As an AirPods power user, you rely on these headphones to soundtrack your day with vibrant audio for music, calls, podcasts and more. But did you know the average AirPods owner never deep cleans them? This allows microscopic grime to accumulate, muffling audio quality over time. Don‘t settle for lackluster sound. This comprehensive guide equips you to revive full stereo brilliance through meticulous, electronics-safe cleaning.
By committing to regular maintenance, you‘ll also avoid $100+ repair costs down the road when debris eventually disables speakers or other fragile hardware. Consider this your handbook to extracting years more life out of cherished AirPods.
Why Cleaning AirPods Matters
Daily use exposes AirPods to oils, sweat, earwax, environmental contaminants and more. As this microscopic gunk penetrates mesh screens and crevices, it degrades the listening experience three ways:
1. Muffles high frequency sounds – Dust trapped on the speaker mesh soaks up and distorts treble notes crucial for soundstage breadth.
2. Introduces unwanted friction – Residue deposited inside AirPod openings impedes proper driver excursion, limiting dynamics.
3. Acts as dampening material – Buildup on speaker covers absorbs and dulls crisp audio delivery overall.
While AirPods self-clean internal components through constant movement dislodging some debris, the only way to fully restore factory audio fidelity is thorough, periodic manual cleaning of external surfaces.
Beyond performance issues, poor cleaning also risks expensive AirPods repairs down the road. Here are leading damage causes connected to regular buildup:
| Issue | Repair Cost |
|---|---|
| Earwax clogs charging connectors | $99 |
| Moisture corrosion inside housing | $169 |
| Sweat/oils harden into gum, impairing mechanics | $79 |
As you can see, letting gunk accumulate not only torpedoes sound quality but can lead to expensive fixes down the road. Committing to periodic deep cleaning keeps AirPods sounding like new for years longer.
Step-By-Step Guide to Deep Cleaning Your AirPods
Follow these methods to clean exterior surfaces and openings without harming delicate internals. Using the right technique restores audio quality dramatically:
Step 1: Wipe Down With Alcohol-Soaked Swab
Dip a cotton swab in 70%+ isopropyl alcohol then gently rub across all surfaces to dissolve debris buildup. The alcohol harmlessly evaporates after, unlike water which can short-circuit internals if trapped inside mesh screens.
Repeat swabbing until no more dirt, wax or oils lift – this prevents inadvertently driving contaminants deeper inside.
Pro tip: For waterproofing oils not dissolving in alcohol, use an unscented oil makeup remover applied to a swab instead.
Step 2: Flush Openings With Distilled Water
Wet a soft brush under distilled water (contains no minerals/metals unlike tap) then gently brush gunk away from speaker openings and microphone ports. The ultra fine bristles lift contamination without pressure.
Shake bristles dry before proceeding so lingering moisture doesn‘t infiltrate delicate drivers and circuitry underneath. Air dry 30+ minutes before charging/powering on to guarantee no shorts.
Step 3: Clear Earwax With Suction
Even with meticulous swab cleaning, microscopic earwax particles inevitably migrate deeper into AirPod speakers with regular insertion into waxy ear canals. Here‘s a quirky but effective trick to draw out this stubborn gunk:
First, cut a tissue into a small square then place it completely over the top speaker opening. Next bring the AirPod mesh gently to your lips and suck firmly on the tissue. This draws earwax particles with the suction to stick on the tissue instead of inside the AirPod. Repeat on the other earbud once finished.
While odd-looking, this technique pulls earwax free of fragile driver components which could otherwise fail from wax buildup over time.
Step 4: Final Alcohol Wipe Down
After more vigorous scrubbing, debris and moisture may remain in cracks. Give AirPods one last wipe down with an alcohol-soaked swab or dry soft brush to lift any remaining dust away and prepare for charging.
Schedule: How Often To Clean AirPods
- Light users: Every 10-14 days
- Moderate users: 5-7 days
- Heavy users: Every 72 hours
Set reminders on your phone to clean AirPods as soon as you notice audio quality degrading or ear discomfort, which indicates buildup. Periodic cleaning keeps AirPods sounding factory-fresh for years longer.
Signs It‘s Time To Clean AirPods
Watch for these indicators that cleaning is overdue:
- Music losing crispness, sounding "veiled"
- Decreased volume/sensitivity
- Popping/crackling sounds
- Itchy ear canal/low-grade infections
- Charging issues
Supplies Needed
- 70% isopropyl alcohol
- Distilled water
- Cotton swabs
- Soft brush
- Tissue paper
- Unscented oil makeup remover (for oils not dissolving in alcohol)
Avoid abrasives, cleaners, bleach, peroxide and compressed air during cleaning as these all can damage AirPods.
Conclusion
Like any headphone exposed to oils, earwax and environmental grime daily, AirPods benefit immensely from regular cleaning. Skipping this allows contaminants to penetrate deeper over time, degrading audio fidelity and eventually failing internal components beyond repair.
Fortunately, a little isopropyl alcohol, distilled water and odd tricks like earwax suction through tissue paper refresh external surfaces safely without risk to delicate internals. Staying ahead of cleaning keeps your AirPods sounding crisp for years longer while avoiding expensive contamination damage requiring repairs down the road. Just be sure to use only gentle, electronics-safe cleaning methods for best results.
Here‘s to many more years of audio excellence from your trusted AirPods!
