AirPods and their charging cases are tiny, and their many built-in nooks and crannies make cleaning them properly very tough and occasionally risky. We'll show you how to clean your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and their accompanying cases without damaging them.
Jump To:
- What to Avoid When Cleaning AirPods & Their Case
- What to Use to Clean Your AirPods & AirPods Case
- How to Clean AirPods & AirPods Pro
- How to Clean AirPods Max
- How to Clean an AirPods Case
- Third-Party AirPod Cleaning Kit
What to Avoid When Cleaning AirPods & Their Case
Normally this section would be at the end, but so many people damage their AirPods and AirPods cases each year while attempting to clean them that I felt it was crucial to go over the major no-nos of AirPods cleaning before you start working away at making your accessories shine like new again.
What to avoid when cleaning your AirPods and their case:
- Don't use anything metal. Doing this could scratch the plastic and other components, and could actually damage the screens within the earpieces themselves. This goes for cleaning your other Apple devices, including your iPhone, iPhone case, and even Apple Siri Remote as well.
- Don't use anything wet to clean with. As your probably already know, moisture and tech don't mix, and AirPods are not waterproof. That said, there will be rare occasions when a little bit of moisture will be needed. We'll go over exactly when and how it's safe to use moisture to help you clean your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and AirPods case.
- Don't use any detergents or soaps. These can damage protective coatings and leave your accessories in worse condition.
- Don't apply too much pressure. Work smarter, not harder. The correct tools and the right methods will make using a lot of elbow grease unnecessary.
- Don't take things apart. Unless the component is meant to be removed (such as silicone covers or other removable bits), it should not be removed.
- Don't use abrasive wipes or cloths. Paper towels, washcloths, and other larger-texture absorbent materials can damage the surfaces on your AirPods and their case.
What to Use to Clean Your AirPods & AirPods Case
Is Siri having trouble understanding you when you're using your AirPods? Are those you're on the phone with having a hard time hearing you? It's time to clean out your AirPods to rid them of dry earwax, dust, lint, and other contaminants. Here's what you'll need to clean your AirPods the safe way:
- Cotton swabs (like Q-tips, sometimes called cotton buds)
- Cotton balls or cotton pads
- A microfiber or otherwise screen-safe cleaning cloth
Optional supplies if your AirPods are really, really dirty:
- Wooden toothpicks (some people recommend flosser picks, but we find these to be more abrasive than toothpicks)
- Screen cleaner liquid (it must be safe for things like touch screens and TV screens). If you don't have any of this, you can use distilled or filtered water very sparingly. We'll teach you how.
- Small, shallow dish for dipping tools into cleaner or water. Only pour a few drops of the liquid into this dish at a time, and plan to blot off excess onto a cloth.
- If you're cleaning AirPods Max, you may need a teaspoon of gentle laundry detergent (non-bleach!).
How to Clean AirPods & AirPods Pro
Image courtesy of Apple
We're going to show you the best way to clean AirPods without damaging them.
- Start by using cotton or a soft cloth to gently clear the exterior surfaces of any excess oil, grime, or dirt. This will help you grip the AirPods while cleaning the more delicate areas, and will help you avoid getting more dirt into the spots you're trying to clean.
- Using a dry cotton swab, clear debris out of the seams on the earbuds where each of the plastic and metal components connects to other components.
- Next, use another cotton swab to gently clear any earwax, dirt, or other bits out of the earpiece where the sound comes out, and do the same for any small openings on the outside of each earbud.
- Be extra careful around the speaker mesh, buttons, and other fragile components.
- If you need to, you can very carefully use a toothpick to scrape dry earwax out of the earbud, but make sure to avoid any contact with the mesh screen, as this is fragile. Don't use too much pressure, just rub very gently without using the point of the toothpick.
If you encounter anything that's especially hard to clean off, you can use a very small amount of distilled water or screen-safe cleaner, but only very little and only on the external pieces of your AirPods. A good way to gauge how much cleaner to use is to test it on your finger; if you dip a cotton swab or cloth into cleaner and then blot it onto your finger and your finger looks wet, it's probably too much cleaner.
Image courtesy of Apple
How to Clean AirPods Pro: A Few Extra Steps
After you've completed the basic steps for AirPods cleaning, continue on to clean the other parts of your AirPods Pro:
- Carefully remove the soft ear tips on the earbuds and run them under warm (but not hot) water.
- While these ear tips are wet is a great time to gently clean all parts of them with a cotton swab.
- It's safe to soak them in room-temperature water for a few minutes to loosen any dry earwax or other grime.
- Use a dry cotton swab to absorb excess water and then allow the ear tips to completely dry before putting them back on.
Pro tip: If your AirPods tips are old, scratched, or too dirty to clean (we don't judge) you can replace them!
How to Clean AirPods Max
Image courtesy of Apple
These AirPods special care, and are made of some different materials compared to the AirPods and AirPods Pro. Here's how to clean your AirPods Max:
- Carefully remove the cushions from the earpieces of your AirPods Max and set them to the side.
- Start by using a cotton ball or cotton pad to gently clear the exterior surfaces of any excess oil, grime, or dirt.
- Using a dry cotton swab, clear debris out of the spots on the headphones where each of the components connects to other components.
- Next, focus on the buttons and the crown on the headphones, taking care to gently clear collected grime out of the grooves and seams.
- Wipe the exterior surfaces again to remove any dislodged particles.
Image courtesy of Apple
Now we'll move on to how to clean your AirPods Max ear cushions and headband without causing damage to them:
- Apple says that a solution of 1 tsp (5 ml) of gentle laundry detergent mixed with 1 cup (250 ml) of water is safe. We recommend warm but not hot water.
- Dip a microfiber or otherwise lint-free cloth into this mixture and squeeze out all excess liquid, leaving the cloth damp but not wet. Use the touch test: if you dab the cloth on your hand and it looks wet, the cloth is probably too wet. If it looks slightly moistened and not truly wet, you've probably got the right amount of moisture.
- Thoroughly wipe the cushions down, inside and out.
- Clean the headband with this same technique, paying special attention to the grooves and textured spots where grime collects.
- If you encounter any especially stuck-on grime, try a damp cotton swab.
- Allow these components to dry completely before reinstalling them.
In general, AirPods Max are larger but easier to clean. Just don't use any bristle brushes or wipes that may crumble, as your AirPods Max include mesh and other soft materials that could be damaged or made dirtier by these tools.
How to Clean an AirPods Case
AirPods cases, including cases for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, can be cleaned using the same methods as those used for AirPods and AirPods Pro. Make sure you avoid running them under water or sticking anything sharp in the holes on these cases!
- Start by using cotton or a soft cloth to gently clear the exterior surfaces of any excess oil, grime, or dirt.
- Using a dry cotton swab, clear debris out of the inner and outer nooks and crannies on the case.
- Use a cotton swab to carefully remove debris from the Lightning port and other holes.
- If something is stuck in your case's Lightning port, you can gently use a toothpick to remove it, but be careful not to poke or scrape any of the components inside.
Third-Party AirPod Cleaning Kit
While we don’t usually recommend third-party cleaning tools for Apple products, the multi-functional Hagibis Cleaning Pen ($9.99) is an AirPod cleaning kit that we tried and loved. Please remember that not following Apple’s strict cleaning guidelines can damage your AirPods and void your AppleCare warranty, so proceed with caution!
Have you ever wondered how to get earwax out of AirPods? This AirPod cleaner has a pointy tool that removes all gunk from every crevice. But it also has a soft tool that can even reach inside the stem compartment of the AirPods case.
Finally, it has a little brush to buff the earbuds and clean out the tiny mesh areas. The Hagibis Cleaning Pen doubles as an iPhone Cleaning kit and can be used on other electronics and small items such as Lego pieces.
Image courtesy of Amazon
While it's not complicated to clean AirPods, it's certainly an endeavor of love. If you treat your accessories with respect, they should last longer and give you enjoyment for years to come! Now that your AirPods are clean, why not keep all your devices just as clean and learn how to clean your iPhone charging port? You can also learn how to update your AirPods firmware (or learn why you don't need to).
