Stop, scroll no further! Take a pause and glance at those earbuds you’ve plugged in. Do they look a tad grungy with a layer of wax and grime? If the answer is yes, you’re in the majority.
Daily use of earbuds or AirPods is common, but unfortunately, so is neglecting their cleanliness. The initial resolution to keep your electronics sparkling clean may fade quickly, leaving your earbuds anything but pristine. Although they might not seem as important to clean (after all, they’re not going in your mouth), skipping this small act of hygiene could lead to some ear issues down the line. Here’s what you should know and how to avoid the unsavory side effects.
The Unseen Impact of Dirty Earbuds
- Welcome to Infection Central Your ears, while lovely, are a constant production house for sticky brown wax and natural oils. Every time you pop in your earbuds, some of this material hitchhikes its way to your devices.
In turn, your earbuds also pick up all sorts of dirt and bacteria when out of your ears, whether on your desk or at the bottom of your bag.
This exchange isn’t something you want to reintroduce to your ears. “Bacteria on earbuds can potentially cause infection of the ear skin canal,” warns Dr. Thomas Mazzoni, an otolaryngologist.
According to Merck Manuals, wearing unclean devices like earplugs or hearing aids is a primary factor that can increase your risk of bacterial or fungal ear infections. If you’re using Q-tips to clean your ears, the risk escalates, as they can scrape the ear canal, creating an easy gateway for bacteria.
- A Route to Potential Hearing Loss Dirty earbuds can also block sound output, encouraging you to ramp up the volume to hear better. Over time, this could contribute to hearing loss, according to Dr. Mazzoni.
Even if the volume doesn’t seem too high, cranking it up “can increase other frequencies potentially to a higher level that may initiate damage to the ear,” he elucidates.
The Lowdown on Cleaning Your Earbuds
In a perfect world, you’d clean your earbuds daily. If that sounds too demanding, aiming for a clean every few days or once a week is still better than not at all.
Cleaning your earbuds need not be an arduous task.
“I would clean earbuds the same way I would instruct hearing aid patients to clean their devices,” suggests Dr. Mazzoni. A bit of rubbing alcohol on a tissue or cloth should do the trick. Avoid overly wet clothes or harsh chemical cleaners as they could damage your earbuds or even harm your ears.
If you find stubborn wax clinging to the speaker, gently scrape or scoop it out. An affordable hearing aid cleaning brush with a wax pick would be ideal, but a dry toothbrush or a toothpick will work as well. Be gentle with the toothpick to avoid damaging the speaker.
The Verdict on Neglecting Your Earbuds
While unclean earbuds won’t be the death of you, they can certainly invite unpleasant ear infections and potentially lead to hearing loss in the long run.
Give your pods a good cleaning at the end of the day or whenever you can. Your ears will undoubtedly appreciate the effort.
