While they may seem harmless, AirPods can become coated with ear wax.
AirPods cleaning
Beyond looking grimy, they can lead to excess wax building up in your ears, which could cause constant ringing, dizziness, and even hearing loss, according to studies.
TikTokers, however, have taken to the platform to show simple ways to scrape the gunk off your AirPods.
The search ‘AirPods cleaning’ has garnered 265 million views on TikTok, where many creators have shown DIY ways to clean the tech.
Caroline Soloman, a cleaning expert in New York City, shared a video in 2021 for her 250,000 followers showing how she scrubbed her AirPods with alcohol and a cotton swab.
In the video, which has more than 1.7 million views, she flipped open the case holding her first-generation AirPods to reveal a layer of grime.
She first rubbed a clean cloth along the rim of a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, a pure alcohol solution with a harsh odor that wipes bacteria from a surface.
Ms Soloman then scrubbed the AirPods case with the cloth.
Once the case was clean, she removed the AirPods from the case and dipped a cotton swab in the bottle of isopropyl alcohol.
She rubbed the Q-tip along the inner edges of the case. To clean the inner compartment where the AirPods sit, she grabbed a clean cotton swab and swirled it around each hole.
Does AirPods cause ringing in ears?
Ms Soloman recommended grabbing another Q-tip and dipping it in the alcohol solution to clean the AirPods themselves.
‘Avoid the speakers,’ she cautioned. Not cleaning your AirPods could lead to thick layers of ear wax and other grime coating them. Too much ear wax can lead to it building up in your ears.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, excessive ear wax can become impacted – stuck – in the ear canals. This leads to aching, dizziness, and even hearing loss.
Studies have also linked excess wax to tinnitus, a ringing sensation that affects 15 to 20 percent of Americans.
One 2014 study of 437 patients who visited the doctor for excessive ear wax found nearly half of them suffered ringing in the ears due to the build-up.
When left untreated, tinnitus can lead to sleep problems, trouble concentrating, irritability, headaches, and memory issues.
Does dirty AirPods affect sound?
Additionally, when your AirPods haven’t been cleaned in a while, it can compromise sound quality, making you have to gradually keep turning up the volume.
Listening to loud music for long periods of time has been linked to hearing loss because it damages cells in the inner ear, also known as the cochlea.
When cleaning your AirPods, Apple suggests steering clear of disinfectants with bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
These chemicals are harsh and abrasive, which could damage the headphones.
‘Avoid getting moisture in any openings, and don’t submerge your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or EarPods in any cleaning agents,’ the brand writes on its website.
