Airpods, or any headphones in general, tend to get a lot of use and can become extremely dirty very quickly. As Airpods are pushed into your ear, the build-up of earwax and bacteria is common – and can shorten the life of your Airpods.
How to clean AirPods
Apple advises you should use a “soft, dry, lint free cloth” to clean the exterior housing and stems of your AirPods.
You must also be careful to “make sure not get any liquid in the openings”.
Most day-to-day dirt or earwax can be removed using a very small amount of cleaner on the outside casing of the AirPods.
However, Apple advises against using soaps and shampoos – anything that can create an excess of moisture.
Just be careful not to overdo it so you don’t break them by getting unwanted liquids in the speaker.
To clean the speaker, Apple advises using a dry cotton swab to clean out any unwanted dirt or built-up earwax.
Apple says you should never use a sharp object to clean the speakers as this can permanently damage your AirPods.
To clean your AirPods charging case, Apple advises using a microfibre cloth to wipe down the exterior of the case.
If this isn’t enough and your case has stubborn marks or stains, you can use 70 percent isopropyl alcohol.
Alternatively, you could use a disinfectant wipe as these do not contain excess moisture and risk damaging your earbuds.
Use a small amount on the cloth and wipe over, being careful not to get any liquid whatsoever in the charging ports as this can break or damage your AirPods.
