How To Clean Your Airpods Or Airpods Pro
The AirPods and AirPods Pro are some of the best true wireless earbuds;in town, in part due to how well they work with the iPhone theres nothing quite like them.;Beyond being completely wireless, AirPods boast a slew of high-end features, from the integrated Siri voice assistant to the active noise cancellation found on the AirPods Pro. Theyve helped revolutionize the way people listen to music and made it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite music or podcasts on the go.
That said, AirPods often spend almost as much time out of your ears as in them, meaning dirt and other grime has a tendency to build up over time, compromising the aesthetic. After all, nobody wants to be the person with dirty AirPods, especially considering the lofty price tag!
Choose The Best Ear Tip Size
Your ear tips should make a good seal with your ear canal. When the fit is right, you experience;better noise cancellation, and music has a rich bass sound.
Your AirPods Pro;come with three sizes of ear tips. The medium size comes already attached, and small and large sizes are in the;box that your AirPods Pro came in, under the tray, nested inside the charging cable.;To check the size of an ear tip, unroll its edge and look for S, M, or L etched on the inside of the ear tip near its base.
Try inserting the;AirPods with the medium-sized ear tips in your ears so that the;AirPods;are seated comfortably and securely. If you cant get a good seal, try adjusting the;AirPod or switch to a larger ear tip. If the ear tip feels too large in your ear or is uncomfortable, try a smaller ear tip.
You can buy a new set of ear tips from the Apple Online Store, Apple Store, or other authorized retailer.
How To Clean Over
Cleaning over-ear headphones isnt an entirely different beast, but you will want to be more delicate with the various parts. Start by removing the cushions from the earcups. Dampen a cloth with a mixture of water and soap , and gently rub the cushions and headband. Wipe each with a new cloth dampened with fresh water, and then dry them with a soft cloth.;
You can also use a cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol to wipe the exterior of the cushions, allowing them to dry completely before reattaching to the headphones. To get into the small crevices, use a Q-tip to dislodge any debris, and then dampen a new one with isopropyl alcohol to clean the areas. Allow all the parts to dry completely before reattaching.
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How To Clean The Eartips Of Your Airpods Pro
Step 1: If any water has accumulated in the eartip, tap the AirPod on a soft, dry, lint-free cloth with the eartip opening facing downward.
Step 2:;Pull the eartips off of each AirPod and rinse each tip with water. Again, do not use soap or other household cleaners.
Step 3: Wipe each eartip with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Wait for the tips to completely dry before reattaching to each AirPod.
Step 4: Click the eartips back on each AirPod. The eartips are oval-shaped, so be sure to align them correctly before you click them back on.
Before you know it, your AirPods will look good as new. The most important thing to remember is to use as little liquid as possible. Now, go forth with the cleanest AirPods on the block.
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How To Clean Your Apple Airpods Pro: A Couple Notes
You should be aware that this will not remove discoloration if you have it. While its enough to sanitize and get fresh stuff off of the ear tips, it wont be enough to reverse permanent discoloration. Because of this, we recommend you clean your AirPods or other in-ears every 72 hours of listening time. Like any other orifice, ears are gross and filled with gunk thats actually supposed to be thereso this is something that really cant be avoided.
Dont forget to swab down your carrying case with alcohol! Any gunk on your earbuds will be deposited there too.
Fight the urge to Q-tip your ears as well, because your earwax actually serves a purpose! It prevents dirt and bacteria from getting to your eardrum, and removing the earwax removes your protection from that! Getting too aggressive with ear cleaning can also push the earwax deeper into your ear canal, which can:
- Make you more susceptible to ear infections
- Make your AirPods accidentally correct for a differently-shaped ear canal
- Create impacted earwax blobs that are extremely difficult to remove
In general, if you must clean your ears: talk to an Otolaryngologist for the best way to handle it. Theyll likely set you up with an earwax softener and maybe lavage your ear canals for you with a solution of saline and another solvent. However, this is only a last resort. In general, you should be leaving your ears the heck alone.
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How To Clean Airpods Earbuds And Headphones
Headphones and earbuds can get gross. Skin cells, sebum, ear wax, and facial products cling to the parts that touch your body. Increasingly sticky headphones in turn pick up more dirt from the world around you every time you put them down. And despite what the internet says, no, sucking on your AirPods is not a safe way to clean them. Doing so could damage the driver, protective mesh, and electronics . But there are easy ways to properly clean your personal audio devices .
Bonus motivation: When your headphones are clean, they will not only last longer but also sound better . With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to appropriately clean and care for your headphones.
How To Clean Airpods Safely
Airpods Pro is water-resistant , while older generations dont have arent water-resistant or waterproof. Never apply too much force while carrying out any of the following mentioned cleaning processes.
Coming from a wired headphone, I never understood the importance and necessity of regularly cleaning the AirPods. It was only when one of my AirPods volumes was lower than the other, I was curious what was the reason behind it.
That reminded me of issues I faced with my Samsung Galaxy Buds when I first got it, the volume on one of the buds was very low. Even though the issue was not very related, after a bit of research I have prepared one of the best ways to clean my AirPods. This is subjective to me but you will see why this is safer than other methods mentioned online.
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How To Clean Ear Tips On Airpods Pro
To give them noise-cancelling capabilities, AirPods Pro come with small, medium, and large silicone tips. As far as cleaning is concerned, think of ear tips as a removable seal that needs to be wiped down and sanitized, in addition to the rest of the AirPods. Since they’re designed to lock in sound, that also means that they do the same with dirt and grime. Follow these tips and tricks to clean ear tips the right way:
- Pull off the ear tips from each AirPod and rinse with water. Don’t add soap or other household cleaners.
- Wipe ear tips with a dry, lint-free cloth. Let sit until completely dry before reattaching to AirPods.
How To Clean Airpods Pro: A Few Extra Steps
After you’ve completed the basic steps for AirPods cleaning, continue on to clean the other parts of your AirPods Pro:
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What To Avoid When Cleaning Airpods & Their Case
Normally this section would be at the end, but so many people damage their AirPods and AirPods cases each year while attempting to clean them that I felt it was crucial to go over the major no-nos of AirPods cleaning before you start working away at making your accessories;shine like new again.
What to avoid when cleaning your AirPods and their case:
- Don’t use anything metal. Doing this could scratch the plastic and other components, and could actually damage the screens within the earpieces themselves. This goes for cleaning your other Apple devices, including your iPhone;and iPhone case, as well.
- Don’t use anything wet to clean with. As your probably already know, moisture and tech don’t mix, and AirPods are not waterproof. That said, there will be rare occasions when a little bit of moisture will be needed. We’ll go over exactly when and how it’s safe to use moisture to help you clean your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and AirPods case.
- Don’t use any detergents or soaps. These can damage protective coatings and leave your accessories in worse condition.
- Don’t apply too much pressure. Work smarter, not harder. The correct tools and the right methods will make using a lot of elbow grease unnecessary.
- Don’t take things apart.;Unless the component is meant to be removed , it should not be removed.;
- Don’t use abrasive wipes or cloths. Paper towels, washcloths, and other larger-texture absorbent materials can damage the surfaces on your AirPods and their case.
Tips For Using The Tips
Unlike the original AirPods Pro tips, these foam tips require an extra step to use them. Just before you put the AirPods Pro in your ear, squeeze the foam tip to compress it. After you put the earbud in your ear, the foam will expand to fit snugly into your ear.
I have been using these earbud tips on my AirPods Pro since April with much success. They are comfortable and stay in my ears without falling out, for the most part.
The few times they have fallen out of my ears have been the times I just stuck the earbuds in my ears without compressing the foam first.
Pro tip: I have learned not to skip the step of compressing the foam tips before putting them in my ears.
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How To Keep Your New Apple Airpods Pro Clean
Tips for cleaning AirPods Pro earbuds
- Take the microfiber cleaning cloth and slightly damp it with fresh or distilled water and then wipe the earbuds properly. Make sure to dry them properly before keeping it back into the charging case or start using it again.
- To clean the small corners or gaps, use flosser pick to clean small gaps. Also, do keep your hand light and gentle to avoid any damage.
Tips for cleaning AirPods Pro ear tips
- Remove the ear tips and use a microfiber cloth or cotton swab to clean the outside .
- Now, take a cotton earbuds and dip it into the isopropyl alcohol slightly and clean the mesh using that. Isopropyl alcohol has a volatile nature and also have antibacterial property.
- After this, rinse them with fresh water without any soap or other cleaner and dry them before using them again.
Tips for cleaning AirPods Pro charging case
Are Airpods Water Resistant
Well, according to Apple, not all AirPods are water-resistant.
If you are using AirPods Pro, your AirPods are water and sweat resistant but not waterproof.
They were not designed for use in the shower or at the pool.;
After or during activities, there is a tendency of sweat or water coming in contact with it.
Before putting them back in their cases, wipe them dry with a soft dry cloth. Try not to use heat air to make it dry.
For the 1st and 2nd generation of AirPods, they are neither waterproof nor water-resistant. So they should try to avoid liquid from entering any opening.
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Cleaning The Cushions And Headband Of Your Airpods Max
- Mix 1 teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent with 1 glass of water in a clean bowl.
- Remove the cushions from the earmuffs.
- When cleaning the headband, hold your AirPods Max upside down to prevent liquid from flowing into the headband port.
- Soak a lint-free cloth in the soapy water solution and gently wring out the water from the cloth. Then wipe each pillow and headband with the cloth for one minute.
- Wipe the cushions and headband with a separate cloth lightly dampened with clean water.
- Make sure to remove excess moisture by drying the pillows and headband with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
- Lay your AirPods Max flat for at least a day to dry before reattaching the cushions and using them.
Why You Should Clean Your Earbuds Or Headphones
I know what youre thinkinga little earwax never hurt anyone, right? Unfortunately, no. When you let grime build up in your Airpods, you risk ear pain, fungal infections, excess earwax, and more. This is because even though earwax helps protect your ears in general, it can help foster bacterial growth when it gets stuck in your earbuds. Plus, if you use your AirPods or other wireless earbuds when you work out, moisture from your sweat can also potentially cause health issues in addition to general grossness.Keeping your earbuds or headphones clean is important for the actual audio quality they provide, too. Obviously, a buildup of anything is going to muffle the sound. It can also affect the microphone, making phone calls and voice memos more difficult. Sweat can also negatively affect your headphones, as its acidic and can damage the internal tech.
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How To Clean Your Airpods Pro
So its been a few months, and your AirPods Pro look grody. You want to share your music with friends, but one look at the caked-in earwax and discoloration of the ear tips and even your closest companions are recoiling in horror. If you want to avoid this happening, we suggest regular cleaning of your in-ears. Not only is it the hygienic thing to do, but youll also keep your AirPods looking fresh for much longer with routine maintenance.
Its time to roll up your sleeves.
Editors note: this article was updated on June 28, 2021, to include information regarding cleaning foam ear tips.
How To Clean Airpods Max
Image courtesy of Apple
These newest AirPods in Apple’s accessory line demand special care, and are made of some different materials compared to;the AirPods and AirPods Pro. Here’s how to clean your;AirPods Max:
Image courtesy of Apple
Now we’ll move on to how to clean your AirPods Max ear cushions and headband without causing damage to them:
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How To Clean Your Airpods Case
AirPods case is a wireless charging case that helps in charging AirPods. You place the AirPod in the case laying it on a Qi-compatible charging mat.;
Apple has suggested ways for cleaning your AirPod charging case. They include:
- Clean it with a soft, dry cloth. You can also dampen the cloth with isopropyl alcohol. Try to avoid liquid entering into the charging case so it wont affect the charging ports.;
- Remove any debris from the Lightning connector with a clean cloth or brush.
- Dont use abrasive materials to clean the charging case.
- Dont put anything in the charger port to prevent the metal contact from spoiling.
Clean Your Airpods And Airpods Pro
- Dont run AirPods or AirPods Pro under water.
- Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
- If your AirPods or AirPods Pro are exposed to anything that might cause stains or other damagefor example, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, perfumes, solvents, detergent, acids or acidic foods, insect repellent, sunscreen, oil, or hair dye:
- Wipe them clean with a cloth slightly dampened with fresh water and dry with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
- Allow them to completely dry before placing in the charging case.
- Do not attempt to use them until they’re;completely dry.
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How To Clean Airpods: 2 Tricks For Removing Your Icky Earwax Buildup
So long, gross earwax. And good riddance.
With some Fun-Tak and a toothpick, you can safely clean your Apple AirPods.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen the bright, white luster of my;Apple AirPods. When I’m not using them during large swaths of the workday in my suddenly crowded house with a work-from-home wife and two remote-schooled kids, I wear them when working in the yard and walking the dog.;
With all of this use, especially when working up a sweat mowing the lawn, mulching, raking leaves, chopping wood or shoveling snow from the driveway — I have achieved full Dad status — my AirPods have gotten gunked up with dirt, debris, grime and, yes, ear wax.
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With a sullied pair of;AirPods , I went hunting for the best way to clean them. Here’s what I found.
Cleaning Airpods Regularly Is The Key
The longer you have been using the Airpods, the difficult it comes to properly or completely clean them. If you cannot get everything out and cleaned the first time, dont overdo it. Leave it for next time and plan to clean them once a week at least. This will eventually clear even the most stubborn deposits on the case or the Airpods and keep them clean and sounding fantastic.
This is my personal go-to step-by-step guide on how to clean AirPods and AirPods cases regularly. Please let me know how often do you clean your AirPods or if Ive missed any important or useful steps in the AirPods cleanup process in the comments section below.
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How To Clean Airpods Pro Ear Tips Body & Case
Today, Ill show you how to clean AirPods Pro like a professional. Take dirty AirPods Pro and make them look like brand new. Coming up!
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Hi, Im Dr. Derek audiologist, audio engineer, and musician with;ProFitHearing.com;bringing you the best insight in todays latest hearing aids, headphones, and audio technology to improve your life.; If you have concerns about your hearing, always consult with your local physician or audiologist.;
If youre interested in hearing aids, check out my free eBook;HERE.
Dont Use The Airpods While It Is Still Wet
If your AirPods are wet, let them dry completely before using them. If you use them while theyre wet, they may not be able to completely dry while in your ear. Its also best to leave them to air dry before you store them back in their case. Because while the AirPods Pro may be water-resistant, the case is not.
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How To Clean Airpods Airpods Pro & Case And Make Them Last Longer
Many of us neglect to clean our ear canals, which accumulate dirt. After several uses of your AirPods, it begins to change colour. Sometimes, you see a brownish substance, ear wax on the AirPods mesh. It can be disgusting, and with this, many people find it hard to share their AirPods. To avoid the irritating look you would get, this article will enlighten you on how to clean your AirPods.
Cleaning The Airpods Pro Charging Case
Its not just the earbuds that get mucky. The earbud mounting holes inside the case can attract wax from the exterior of the buds, which dust and lint can easily get stuck to. The joints and seams around the lid are also magnets for dirt.
First, open the case and give everything a good brush down with the toothbrush. Take care to avoid any pressure on the charging contacts at the bottom. If this isnt enough to do the job properly, use dry Q-tips to work on any stubborn areas. Mounting putty is also very effective at removing surface dirt and muck thats built up in the seams.
Unlike the earbuds
The charging case doesnt have any water resistance capabilities. Thats why you should avoid getting AirPods charging contacts wet.
The outside of the case can be wiped down with the microfiber cloth, which should be sufficient for the job. You can dampen the cloth with alcohol. But make sure to stay clear of the lightning charge port at the bottom of the case, and dry everything off with a non-damp towel afterward.
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How To Clean Airpod Tips
The newer version of AirPods, the AirPods Pro, come with special ear tips that fit snugly within the opening of the users ear. This helps block out external noise and keeps the headphone securely in the ear during use. Such a tight fit, though, means that youre inevitably going to end up with some ear wax inside of the tips of your AirPods.
The good news is that the tips on AirPods Pro can be removed very easily and safely cleaned with water . Just make sure that there is no moisture left on the surface of the tips before they are reattached.
Preventing Dirt And Grime
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