Stop what you’re doing and go clean your (probably filthy) earbuds

Cleaning your headphones is essential, not just for aesthetic and hygiene reasons. If they’re not cleaned often enough and carefully enough, the little beans we put in our ears might simply stop working properly.

We have collected some photo examples, dividing the degree of dirt into two: “Very dirty” and “Slightly dirty”. Because earbuds are tiny, earwax can often go unnoticed, but it’s there – we assure you. We took a few macro photos, so you don’t have to take our word for it.

We don’t inspect them enough, do we?

As we said just above, the headphones are not the most important piece of technology, nor are they directly visible when in use. Unlike the phone that we look at every time we feel like using it, the headphones are in our ears, so we can’t inspect them while we listen to our favorite tunes. Frankly, people rarely look closely at headphones when listening to them. I also take them out of the case and into the ears. Next time you’re on the subway or at a gas station, do a little experiment and observe if people grab their AirPods Pro cases (for example), remove the earbuds and carefully examine them in detail before use; or do they just take the headphones out and stick them in their ears?

Very dirty

When you use headphones too often and for too long – even if you clean your ears thoroughly – earwax builds up over time. As you can see, the amount of dirt here is very visible, even without a microscope. Earwax does not discriminate and covers everything it can: openings, speaker mesh, charging pins, etc.

When things get to this point, it is mandatory to clean your headphones as soon as possible. Sound quality deteriorates because everything between the speaker and your ear changes and deflects the sound wave; Charging may become impossible if the charging pins are sufficiently greasy and dirty.

Slightly dirty

Earwax, also known by the medical term cerumen, builds up on earphones even if they are not used 24/7. The risk of the charging pins becoming clogged is low, but nonetheless, the openings regularly pile up on earwax over time and regular cleaning sessions are not carried out.

As a side note: notice how the metal pins have changed color: that’s corrosion. The person who owns them said she accidentally dropped them in a glass of water a few years ago. Despite efforts to dry them immediately, the damage is done. Remember: don’t use water on your headphones!

Don’t forget the deal too

If you think that you can only clean your earphones without any problem, you are in for a nasty surprise: the case also needs to be wiped of the earwax that is there every time the grain of music passes from your ear to the auricle . case. If you have extremely thin fingers, you can try wiping the inside of the case with a cloth, but it will probably be easier to do this with a simple cotton swab.

Google will remind you every 120 hours that it’s time to clean your Pixel Buds

Back in August, news broke that Google would soon send a pop-up reminder to Pixel Buds users every 120 hours of use. The reminder will tell you that it’s “time to clean your headphones” and that cleaning “improves audio quality, charging, and access to updates.”

Here’s how Samsung and Apple say you should clean your headphones

When it comes to cleaning Galaxy Buds, Samsung emphasizes one thing in particular: “Do not hold your Galaxy Buds vertically when cleaning them; this will prevent any debris from falling into the heads. Do not use any liquid to clean your Galaxy Buds.

There is a whole set of instructions on the official Samsung website. It goes like this (Samsung warns against using a wire brush as it could damage the speaker):

• Carefully remove the rubber tip from the Galaxy Bud;
• Use a cotton swab or dry brush to clean the speaker tip and mesh covering;
• Use a soft, dry cloth to remove any debris, dirt, or earwax from the mesh portion of the speaker;
• Place the rubber tip back on the bud, covering the latch at the bottom of the buds;
• Use a cotton swab to clean the charging contacts and sensors on the earbuds as well as the charging contacts on the case.

The cleaning process for Galaxy Buds Live is slightly different, as “they have wing tips rather than earbud tips; these wingtips are flatter than the earbud tips,” Samsung explains.Apple has also compiled an interesting guide on how to clean their audio devices. There is also information on Earpods and AirPods Max, but let’s take AirPods and AirPods Pro for example:

• Do not use AirPods or AirPods Pro underwater;
• Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth;
• If your AirPods or AirPods Pro are exposed to anything that could cause stains or other damage, such as soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, perfumes, solvents, detergents, acids, or foods acids, insect repellent, sunscreen, oil or hair dye. : Wipe them with a cloth lightly dampened with fresh water and dry them with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth;
• Let them dry completely before placing them in the charging case;
• Do not attempt to use them until they are completely dry;
• Be sure not to get any liquid into any openings;
• Clean the microphone and speaker mesh with a dry cotton swab;
• Do not use sharp objects or abrasive materials to clean your AirPods or AirPods Pro.