So that you can enjoy your Apple headphones for a long time, you should give them a little care on a regular basis. Because these are sensitive electrical parts, you must be careful when doing this. Our little guide to cleaning AirPods will help you with that.
The good news is that it doesn't require any special cleaning products or expensive tools. You probably have everything we recommend for cleaning AirPods in your household anyway. If not, then at least you will not incur any high costs.
Clean AirPods properly - this is how it works
From our point of view, you only need three things to be able to clean your in-ears thoroughly and gently. We only use:
for cleaning- A microfiber cloth: Similar to a glasses cleaning cloth, this should be free of lint, soft and dry.
- A brush: preferably a brush that has never been in contact with paint and is not too wide.
- Cotton swabs: Ideally, these should have a smooth and solid surface.
- Rubbing alcohol: You can use this to disinfect the surfaces.
In the following, we will explain how you can use these tools to clean the AirPods. There are a few differences between the individual components.
Clean the charging case
Let's start with the charging case. You can wipe this from the outside with the microfiber cloth. If you want, you can dampen the cloth with some rubbing alcohol. However, this only applies to the housing from the outside.
Inside the charging case you should only work with a brush. This applies in particular to the sensitive charging contacts. Carefully wipe the inside of the charging case with the brush to remove the dirt.
Clean in-ears
The silicone tips on your headphones are the parts that get dirty the quickest from constant contact with your ears. Earwax can accumulate and should be removed regularly. To do this, you should remove the attachments from the AirPods.
You can then rinse them under running water. If there are stubborn build-ups, a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol or a toothpick can help. It is important that you make sure that the silicone plug is completely dry before you plug it back into your headphones.
What is the best way to clean the AirPods speaker grille?
Not only is this area the hardest to clean, it's also one of the most important areas for enjoying music. To clean the AirPod grid, only a narrow brush comes into question. With this you can wipe very carefully over the speaker and thereby clean the grille.
You have to be extra careful because you don't want to push any dirt through the grille into the interior of the speaker. To disinfect, you can also use a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol and carefully clean the grid with it.
What should be avoided at all costs?
If you want to clean your AirPods properly, always keep in mind that these are sensitive electrical parts. That's why you must never work with too much moisture. This applies to both water and alcohol, which you can use to clean. Also, you should never work with a lot of force. If they don't easily wipe away dirt, then don't use too much pressure.
You should clean your AirPods regularly to avoid dirt that is difficult to remove in the first place. Establish a cycle that should be based on the intensity of use. The more often you use the headphones, the shorter the intervals between cleaning the AirPods should be.
Take your time cleaning and don't do it between door and hinge or on the bus. When you separate the silicone tip and the earphones, make sure you do it in a clean place and that you can put the parts away easily.
Extend the lifespan of your AirPods
In addition to regular and thorough cleaning, there are a few things you should pay attention to in order to extend the useful life of the headphones. There are a few substances that it is better not to come into contact with. This includes, for example, washing-up liquid, which you should never use to clean your AirPods.
Cosmetic products such as creams, lotions and oils can also attack the material. Sunscreen also contributes to the fact that the silicone tips age faster and, above all, become unsightly. So when applying sunscreen, be careful not to smear your inner ear.
What if the headphones can no longer be cleaned?
Unfortunately, it can happen that individual parts of your bundle can no longer be cleaned. Luckily, that doesn't mean you have to buy a new set straight away. You can buy the silicone tips directly from Apple, for example. For all other parts there is us.
You can order a single left AirPod or a right AirPod from us. We also offer a replacement charging case for devices from different generations. So if something goes wrong and you no longer want to use a totally dirty pair of headphones, you can order a replacement from us.
Conclusion - cleaning AirPods properly is not difficult
It really just takes a little discipline to keep the headphones ready to go. Even if you work in peace, it won't take more than 15 minutes to clean your AirPods. You can always take this time in everyday life. Be it as an integral part of your weekly schedule or spontaneously at the weekend when you are at home.
The devices will thank you and regular cleaning of the speaker grilles ensures that you can enjoy the sound in the usual quality. If you treat and care for your devices carefully, you will quickly notice when the performance is poor. This gives you a chance to react before a headset is defective.
And then we have a very simple tip for you. Instead of getting annoyed that the in-ears are dirty again, you can pay attention to where and how you store them in everyday life. The safest place is always the charging case. And if you keep it clean, the headphones themselves won't get dirty either.
