How you clean wireless earbuds properly
We wear earbuds or in-ear headphones every day, but what about hygiene? This is the best way to clean your earbuds and make them last longer.
Everything you wear on your body will eventually get dirty – especially if it comes close to earwax. You simply place earbuds in openings with a lot of body material.
A dirty idea, but it can also cause less good sound. All kinds of dirt can cause blockages. In addition, earwax and dirt can cause earbuds to discolor or even become permanently damaged.
What do you need?
You can prevent this with everyday home, garden, and kitchen products. You really don’t have to clean your ears every day, but once every two weeks is not an unnecessary luxury. With a little washing-up liquid in lukewarm water, a microfibre cloth, a soft-headed toothbrush, and possibly some rubbing alcohol. The latter is intended for the hard, loose parts, such as the ear tips and the case (the box) with which you charge the earphones.
Rubbing alcohol can be bought at the drugstore for a few dollars. However, always try to clean everything with soap and water first. In nine out of ten cases, that will clean the most. A paper clip or cotton swab is also handy to have on hand.
Earbuds and In-Ear Headphones
For earplugs with detachable tips, it is useful to remove and clean them separately from the rods. The first step is to remove any earwax that has accumulated in the earbuds. If the yellow dirt is stubborn, you can use a paper clip. But be careful not to scratch the parts. A cotton swab or brush is always preferred.
The housing of your earbuds usually consists of a kind of mesh screen made of fabric, plastic, or metal to protect the so-called drivers. Earwax can also accumulate here.
Use the clean (tooth) brush to gently wipe away anything that is stuck, but be careful not to push the dirt deeper into the gauze. Other in-ear headphones don’t have a mesh screen, just an opening on the front of the barrel that extends into the ear. You can gently use a paper clip to remove visible dirt if a brush fails.
Cleaning the charging case
Cleaning the charging case also deserves regular attention. Most wireless earbuds charge via tiny pins and metal pads that can get clogged with earwax and dust. If this happens, the earbuds can no longer charge properly.
To clean the inside of the box, you can wipe the case with a dry or very slightly damp cloth. A cotton swab with rubbing alcohol is good to clean the pins inside the case. By the way, you can also use this method for the charging ports of your earphones. A brush cleanses the tiny USB-C and Micro-USB ports that can get clogged with lint in your pocket.
