While you may spend a lot of time wearing your earbuds to listen to music, sleeping, or any other activity, there is one thing that most people tend to forget about – how to clean earbuds. The truth is that you pay so much attention when you are buying earbuds to see the material they are made with, the shape, how they fit your ears, among others, but you lack the time to find out about the best way to clean them.
The reality is that it’s crucial that you know how to clean earbuds. After all, they are in direct contact with your ear canal and when they are not cleaned, you may end up with ear infections and worse.
So, how can you make sure that your earbuds are cleaned? What’s the best way to clean them?
Here are two methods that you can use in order to maintain your earbuds always cleaned:
Method #1: Using a Toothbrush
The first thing you need to do is to unplug the earbuds from your listening device. Then, just grab a dry and cleaned toothbrush to quickly remove any superficial and light dried-on residue and light debris.
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Usually, the toothbrushes with nylon bristles tend to work better because they won’t easily ruin your earbuds. Make sure that the bristles are also narrow and long enough to penetrate into the mesh that covers the ear openings.
One of the things that you need to be aware is that you just need to scrub gently, not hard. Try to use circular and light motions.
In case you notice that the bristles are very hard, you can always wash or boil the toothbrush to make the soft.
The trick when using a toothbrush is to do it carefully and gently. If you don’t, you may end up with all the dirt and debris buried inside and it will be a lot harder to clean them.
This method should be used for earbuds that haven’t had a lot of use yet or even if you’re thinking about getting a deeper clean-up.
Method #2: Using Soap and Water
When you already noticed that your earbuds need a deeper cleaning or if you tried to use the toothbrush but you still see some dirt accumulated, then you can also use this method.
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The first thing you need to do is to mix water with soap. Just fill a basin with fresh water and add a few drops of hand soap or mild liquid detergent. Make sure that you don’t overuse the soap. Just a few drops will do.
Then, you will need to wet a washcloth with this soapy water you just made. Make sure that you wring of the washcloth as much as you can. This way, you will be preventing damaging your earbuds with too much water.
Now, it’s time to wipe down the earbuds. You should start on the outside making sure that you cover all the contours on both sides of the ear openings.
One thing that you need to be careful about is with the ear openings themselves. You should try to avoid them as much as possible. After all, just a little water here can damage your earbuds for good. Besides, another thing that you can consider doing is to cover the cords and the input jack with a towel. This way, you’ll also be preventing the water to go to them and damage the earbuds.
After wiping your earbuds lightly, you need to dry them thoroughly. Use a cleaned towel to absorb all the moisture that may be still inside. Then, to make sure they dry out completely, you should place them in an airy and well-ventilated space and leave them to dry at least for one hour.
Make sure to check out the dos and don’ts of earplugs use.
