A lot goes into maintaining the cleanliness of your electronic earbud devices, such as your AirPods. Today, we’ve compiled a comprehensive checklist to help ensure your AirPods remain spotless and perform at their best.
1. Essential Cleaning Supplies
It all starts with gathering the right cleaning supplies. Here’s a list of cleaning supplies you can find at home that are safe and effective for your devices:
- Microfiber Cloths
- Soft-Bristled Brush
- Isopropyl Alcohol (70% concentration)
- Q-tips or Cotton Swabs
- Toothpicks or Fine Picks
- Air Blower
How to use these supplies to clean your AirPods will be discussed in the following sections of this checklist.
2. Handling Earwax and Debris
Start cleaning out the build-up of earwax and debris within your speaker mesh and around the AirPods plastic casing using a soft-bristled brush.
For stubborn or compacted earwax residing in the corners of your speaker meshes you can use a Q-tip lightly moistened with isopropyl alcohol. Be sure not to add excessive pressure when applying around the speaker mesh edges of your AirPods.
If the blunt Q-tips aren’t doing the trick, then you can try toothpicks. Toothpicks with gentle pressure are more precise in getting stubborn earwax and debris out of your AirPod speaker meshes.
Precision Tools for Cleaner AirPods
Looking for a precise tool to get in all the hard-to-reach corners of your earbuds? Consider investing in a specialized earbud cleaning tool like the Hybuds Pen. This tool is designed with a 3-in-1 feature including a metal tip, a high-density brush, and a flocking sponge. It takes seconds to use and clean your AirPods without making it feel like a cleaning chore and can be taken with you anywhere you go due to its compactness.
Stubborn earwax or debris in hard-to-reach areas such as inside your charging cases or edges of your speaker meshes have nowhere to hide with this seamless cleaning tool. Cherish your expensive AirPods and elevate your hygiene today with the Hybuds Pen.
3. Moisture Management
Moisture can come in the form of using excessive cleaning liquid or from excessive sweat.
If exposed to moisture, the best thing to do is to use non-abrasive cleaning fabrics like a microfiber cloth.
To be on the safe side for any remaining moisture residue that your cloth can’t reach, leave your AirPods to air dry for 10-15 minutes.
If you’re going on a run, carry a sweat towel so you can wipe the side of your face down where sweat usually runs. This will prevent sweat from dripping down into your AirPods and creating that foul odor that lingers onto your earbuds.
4. Storage Solutions for Optimal Cleanliness
Your AirPods come with an encapsulated charging case for storage. Earwax, debris, and other impurities can also build up in your charging case if you don’t clean your AirPods when putting them back in. So it’s best to regularly clean the inside of your charging storage case or clean your AirPods before placing them back inside to charge.
Additionally, place your AirPods and charging case in a dry, cool environment away from moisture-prone areas like bathrooms.
5. Seasonal Cleaning Adjustments
Weather and season changes can also bring unique challenges to maintaining your AirPods’ cleanliness so keep this in mind when cleaning your AirPods.
Spring and Summer bring on humidity and increased outdoor activities that can expose your AirPods to more sweat and dust. During these months it is good practice to clean your devices more frequently, especially if you use them during exercise or in a dusty environment.
Fall and Winter cold weather can cause condensation when moving your devices from cold to warm environments. Ensure that your AirPods are dry before charging or storing them. If condensation occurs simply use a dry, soft cloth to wipe it away.
6. Routine Cleaning Procedures
Schedule cleaning periods to clean your AirPods and their charging case. You can create your own based on the frequency of usage or you can follow our simple routine below:
Daily care for your AirPods by wiping them with a microfiber cloth each day to remove dust and oils or do so at the end of your last use.
Weekly deep clean your AirPods by using a soft-bristled brush to clear speaker grilles and ports. Also, cleanse edges and hard-to-reach areas with a Q-tip dipped in a very small amount of isopropyl alcohol.
Monthly Inspect your AirPods for any signs of wear or damage and also check to see if the speaker meshes are clear to maintain optimal sound quality for your earbud device.
7. Sanitizing for Bacteria Removal
Bacteria are too small for the naked eye to see so we should also consider sanitizing our AirPods for health reasons. Here’s how to effectively sanitize your AirPods:
Use Sanitizing wipes that are free of ammonia, strong alcohol (more than 70% alcohol), and bleach.
You can use UV-C light as a method as their specific wavelengths kill bacteria and viruses without contact or chemicals.
