A nice pair of headphones is almost every person’s necessity these days. Especially millennials and music lovers are fond of nice-looking headphones. It has become a need of time, and anything that is a part of your daily life needs regular cleaning without any question.
There is no need to wonder how to clean headphone pads because this article is meant to lay out all the equipment you need to clean your headphones and the detailed procedure for cleaning them.
Not cleaning your headphones or earbuds frequently can cause harm in many ways. Everyone would like to avoid the side effects that might occur due to utilizing dirty and uncleaned headphones. Before getting into any further details, let’s get started on how to clean headphone pads?
Disadvantages of Not Cleaning Your Headphones Regularly
Before learning how to clean headphone pads, we must go through some possible cons that can happen if we do not clean our headphones. All the dirt mites, ear wax, sweat, and bacteria remain inside the headphones, never cleaned or removed, causing ear infection, irritation, itching, or bad hearing.
Like any other part of your body, it is vital to take good care of your ears too, and when you talk about ear hygiene, cleaning your headphones automatically becomes a part of that topic.
People wouldn’t like to go to a doctor to have their ears checked as it can be costly and painful. The germs and inflammation are real and cannot be ignored or denied.
Another drawback of a filthy set of headphones is that they start smelling bad, and there is a huge chance that they will stop working properly soon enough. If you observe closely, the headphone pads will look like a pile of dirt, and no one would like to use that pair.
Advantages of Cleaning Your Headphones Regularly
We already know the possible disadvantages of a dirty pair of headphones. We must also now pen down the pros of using clean headphones.
It is always vital to look at the brighter side of a situation to get a positive and a better perspective. Some of the best things that can be expected as an outcome of cleaning your headphones are:
1. Incredible Hygiene
Hygiene is what every human being must worry about. Taking care of your hygiene is not only beneficial for yourself. It benefits your surroundings as well.
It definitely puts out a positive perspective, which is much needed in this new era. When you clean your headphones regularly, they will certainly not smell bad or spread infection, which is a huge favour to yourself and other people who might borrow your headphones.
2. Saving Money
This is simple math as long as your headphones look good and work fine, you do not need to buy a new pair unless you are an enthusiast.
Not having to buy to new pair of headphones very soon lets you save a lot of money and energy that you might spend on looking for new ones.
3. Consistent Sound
The only motive for having headphones is so that you can listen to music without any disturbance. What if the people around you do not bother you, but the dirt and ear wax stuck inside your headphones cause you trouble, and the sound starts getting distorted?
If you clean your headphones regularly, you certainly will not have to suffer from bad sound because of the dirt and similar obstacles.
4. New Look
A cleaner set of headphones will give a whole new and better look. If you clean your headphones thoroughly using the following tips, the headphones will start looking like new ones, and you can have a new look.
How Do Headphones Get Dirty?
Many things cause the headphones to become unsporting and dirty. The major cause would be time like anything else, headphones also require regular maintenance. If we do not clean them, they will end up being filthy.
Another major reason is the humidity. Suppose if we use the earphones during workouts and do not bother cleaning them afterwards, all the sweat and humidity will remain stuck inside the headphones, hence bacteria and germs. The earwax also causes the headphones to be dirty.
Many people put their earphones or headphones inside their bags, where many other things have been lying around for ages with many germs.
These germs are also transferred to your ears. Suppose the headphones mistakenly slip your hands and fall at some dirty place. Would you imagine wearing them on again without cleaning?
No. Because of the prominent germs. But what about the invisible germs and bacteria? It would be best if you washed them away too.
How To Clean And Disinfect Your Headphones?
Before getting into further details about how to clean headphones pads, we will first enlist the essentials needed for the process:
- A dry towel or a clean cloth.
- Any liquid, i.e., rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
- Cotton buds.
- Warm water.
- Soap.
- Leather conditioner for leather pads.
- An extra Toothbrush.
- Gloves
Once you have gathered all the essentials, the next step would be to identify what are you going to clean:
- Earphones.
- Headphones.
Cleaning Earphones
- Cleaning earphones is very simple. You need to be alert and not forget to wear gloves.
- The first thing is to detach the ear tips off your earphones if they are detachable. Rinse them with clean and soapy water to remove any dirt or ear wax stuck inside.
- The next step is to clean the speakers. You need to take a clean and soft toothbrush and remove the dirt particles by holding the earbuds so that the speakers are facing downwards.
- This way, the gravity will pull all the dirt and rubbish towards the floor, and the earbuds will be better cleaned.
- The third step is to use any multi-purpose adhesive to drive away any stubborn particles stuck inside the driver unit.
- Now, clean the whole earphone simply with a sanitizer or rubbing alcohol applied on a small cloth. Please do not use too much liquid; it can destroy your earphones.
- The final step is to attach the ear tips back with your earphones, and they are now as clean as new.
Cleaning Headphones
Cleaning headphones can sometimes be tricky because they are delicate, and destroying any part, even by mistake, can destroy the whole device.
Therefore, before we learn how to clean headphone pads, it is necessary to mention as a reminder that being gentle and very keen while cleaning your headphones. Always wear gloves to prevent any harm.
- The first step in cleaning your headphones is to remove the earpads gently. Now, clean the exterior of your headphones with a clean wet cloth. Next, apply a little bit of any liquid such as sanitizer, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on a paper towel or any clean piece of cloth and rub it on the exterior part of the headphones.
- It is best to remove the earpads and wash them to ensure better cleaning. Get a container of clean water and add any soap or detergent to it. Wet a small cloth or towel by dipping it in a bowl of water and using it to clean the earpads. You can also dip the earpads directly into the bowl for a few seconds and then take them out to scrub if there is any grease or wax stuck there.
- Clean the earpads thoroughly with the help of a toothbrush. Dip them again in the water to remove all the remaining dirt. Now that the earpads are clean. Rub them with rubbing alcohol or sanitizer to kill the bacteria.
- Keep them on a clean, dry surface or a dry paper towel for all the humidity to go away.
- After observing that the earpads are completely dry, attach them back gently to the ear mesh.
- Put them back on exactly how you took them off. Your headphones would now look novel and well-cleaned.
How Often Do You Need To Clean Your Headphones?
Alas, there is no exact saying about the maintenance of your headphones. It usually depends on how often you use your headphones. For someone who uses the headphone very consistently, they are suggested to clean them every week.
Another suggestion is to set a rule of cleaning your headphones or earbuds after every 7 uses. This cleaning requires a clean, damp cloth to remove the dirt particles. However, the detailed cleaning can be done every 2-3 months, depending on usage.
You must also clean the headphone pads with a dry cloth every time you wear them to ensure that there is no insect, mud or dirt sticking at the top.
Replace Your Headphone Pads Frequently
The headphone pads need to be replaced after a few months. Approx. after every 6-8 months. This is a better solution than buying a whole new pair of headphones.
The earpads are budget-friendly, easily available at online stores and can be changed very easily within seconds.
Also, a new pair of headphone pads will give your headphones a completely fresh and new look. You can do all of this just by spending a few dollars.
Use Leather Conditioner For Leather Pads
If the headphones you own have earpads made of leather, then it is necessary to buy a leather conditioner to keep them safe and good looking for longer.
If the leather pads are not polished with the conditioner about 2-3 times a year, they start wearing out soon, making it difficult to wear them. The conditioner would not be too expensive because it lasts a long time, as it is used only 2-3 times a year.
Use the leather conditioner on the earpads like we apply the hair conditioner. Take a small amount of conditioner and polish it softly on the surface of your leather pads.
Final Thoughts
The significance of clean headphones, earphones and earpads is clear by now. It is crucial to learn how to clean headphone pads and headphones before getting into the process because they are delicate devices, and with a little mistake, we may damage the device. Never ignore the hygiene of your headphones.
There is a chance that they start smelling bad if not cleaned regularly. Please tell us how often you clean your headphones and share your experience with us also, leave your feedback in the comments below.
Also, Read: Why Do My Headphones Sound Muffled
