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Even thebest earbudscollect an alarming buildup of earwax, oils, and skin cells over time.
Beyond the obvious gross factor, dirty earbuds can cause a range of problems.
The accumulated grime muffles sound quality, while bacteria buildup increases the risk of ear infections.
Fortunately, cleaning earbuds properly doesn’t require special equipment or technical skill.
Here’s a how to transform those grimy earbuds back to like-new condition.
What you’ll need
1.
Start with the outer surfaces
Begin bygently wiping down all external surfaces with a microfiber cloth.
This removes the easy surface oils and fingerprints.
These oils can gradually break down materials, so its an important step that shouldnt be skipped.
Battle the wax buildup
The speaker mesh is often the dirtiest part of any earbud.
A cotton swap can be surprisingly effective gently brushing in circular motions helps dislodge built-up wax.
For tougher residue,lightly breathing on the meshadds just enough moisture to loosen debris without risking water damage.
A proper clean can noticeably improve sound quality, restoring clarity, boosting volume, and enhancing bass.
Almost like a free upgrade!
These are designed to be water-resistant, sosoak them in warm, soapy water for about 15 minutes.
After soaking,rinse thoroughlyandpat dry with a paper towelbefore letting themair drycompletely overnight.
After doing this they’ll return to their original color, and that slightly sticky feeling will disappear.
Don’t forget the charging case
This is the step many people skipbut its just as important.
Cleaning earbuds is pointless if they go straight into a dirty case.
For tighter spaces and charging ports,the edge of a folded microfiber cloth works well.
Just be careful around any electrical components.
And there we have it.
