Earbuds and headphones can get filthy. Skin cells, sebum, ear wax, and facial cosmetics attach to the portions of your body that come into contact with them. Every time you set your headphones down, they collect up more dirt from the environment around. And, contrary to popular belief, blowing on your AirPods is not a safe technique to clean them. This may cause damage to the driver, protective mesh, and electronics (not to mention the fact that it’s just plain gross). However, here we have some simple methods for effectively cleaning your personal audio gadgets.
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How To Clean Earbuds The Right Way
Here are a few tips that you must follow to clean your earbuds the right way. The dust, debris and ear wax accumulated inside the earbuds might cause the earbuds to malfunction and cleaning them regularly is important. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
How often should you clean your Earbuds?
When it comes to cleaning your earbuds or headphones, there is no hard and fast rule. The frequency will vary depending on how often you wear your earbuds, what you’re doing while wearing them, and where you live.
For example, if you use earbuds on a daily basis and put them on your desk, you should clean them down every week or so. If you sweat a lot, your gym earbuds may need to be cleaned after each use.
The finest piece of advice is to keep an eye on your belongings. Clean your earbuds as soon as you discover earwax, dust, sticky fingerprints, oil, or sweat on them. Putting it off will just result in more muck and make your job more difficult.
Before You Begin The Earbuds Cleaning Process
The cleaning procedures are the same whether you use wired or true wireless earbuds. Do not immerse the buds in water or hold them under the faucet. In case your earbuds are IP rated i.e they are sweat and water-resistant you can wipe them with a wet cloth or a wet earbud, but try to avoid water as much as you can as this can damage the internal components. Also, don’t clean your earphones while they’re connected to your phone, laptop, or other devices.
The same approach can be used to clean headphones. Wipe off the bigger surfaces, as well as the interior mesh screen, with a damp cloth.
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Gently Clean the inside of the Earbuds
Wax accumulation might make your earbuds sound muffled. Invest in a low-cost cleaning kit that is intended to remove wax (even your everyday toothbrush, a pair of earbuds and a microfiber cloth will work).
1. To begin, remove the earbuds’ ear tips. Then carefully scoop out any ear wax with the tool’s metal-loop side or using a slightly wet earbud. Make this process as gentle as you can. The goal is to scoop out all the dust and wax inside the earbuds.
2. Next, gently clean anything clinging to the earphones using the tool’s little, soft brush end. Make sure to point the earbud aperture toward the ground to benefit from gravity and to prevent small particles of dislodged wax from dropping into the earbuds.
3. Before reattaching the earphones, wipe the ear tips with a moist towel or earbud and dry completely.
4. Next using the microfiber cloth wipe out the external body of each earbud.
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Clean the charging case and battery connections
It’s critical to clean the case and connectors of True Wireless Earbuds like Apple AirPods that are stored in a charging case on a regular basis.
Most wireless earbuds use microscopic pins and metal pads to charge, which can become clogged with earwax and dust. It’s possible that your earbuds won’t charge properly as a result of this.
Apple recommends wiping both the AirPods case and the earphones using a dry cloth to clean the inside of the case. To clean the pins on the inside of the casing and the earbud connectors, we advise using a cotton swab wet with isopropyl alcohol. If the charging ports on your over-ear headphones don’t seem to be charging regularly, you can try this option as well. Also, a soft brush can be used to clean debris inside the charging case.
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Wipe your Earbuds after the GYM
Even if your earbuds are sweat and water-resistant, don’t leave them wet for long periods of time since water can leak into battery compartments or earbuds, shorting them out or damaging the drivers. Before putting true wireless earbuds into their charging case, make sure they’re completely dry. Allowing moisture into the earcups in case of over-ear headphones or the nozzles of in-ear headphones is not a good idea.
If you need to pull your earbuds out in the middle of a run or can’t wait for them to dry completely before leaving the gym, gently shake them out, turn off the power, and place them in the supplied case or a small zip-close snack baggie. Keep your earbuds in a water-resistant case in your gym shorts pocket or sports bra. Both of these spots accumulate sweat and prevent the earphones from drying completely. Then, when you get home, wipe the earphones with a microfiber cloth and let them dry as directed.
Tips to Keep Your Earbuds Clean Longer
- When you’re not using your earphones, store them in a case. Earbuds collect up lint and detritus every time you put them in your pocket, backpack, or purse.
- Clean your case as well, as dust and debris can interfere with charging. Wipe out the inside of the case with a microfiber cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol after cleaning the earphones. This is especially crucial when it comes to true wireless earbuds.
- Even though your earphones are water-resistant, don’t leave them wet for long periods of time since moisture can get into the internal components. Allow them to air dry away from direct heat if they become quite moist.
- Do not keep your earbuds tucked in your sports bra or in your exercise shorts where they will be exposed to moisture. Instead, store them in a waterproof case or a sealable plastic bag.
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