Whether you use headphones or earbuds for work, school, or play, they can accumulate a lot of grime and dirt over time. It can affect sound quality and carry bacteria, so it's a good idea to clean them regularly.

You can easily clean them up at home, so long as you have some basic tools and a few minutes to spare. Follow these steps and you'll be well on your way to keeping your headphones looking brand new.

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Wipe Down
Whether you have an earbud model or larger home/studio style headphones, it's a good idea to wipe them down on a regular basis. Not only will it keep your ears healthy, but it's also a great way to improve the sound quality of your headphones.

For earbud models, use a paper clip or cotton swabs to clear out any ear wax that has collected. You can also use a clean toothbrush to brush off large dirt and specks.

Headphone padding that's made with velour/velvet (likely imitation if non-removable) or mesh/synthetic fabric can be dipped into a mixture of warm water and mild detergent. Scrub the pads gently by hand, and then dip them again in a separate bowl filled with distilled water.

Headphone manufacturers usually recommend washing the exterior of the headband, earbud tips, and bare foam padding as well. The earbud tips can be cleaned with baby wipes or soap and water, but if the ear buds are made of silicone or rubber, you'll want to use rubbing alcohol, according to Chen.

Disconnect
Over time, dirt can collect in a headphone port. It may not be noticeable on the surface, but it can affect the way your headphones work and even cause them to get stuck in Headphone Mode.

In many cases, you can easily remove this dirt by using a cotton swab or Q-pointed toothpick to clean the headphone jack. Insert the swab into the headphone jack and twist it several times to loosen dirt from all sides.

If this doesn’t work, some readers have found success with a small vacuum cleaner. Some of them used a small plastic straw attachment, and a blast of air from the device was enough to suck debris out of the headphone jack.

The best method, however, is to use a can of compressed air. Some cans come with a thin nozzle that can concentrate a blast of air into the jack and loosen up all the lint and dust that may be trapped inside.

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Remove Ear Tips
Some earbuds come with removable silicone tips, which make it easy to clean them and keep them in good shape. The best way to clean ear buds is with warm water and soap, which can remove dirt, ear wax, and other gunk that may be trapped inside.

Ear tips can also be cleaned with a lint-free cloth and a gentle cleaning solution like hand sanitizer or alcohol. Don’t overly saturate the cloth or it will smear and leave residue.

You can also use masking or painter’s tape to gently clean the ear tips of dirt and debris. It’s light enough to be able to reach deeper crevices, but strong enough not to tear off the earbud or cause any damage to the mesh of your headphones.

It’s a good idea to regularly wipe down your headphones with a lint-free microfiber cloth and a mild cleaning solution. This will help prevent ear infections and extend the life of your earbuds.

Alcohol
If you need a little extra help to get your headphones clean, you can dip a cotton swab in alcohol and wipe away dirt and grime. The key is to only partially dampen the swab so it doesn't soak up too much moisture and cause problems for your headphones.

For example, you can use it to remove earwax that might be built up on the earphone's mesh screen or inside the speaker grilles. It's also a good disinfectant and is non-reactive with some plastics and silicone.

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To do this, you should start by removing the earbuds' headband padding and ear tips. You can use a paper clip to wedge out any earwax that might be stuck there, but don't damage the headband padding or ear tips.

You can also wipe down the ear pads and their covers with a cloth that's slightly dampened with alcohol, as well as give them some gentle hand cleaning to remove any excess wax or other debris. The alcohol should evaporate quickly so you don't have to worry about any residue left behind afterward.