According to a new university study, the band of your Apple Watch is full of bacteria, which are also dangerous. You must know this.
Apple Watch bacteria
Many people wear an Apple Watch for their health, but there appears to be an edge of irony to it. The straps of the Watch, and especially the variants of nylon, silicone and leather, are full of bacteria. This is shown by research by Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
No less than 95% of the watch straps tested by the FAU contained dangerous bacteria. The most common are staphylococci, which can cause a variety of infections. But also E. coli, originating from faeces, was on 60% of the tapes. And 30% even had pseudomonas, a bacteria that is resistant to most types of antibiotics and can cause pneumonia.
Cause: people are lazy
How can the bands of your Apple Watch be so dirty? That has to do with a simple case of laziness. Because the straps are usually (almost) never cleaned, they unnoticed become a filthy breeding ground for bacteria. This effect is further enhanced in people who use their Apple Watch during exercise.
In other words: clean your Apple Watch straps, and do it often! According to the FAU, it is best to use disinfection spray for this, and a 70% alcohol solution – both for sale at Bol.com. This kills 99.9% of the bacteria on your Apple Watch band, but you have to be careful not to damage the material through excessive use.
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