We absolutely love our AirPods! It’s so amazing to not have to be tethered to a device. Kids these days will never understand the struggle of being connected to a WalkMan or DiscMan.
(totally aging myself here… yikes!)
That being said, when was the last time that you actually cleaned your AirPod ear buds and their charging case? For most people, it’s never. It’s definitely an easy thing to forget about / overlook, but as humans our ears naturally produce wax and our skin produces oils, both of which can make for a pretty gross ear piece situation.
AirPods are actually surprisingly easy to clean if you have the right tool(s) and know-how.
Q-Tip cotton swabs!
These guys are perfectly gentle for removing any dirt and grime from your AirPods. The dry cotton “bud” helps to grab anything that doesn’t belong (looking at you, earwax! yuck!) and keep the gunk trapped for easy removal.
Swipe a clean tissue across the entire surface of your earpieces to remove any oily residue. With a Q-tip, gently rub all of the little openings to collect any wax buildup. I find this is easiest immediately after wearing the ear buds when any wax remnants may be a bit softer and more prone to cling to the cotton swab.
Also wipe down in the interior of the charging case with a clean Q-tip… be sure to get the inside the lid for each ear piece as well as down into each tube to remove any debris that may have fallen down inside.
I would recommend avoiding the use of anything wet to clean your AirPods (like a disinfecting wipe) as it could cause damage to the electronics.
Sometimes gunk gets into the tiny creases and is harder to remove (especially if it’s been there for a little while and has hardened a bit) — for this I CAREFULLY use the pointy end of a safety pin to dislodge and remove the gunk.
There are “official” cleaning kits available for purchase to help maintain your AirPods, but I personally find that tissues, Q-tips and safety pins do the trick and you probably already have (or should have!) them on hand.
Another thing you can do to protect your AirPod charging case is to get a protective cover. I bought this silicone case and have absolutely loved it for protecting my AirPods. Silicone is naturally shock absorbing so in the event that I accidentally drop the base it minimizes any damage, plus I love the blush color! Surprisingly, it hasn’t gotten gross from being in my bag (if you carry a purse, you know how things can get in there…) so I would give this product a 10/10 and would absolutely buy again! I bought this protective case for my husband because he works in a more professional environment and the leather cover seemed a bit more “adult” and definitely reflects his personal style.
There are a million different AirPod cases on the market, so I recommend finding one that fits your aesthetic and lifestyle! I love when style and function meet to make a product; it’s a beautiful thing. 🙂
We opted into the wireless charging option for our AirPods and love that we can just lay them down on a Qi-certified charging station to boost their power. This is the charging station that we have and have been very happy with (if you have an Apple Watch, here’s a model to accommodate that)! You don’t even need to remove your AirPod case from it’s protective cover to get the charge, which is amazing to me.
I hope this post was helpful for you! Cleaning your AirPods is super easy and is a great way to maintain your hardware to keep them working effectively for a long time.
Sending hugs!
xx, Natalie
Leave a comment...