, washing your car or doing other household work.
4. Nourish Your Leather Straps
At its core, a leather strap is simply animal skin which has been tailored to beautify your watch. It will react similarly to your skin in that it will get dry after failing to condition it. If you further ignore your dry leather straps, they will possibly begin to crack.
The wise move would be to nourish and moisturize your straps with some cream meant for leather. Start by wiping away the dust followed by applying the cream onto the straps in a circular motion until the surface starts to feel smooth and matt. Be sure to use a neutral color polish to avoid throwing off the color of your straps.
5. Handle With Care
Sometimes, you might mishandle your straps unconsciously, but such a habit will come to cost you with time. For instance, you might yank and fold the straps every day as you wear the watch and repeat the same once you remove it. While a single incident of this kind of mishandling will mean no harm, repeating this will lead to the straps developing permanent folds in the areas that you expose to abuse.
Additionally, the dye at the edges will fade away with time. When wearing or removing the watch, show it some love by being gentle enough not to overstretch its straps or even fold them. Once you change the straps, ensure that you store them in a safe area away from moisture or excessive heat.
6. Eliminate Uninviting Odors
It is common for leather straps to develop odors depending on the areas where you typically visit. Luckily, these odors can be dealt with using a simple homemade mixture of water and baking soda, as noted on WikiHow. Apply the paste you make on both sides of the straps and let them sit for a while. Next, wipe away the paste with a damp cloth and leave the straps to air-dry.
In Summary
Feeling good starts with what you wear and how people treat you. With an appealing watch complementing your entire ensemble, you can be ready to brave the day. Consider the above tips to maintain the appeal that your leather-strapped watch offers.
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