Ever since iPods, Walkman’s, cell-phones and other technological devices have been invented, headphones have become a big part of our lives. They save us from boredom on the long road trips with the family and keep us busy when we trying not to focus on the pains of leg day.
Most people use their headphones every single day of their lives, however, most of us have never cleaned our headphones either because they were never told how to clean headphones.
We are part of the buy and throw away generation. We spend a lot of money on high-end headphones and tend to get frustrated when the quality of the sound drops after a year or so.
We tend to complain about the quality of the headphones brands and our friends when in actual fact, the problem can be solved with a few simple moves… clean your headphones at least once every second week and you can prolong the quality of the sound as well as preserve the quality of the headphones itself.
Why do you need to clean your headphones?
The quality of the sound is not the only reason we have to clean our headphones on a regular basis. If you have to take our headphones out now and have a look at them, you would be horrified by what you find.
Our habits result in months of clogged up earwax, grease, dust, foreign objects from our handbags, draws, cupboards and other places we store our headphones.
As the headphones collect all the unwanted germs and bacteria, we have a higher risk of getting an ear infection, clogged up ears and doctors bills that we do not want.
You shower daily and put on a new set of clothes, so why shouldn’t you clean your headphones to ensure that you are not exposing yourself to unwanted germs and bacteria?
How to clean your headphones
Firstly, you are going to need to collect a few household items.
- A small cloth
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton buds
- Soap
- Water
- Paper towel
Before you start to clean your headphones, you need to keep in mind that the leather or foam earpads can tear easily. You need to clean them with care and be very gentle.
- Remove the ear pads and wipe down the exterior of the headphones with a small cloth that has been dampened by soap and water. Please keep in mind the damp part! You do not want to soak our headphones.
- Dry the headphones with some paper towels and leave to air dry completely.
- Dampen a small cloth with rubbing alcohol and gently wipe down the exterior of the ear pads.
- Dampen a cotton bud with rubbing alcohol and use the cotton bud to clean the nooks and crevices of the ear pads.
- Then dab some rubbing alcohol over the surface of the foam mesh and gently rub both the left and the right side together. This will help to kill off any bacteria that is living on the headphone ear pads. This step will also help to dislodge any dirt and grime that is hiding away from you.
- Leave the ear pads to air dry completely on some paper towel before reattaching them to the headphones. Please keep in mind not to leave them outside in the sun as the material will get weaker and can tear a lot easier.
The dreaded headphone stink
Have you ever smelled that horrible damp smell your headphones seem to get after a while?
It tends to smell so bad that I have considered throwing mine away just because of the smell! The smell is caused by excess moisture in the air and the locations we tend to keep our headphones in.
There is a simple solution for this – Silica gel packs
Silica gel packs are the answer we have all been waiting for. You can find these gel packs in pill bottles, food packaging, and electronica. These tiny little gel beads help to control the local humidity levels.
They absorb the moisture around the headphones really well. All you need to do is place the gel pads between the ear cups of the headphones before you put them away. This little gel pack should help fix the stinky problem we all seem to have.
Keep your ears clean!
It is all very well you cleaning your headphones once a week to help protect yourself from bacteria but you also need to keep your ears clean. Our bodies produce ear wax to protect our ears from foreign bodies, however, too much wax in your ears can cause dizziness, off-balance problems as well as reduce the amount of sound you hear.
Keeping your ears clean will give you the optimal listening experience.
It will help keep your ears infection-free, your headphones will last longer and the quality of the sound will stay the same as the day you got them. You also need to clean the AUX jack of your headphones as well to ensure that there is a good connection between the headphones and the device you are using.
You can use a cotton bud to do this. Once again, please make sure that you do not place a soaking wet cotton bud in the jack as you are going to break the device. Now you know how to clean your headphones, go and share it with your friends.
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