How to clean Apple AirPods?

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AirPods are convenient and offer excellent sound quality, but they tend to get dirty quickly. Whether its debris from your backpack or earwax build-up, it’s difficult to prevent your ear buds from getting dirty. However, there are a few ways you can keep your AirPods clean.

Keep reading to learn the best way to clean your AirPods. We’ll also answer a few common questions about keeping AirPods clean.

How often should I clean my AirPods?

Whether you have the AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or basic AirPods, you’ll have to clean them at some point. Since the ear is a moist environment, bacteria can quickly build up on your AirPods. If you use your AirPods while exercising, sweat can create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to multiply. That said, it’s recommended to clean your AirPods as often as possible.

For example, if you tend to sweat while using your AirPods, it’s ideal to wipe them down after every use. According to Healthline, not cleaning your AirPods regularly can result in excess earwax, ear pain, tinnitus, as well as fungal or yeast infections in the ear.

How to Clean Your AirPods’ Exterior

There are a few ways to clean the exterior of your AirPods. The easiest method is to use alcohol wipes to wipe them down. However, it’s important to only wipe down the exterior plastic and not the mesh speaker component. Click here to know which wipes are safe to use on Apple AirPods.

Another way to clean your Apple AirPods is to wipe them down with a damp cloth or a cotton swab with some disinfectant applied, such as rubbing alcohol. A cotton swab will make it easier to clean inside grooves or to remove earwax accumulation on the earbud. Any removable silicone pieces can be hand washed with soap and water.

After cleaning your AirPods and any removable pieces, it’s important to let them dry completely before putting them in their case or using them again. Once again, moist environments are breeding grounds for bacteria

Never clean your AirPods with products that contain bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Most importantly, never submerge your AirPods in water or any liquid cleaning solution. Liquid can damage your AirPods.

How to remove earwax from AirPods?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably disturbed by the amount of earwax that has accumulated in the mesh of your AirPods’ speakers or microphone. While alcohol wipes can be used to clean the exterior of the AirPods, it’s not recommended for cleaning the mesh. Instead, we recommend carefully removing the wax from the mesh regularly using a wooden toothpick.

If your AirPods have dirt or debris accumulation as well, we recommend using some adhesive mounting putty to remove it. Simply press your mounting putty against the mesh speaker a couple of times and any earwax or debris will stick to it. The process can actually be quite satisfying.

Otherwise, you can also opt for a cleaning kit that you can usually buy for less than $15. These cleaning kits come with all the tools needed to remove ear wax and debris from your AirPods.

Can I clean AirPods with disinfectant wipes?

Disinfectant wipes can safely be used to clean the exterior casing of your AirPods. According to Apple, it’s safe to use 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes, 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipes, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to clean the exterior of your AirPods.

Just make sure that the wipe you use is not too wet. These wipes should never be used to clean the speaker or microphone mesh of the AirPods.

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