【Watch A Taste of Experience Online】

We've all been there: You pull out your AirPods case,Watch A Taste of Experience Online flip the top, and realize your earbuds have become very small (very expensive) petri dishes. And though you may not know how they got so dirty, you're sure that things have to change. The Apple AirPods are particularly prone to building up of gunk, mostly because they have so many nooks and crannies for that stuff to hide in. Here are a few ways to battle the build-up.

Clean your AirPods using tools you have at home

Giving your AirPods a glow-up doesn't take much, and you can make it happen using tools you may have lying around your home.

• Toothpick: Use toothpicks to ease gunk out of tight spaces. Just be sure to clean gently, as the mesh panels in your earbuds can pop out or dislodge.

• Q-Tip: Use a Q-Tip to pick up particles along the curves of your AirPods and inside your charging case.

• Soft makeup brush: Use a clean makeup brush to remove detritus from the black mesh on your AirPods.

• Microfiber cloth: Grab any microfiber cloth — those small square pieces of fabric that are often included with sunglass, eyeglass, and phone purchases — and gently rub to remove dust and dirt from your buds.

Check out how to use these household items to clean your AirPods in the video below:

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Invest in tools to clean your tech

Splurging for tools made specifically for cleaning electronics isn't necessary, but having them handy can make it easier to regularly touch up and care for your devices so they don't get so dirty to begin with.

OXO's double-sided cleaning brush is a huge help for small electronics. Use the rubber end to remove debris in and along the thinnest crevices of your device and brush dust away with the soft bristles on the other side.

---

Related Stories

---

• The best Apple deals following Apple's September event
• I used the Apple Vision Pro on a flight to Costa Rica — and it was chaotic
• These are the 7 best headphones of 2024 — get ready to shop them during Black Friday
• Apple AirPods Pro might get a 'hearing aid' feature soon

Opens in a new window Credit: OXO / Amazon OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush $8.99 at Amazon

To clean the exterior of your device, Apple recommends using a wipe with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or 75 percent ethyl alcohol — just be careful around that pesky mesh, which is sensitive to liquid. These small disinfecting pads are the perfect size for disinfecting small handheld devices and can be popped in your purse for a quick, convenient clean.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mashable Composite / Med Pride, Amazon MED PRIDE Alcohol Prep Pads $3.99 at Amazon
$4.47 Save $0.48

Topics AirPods Apple

• Shopping
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Social Good
• Deals
• Science
• Entertainment

• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for December 25
• WhatsApp bug let hackers access computers with an iOS app and a text
• Facebook sends cease
• Jennifer Lopez's daughter Emme sang at the Super Bowl halftime show
• Building a 4K Ultra HD Gaming PC
• Twitter will label deepfakes and other 'manipulated media'
• Iowa caucus results delayed thanks to 'inconsistencies' with voting app
• Twitter launches text descriptions for GIFs
• CES 2025: 7 AI
• Dyson files patent for air

• Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie pause Game of Thrones for wedding
• You can get cakes with actual poppable pimples, and it's horrifyingly realistic
• Dow Jones accidentally published fake news about Google buying Apple
• Eminem just delivered an emotionally charged anti
• Oops, Mark Ruffalo accidentally livestreamed his pocket to thousands of people
• The reviews are in and John Green still rules Y.A. with 'Turtles All the Way Down'
• Street artist turns 'Rick and Morty' into commentary on the Isreali
• Lindsay Lohan steps in to defend Harvey Weinstein on Instagram
• Waymo is launching a campaign to teach people about self
• Clinton and Trump both had access to Facebook data. One jumped at it

• Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors 2024 livestream: Watch NBA online
• Watch this legendary short movie from 1895 colorized and in 4K
• WhatsApp bug let hackers access computers with an iOS app and a text
• Someone tried to mail a box of deadly horrors to Australia, and geez it's creepy
• HDMI 2.2 set to be announced at CES 2025
• 'Hamilton' with the original cast is coming to movie theaters in 2021
• Sext and dabbing are now officially in the dictionary – no, we're serious
• This '90s music video predicted Kendall Jenner's terrible Pepsi ad and it's eerie
• Best earbuds deal; Save $50 on the JBL Tune Flex
• A different giraffe gave birth, in case you need your giraffe birth fix

• A new Pope has been chosen. Here's what his X posts say about him.
• Professor brings her kid to class dressed as Godzilla and everyone loved it
• Disney+ crosses 26 million subscribers in less than three months. Thanks, Baby Yoda.
• Google Maps gets a new icon, transit features, and more for 15th birthday
• Best Amazon deal: The DJI Power 1000 is just $549
• This 'internet treasure hunt' doles out passwords to premium subscriptions
• Nevada will no longer use app from Iowa caucus meltdown (UPDATE)
• Jennifer Lopez's daughter Emme sang at the Super Bowl halftime show
• The Best Skyrim Mods
• 'The Mandalorian' Season 2 will premiere October 2020