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topicnews · September 24, 2024

I washed my Apple Watch so you don’t have to

I washed my Apple Watch so you don’t have to


What should go in the washing machine? Our author Mary didn't - and neither did the Apple Watch, even if it survived in an emergency.
What should go in the washing machine? Our author Mary didn’t – and neither did the Apple Watch, even if it survived in an emergency.

Do you know those days that start off really badly? You open your inbox at work and know that it is going to be a long, long day. And if your better half also Honey, come here please, you forgot to take your watch out of your pocket before washingcalls, then the day is actually already over.

I own a first generation Apple Watch SE. According to the manufacturer Apple, the cheapest watch from Apple is water resistant up to 50 meters. The official description states:

Apple Watch SE is water resistant to 50 meters (164 feet) according to ISO 22810:2010. This means it is suitable for shallow water activities such as swimming in a pool or the ocean. Apple Watch SE should not be used for scuba diving, water skiing, or other water activities involving high speed or in deeper water. Water resistance is not permanent and may decrease over time.

Means translation: Washing machine is not covered. In addition, the watch is already three and a half years old, so the protection may not be as fresh as it was when it was delivered.

Sleep tracker versus sleep lab – How accurate are Apple Watch and Co.?
Sleep tracker versus sleep lab – How accurate are Apple Watch and Co.?


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Sleep tracker versus sleep lab – How accurate are Apple Watch and Co.?

Lucky for us

Although the watch was happily spinning between T-shirts and trousers in the 40-degree wash for over an hour, I am still holding it intact in my hands to this second. The display is not cracked, nor can I see any water damage or anything else. But it now smells good of detergent and fabric softener.

Area






Fortunately, the watch was not damaged.

Turned on






It still works as usual. Phew.

And the washing machine also seems to be doing well (I didn’t need water damage today). I was also a) very lucky and b) my washing machine and the clock are more robust than I feared. But please don’t try this yourself.

I can’t tell you whether the watch would have survived a full wash program with 1,400 revolutions per minute in the spin cycle. But I didn’t want to test it for the sake of science.

Instead, when I saw my watch happily floating through the drum, I immediately stopped the machine, slowly drained the water through the hose at the front of the machine and waited until the door lock opened by itself.

In modern washing machines, the door is locked even after the program has been aborted and only opens when the water has been drained and the interior is no longer too hot. These are also things that I only learned after I was desperate Washing machine door does not open I googled.

Let my suffering be a lesson to you too and look in your pockets before putting things in the washing machine.

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