How to Wash and Maintain Your Earphone Pads: Expert Tips

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Make your earpads like new again with these easy cleaning methods
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Pads are a valuable part of your earphones and help make your listening experience more comfortable. Unfortunately, these pads can collect a lot of sweat and dirt, making them smelly and worse for wear. If you wear your earphones often, there are also a few ways you can keep your pads clean regularly.

Things You Should Know

  • For a thorough clean, wash off your earphones with soapy water a few times each year.
  • Make sure your earphone pads are totally dry before replacing them.
  • If your earphone pads are leather, use leather conditioner twice a year to maintain them.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Cleaning with Soapy Water

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    Find the elastic band along the base of your padded earphones and pull it off. Since you’re working with electronics, you don’t want to wash your earphone pads while they’re still attached to the earphones! [1]
    • If you don’t remove your earphone pads, you could end up damaging your equipment.
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    Roll a small lint roller over the surface of your pads as a preliminary way to get rid of anything sticking to your pads. Depending on how dirty your earphones are, you may need to use multiple sheets. [2]
    • You can find lint rollers in most stores that sell pet supplies.
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    Fill a bowl with clean water, then mix in a spoonful of laundry detergent until suds begin to form. Dip a clean paper towel or cloth into the sudsy water and wring out any of the extra suds. [3]
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    Clean off the surface of your pads, focusing on the areas that touch your ears the most. Wash the entire surface of your earphone pads—even if they don’t look dirty, there’s a good chance that they’ve collected a lot of dirt and sweat over the past few months. [4]
    • Don’t scrub your pads—instead, wipe them down lightly.
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    Take a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush and focus on the patches of dirt or grime stuck to your earphone pads. Continue brushing these stubborn spots until the dirt and other gunk loosens up, then wipe it away with your clean, sudsy cloth. [5]
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    Drape a dry paper towel or cloth on a flat, dry surface, then lay your pads face up. Give your pads several hours or days to air-dry completely so they’re no longer damp. [6]
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    Stretch the elastic band over the center of your earphones to put the pads back in place. Double-check that the elastic fits comfortably around the earphones and that the pads aren’t shifting. [7]

    Tip: If you use your headphones every day, you may want to wash them off with soapy water once a week. [8]

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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Performing Regular Maintenance

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    Keep a clean cloth near your headphones so you remember to clean them each time you take them off. Gently wipe off the surface of the pads to pick up any lint, dust, or residual sweat. [9]
    • You want to wash or replace your cleaning cloth every month or so.
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    Keep an eye on your pads to see how they’re holding up. If your earphone pads are peeling, super worn out, or just in bad condition overall, look for a new set of pads online. Before making any purchases, double-check the size of your current pads to make sure the new ones will fit correctly. [10]
    • Some sites sell replacement pads for less than $10.
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    Pour a pea-sized amount of leather conditioner on a soft cloth and buff it into the surface of your leather pads. Place your conditioned headphones in a dry area so they can air-dry completely. [11]
    • Don’t condition your headphone pads more than twice a year, or they could get moldy.
    • You can find leather conditioner online or in some stores.
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      Things You’ll Need

      Cleaning with Soapy Water

      • Lint roller
      • Laundry detergent
      • Water
      • Bowl
      • Soft cloth
      • Toothbrush
      • Towel

      Performing Regular Maintenance

      • Soft cloth
      • Replacement earphone pads
      • Leather conditioner

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.headphonesty.com/2017/03/how-to-clean-your-headphones-like-a-pro/
      2. ↑ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3E9XvTtDxq0&t=1m29s
      3. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/spring-cleaning-wipe-down-your-headphones/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20cnet%2FNnTv%20%28CNET%20River%20RSS%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
      4. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/spring-cleaning-wipe-down-your-headphones/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20cnet%2FNnTv%20%28CNET%20River%20RSS%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
      5. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/spring-cleaning-wipe-down-your-headphones/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20cnet%2FNnTv%20%28CNET%20River%20RSS%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
      6. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/spring-cleaning-wipe-down-your-headphones/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20cnet%2FNnTv%20%28CNET%20River%20RSS%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner
      7. ↑ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3E9XvTtDxq0&t=2m12s
      8. ↑ https://wickedcushions.com/blogs/news/a-comprehensive-guide-on-how-to-clean-headphone-pads
      9. ↑ https://wickedcushions.com/blogs/news/a-comprehensive-guide-on-how-to-clean-headphone-pads
      1. ↑ https://wickedcushions.com/blogs/news/a-comprehensive-guide-on-how-to-clean-headphone-pads
      2. ↑ https://wickedcushions.com/blogs/news/a-comprehensive-guide-on-how-to-clean-headphone-pads
      3. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/spring-cleaning-wipe-down-your-headphones/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20cnet%2FNnTv%20%28CNET%20River%20RSS%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner

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