Today we’ll share an essential guide on maintaining pristine hygiene for your AirPods. While we want to keep our earbuds clean to preserve sound quality we also want to prevent health hazards and avoid risks of ear infections and other health issues linked to bacterial buildup.
In this post, we’ll unravel effective strategies for cleaning and caring for your AirPods by highlighting the best practices you should follow and discussing some common mistakes you can avoid. Get the knowledge to ensure your listening experience is as clean as it is clear.
The Dos of AirPod Hygiene
First, we’ll begin by highlighting what you should be doing to maintain healthy hygiene on your audio earbud devices.
Appropriate Cleaning Tools and Solutions
Don’t just use anything you can get your hands on to clean your delicate AirPods. What we highly recommend for wiping the exterior of your earbuds is a microfiber or a non-abrasive soft cloth.
If you’re looking for a water-based solution then look for a gentle cleaning solution. You can make one at home by mixing a small amount of mild soap with distilled water.
For the speaker meshes we recommend a soft bristled brush. You can use interdental brushes or non-used toothbrushes that have a soft bristle.
Regular Cleaning Schedule
One thing people get complacent with is not cleaning often enough. Depending on your lifestyle and activeness in using AirPods it's best to clean your AirPods once or twice a week minimum. If you’re a heavy user and often go for runs or a gym junkie then you’ll want to increase the frequency of cleaning your AirPods during the week.
Disinfecting Your AirPods
Your AirPods can get quite nasty during the cold and flu season by generating bacteria from uncleaned hands especially when commuting in public areas.
Wiping down with a soft cloth damped with 70% isopropyl is the most suitable common solution to fighting bacteria on your AirPods. Isopropyl alcohol is highly volatile so the risk of moisture damage on your AirPods is low.
If you’re not comfortable with using a liquid solution at all then you can try using UV-C light. Some on the market come in a portable case in which you can store your AirPods when you’re not using them for easy and hassle-free disinfecting.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine has highlighted the effectiveness of UV-C light in device sterilization and has shown results to significantly reduce bacterial contamination. Therefore this method can be especially useful for ensuring your AirPods are free from potentially harmful bacteria.
The Don’ts of AirPod Hygiene
Now that we’ve covered the best practices of AirPods hygiene, we’ll move on to what you need to avoid to maintain clean and bacteria-free earbuds.
Avoiding Harmful Substances
Never use harsh chemicals like bleach, ammonia, or hydrogen peroxide on your delicate AirPods. These types of substances are known to corrode the hard plastic and metal components residing inside your audio earpieces which can lead to deterioration.
Some common products at home that can contain these harsh chemical ingredients are household cleaners such as those used for your windows.
Mismanagement of Earwax and Debris
There is a such thing as over-cleaning your AirPods too frequently or with too much force and pressure that can wear out the materials faster, leading to potential damage. Gentle and regular maintenance is the key to sustaining healthy working AirPods.
Stay clear of improper tools that can push the wax buildup deeper into your earpiece. I know cotton swabs have been recommended due to their nonabrasive nature but these items are too blunt and imprecise in removing debris lingering around your AirPods, especially around the speaker meshes.
Sharing Practices
We’ve probably seen or at one point in our lives shared AirPods with a friend. However, we don’t recommend it because we don’t know if others have infected ears or other hygiene-related issues.
Earbuds headphones like AirPods trap bacteria along with any germs already present on the device in the warm and dark environment of your inner ear. This leads to a buildup of earwax that acts as a layer that traps bacteria, preventing them from drying out and allowing them to survive and multiply. When these bacteria become numerous enough then it can lead to an infection. For more details refer to The Healthy’s post on why you should avoid sharing earbuds with anyone.
If you do want to share, then at least disinfect your AirPods thoroughly before and after sharing the device.
Hygiene with The HyBuds Pen 3-in-1 Cleaning Kit
Maintain AirPod hygiene with this seamless retractable tool featuring three specialized components each designed for specific cleaning tasks:
- Optimized Metal Tip: Reaches in all hard-to-reach crevices of your AirPods especially around the speaker meshes for precision cleaning.
- High-Density Soft Brush: Safely cleans flakey debris around all exterior areas of your AirPods.
- Flocking Sponge: This component can be inserted into your charging case to clean dirt and debris lying inside without causing any abrasion that can damage your charging contacts.
The Hybuds Pen is the perfect compact tool for quick, simple, and easy cleaning anytime your AirPods become dirty and will up the level of hygiene you deserve.
