Headphones have become a staple in our everyday lives. Ever since the Walkman was invented, and with the ever-rising popularity of fitness hashtags, we can’t imagine going about some of our daily routines without our trusty headphones. It gets us in the mood, shuts the outside world out, and leaves us to revel in our favorite tunes and beats. We actually get to have a bit of fun while doing our chores, studying, working out or catching up on some deadlines.
What’s not to love about headphones? We love these products so much we don’t hesitate to shell out some dough to get a quality one. There’s quite a few of them too; from Sennheiser, Audio Technica, and Bose to everyone’s favorite listening device, Beats! So, imagine our disappointment when, after only a few years of being in service, our Beats headphones start to drop in audio quality and the sound no longer comes out as crisp.
The answer to keeping our headphones long-lasting is cleaning. We may be part of a generation that buys and throws things away so easily, but it can’t hurt to try out such a simple solution that saves us money, effort, and, not to mention, the environment.
Why Clean Your Headphones?
If you have your headphones with you, take them out. Start examining the inside part of the earpads and you’ll be in for quite a surprise. Months of listening to our favorite soundtracks have led to grease, dust, and clogged earwax being trapped inside the tiny crevices of our favorite headphones. We’re quick to take a shower and wash our workout clothes right after running or going to the gym, but when did we actually think about cleaning our headphones?
If you’re already feeling sick to your stomach, then you may want to brace yourself for this next part. The worst thing about continuing to use unclean headphones is not just the dirt or the smell, it’s the bacteria, which, quite honestly, is going to give you some sort of ear infection. Yikes!
What to Prepare
We’ve finally gotten to the part that you’ve been waiting for: washing away all that dirt, grime, and, dare we say it, bacteria from your favorite Beats headphones. We know you’re excited to get your headphones looking brand new again, but don’t be too in a rush because this requires a bit of finesse and just a touch of patience. You’re going to need some home tools, too!
So you’re going to need a few things, namely, water, soap, rubbing alcohol, a small cloth, and cotton buds.
How to Clean Beats Headphones
It’s always a start to have some sort of experience in cleaning earphones, but don’t rely too much on that knowledge for cleaning headphones, because it’s going to be a completely different story. Headphones are a lot more delicate with their foam or leather ear pads that can easily tear when you clean them the wrong way. So unless you want to end up with torn or ripped ear pads, proceed carefully.
Remove Ear Pads
Before you go on and do what you need to do, always remember to take the earpads off. You can then proceed to take a small cloth and soak it in warm soapy water. Using that cloth, wipe the exterior part of the headphones carefully and thoroughly. Use some paper towels to wipe the surface dry and then leave the rest to air dry.
Clean the Earpads
The next step is to dampen the small cloth with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer and then use it to wipe the exterior part of the ear pads. Soak a cotton bud in alcohol and, with it, clean the tiny crevices of the pads.
Dab Some Rubbing Alcohol
Dab a little bit of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer over the foam mesh’s surface and then softly rub the left and right side together. Doing this kills off the bacteria that have made their home in the ear pads. It’s also this gentle rubbing action that helps dislodge any stuck-on dirt or grime.
Air Dry the Ear Pads
Make sure the ear pads are left to air dry on a few paper towels before you attach them again.
The Sweat Stink
Our guide on how to clean Beats headphones wouldn’t be complete without a section on removing that sweat stink that gets more putrid the more you ignore it. In short, you can’t really ignore it, you just simply bear with it.
If you’ve decided not to bear with the stench any longer, grab some silica gel packets. The tiny beads in these packets control the humidity level by absorbing the moisture. You should be able to mitigate that awful smell problem when you place these gel beads in your headphone’s ear cups before storing them away.
Another solution is to replace the ear pads. If the first solution no longer applies, then you have no other choice than to get the ear pads replaced. This is a surefire way to solve the problem without causing too much of a hassle on yourself. One thing to keep in mind, though: if the
original earpad replacement is too pricey, you can browse Amazon for some quality third party replacements.
Keeping Your Ears Clean
Aside from making sure your headphones are clean, you should also make sure your ears are clean for the ultimate listening experience. It’s normal for your ear canals to have earwax as it protects your ear from foreign materials. However, when there is too much oil, earwax starts to build up and cause a blockage that can affect your hearing. Clean your ears safely and effectively using Debrox.
Conclusion
It’s no secret that we love our Beats headphones as it allows us to inject a bit of fun into everything we do. However, loving this item also means making sure it’s clean and doesn’t infect our ears with bacteria. This step-by-step guide on how to wash away the dirt, grime, and stuck-on earwax more than does the trick. It also emphasizes the importance of cleaning your ears, which is something everyone, headphones or not, should make a habit of doing regularly.