Yum, bacteria. Great in your probiotic yogurt. Not as yummy on your Apple Watch band. You might want to clean that thing, or at least wear it in the shower, depending on your band, and hit it with some soap once and awhile, you filthy animal.
Adriana Diaz for The New York Post:
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) tested plastic, rubber, cloth, leather and metal (gold and silver) wristbands in search of a correlation between the material of the wristband and bacteria build-up.
They found that 95% of wristbands were contaminated with some kind of dangerous bacteria.
Specifically, 85% were found with Staphylococcus spp — which causes staph infections — while 60% had E. coli bacteria and 30% carried potentially deadly Pseudomonas spp.
These bacteria can lead to a wide variety of clinical maladies including pneumonia and blood infections.
About 229 million people wear Apple Watches, according to Business of Apps…
Participants who wore their watches during workouts showed the highest levels of bacteria — Staphylococcal specifically — reinforcing the importance of cleaning the product after any rigorous activity.
While activity levels correlated with bacterial growth, the biggest predictor of bacteria was the texture of the wristband material.
Rubber and plastic wristbands were found to have higher bacterial counts, while metal ones — particularly gold and silver — had little to no bacteria.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s instructions on how to clean and dry your Apple Watch band:
Remove the band from your Apple Watch before cleaning. This cleaning information applies to Apple-branded bands only. For all other bands, follow the care information provided with the band.
For leather bands:
1. Wipe the leather portions of the bands clean with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth. If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth with fresh water.
2. Don’t soak leather bands in water. The leather bands aren’t water resistant.
3. Let the band air dry thoroughly before you attach it to your Apple Watch. Don’t store leather bands in direct sunlight, at high temperatures, or in high humidity.
For Solo Loop, Braided Solo Loop, Sport Band, Sport Loop, Ocean Band, Alpine Loop, and Trail Loop:
1. Wipe the band clean with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth. If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth with fresh water. With these bands, you can also use mild hypoallergenic hand soap for cleaning.
2. Dry the band with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth before you attach it to your Apple Watch.
For all other bands, buckles, and closures:
1. Wipe the band clean with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth. If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth with fresh water.
2. Dry the band with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth before you attach it to your Apple Watch.
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