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Whether or not you have the best headphones, knowing how to clean your earbuds or headphones is essential to extending their lifespan. This is even more important if you have the best wireless earbuds. These little audio devices can be a considerable investment, which means you want to keep them clean and in working order to get the most out of them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Absolutely! Just like learning how to charge your earbuds, cleaning them is crucial. This is because the build-up of grime can cause damage if a proper cleaning schedule isn’t maintained, and cleaning them improves their lifespan. Of course, you can also look into the most durable earbuds to help even more.
Insider Tip
Keeping earbuds clean is crucial to aural hygiene and keeping your ears clean.
Fortunately, the process of cleaning your earbuds is quite simple. So, let’s hop into it!
First, make sure you have everything you need. You’ll need some basic cleaning tools, including dry cotton swabs, isopropyl alcohol, soapy water, and a microfiber cloth.
Next, take your wireless earbuds out of their charging case, or unplug your wired model. Look to see how much grime has built up to decide on your plan of attack. Since your earbuds are in your ear canal, most of the grime will be from ear wax.
First, use the microfiber cloth with a bit of soapy water to clean the outer plastic shell. Use very minimal water, and be sure not to get the speaker meshes wet. This could affect the sound quality of your pair. Then, use a little warm water to clean off all the soap.
You’ll now want to focus on the speaker meshes. This is best done with a drop of isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab. Gently wipe it across the mesh screen. This is how you clean ear wax out of earbuds. You can also use alcohol wipes.
Allow your earbuds to dry completely before using them again. However, they shouldn’t be damp even after cleaning since you used minimal water and alcohol. Just ensure no moisture remains before using them again.
Warning
Not cleaning your earbuds regularly can cause soil buildup and even ear infections.
STAT: During a survey conducted in May 2019, over half of the Chinese respondents stated that they would replace wireless earbuds or headphones in one year. (source)