{"id":14173,"date":"2025-02-20T07:35:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T07:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=14173"},"modified":"2025-02-20T07:35:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T07:35:49","slug":"your-earbuds-are-gross-heres-how-to-clean-them-properly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=14173","title":{"rendered":"Your Earbuds Are Gross. Here\u2019s How to Clean Them Properly"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Have you looked closely at your earbuds<\/a> lately? I did, and I was horrified at how gross they were. My trusty Apple AirPods<\/a> had become so mucky and caked in ear wax I was genuinely embarrassed, and almost reluctant to put something so nasty back in my ears.<\/p>\n

But are my yellowing Airpods actually a risk to my health? I asked physician Jonathan Webster, from Doctify<\/a>, who explained that while earwax is protective and part of the normal cleaning process of the ear, \u201cproblems arise because long-term use of the earbuds prevents the wax from naturally migrating outwards\u2014and so it builds up, trapping moisture, and making it prone to getting infected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earbuds can also push earwax deeper into the ear canal, leading to blockages and discomfort. There\u2019s a reason your ENT surgeon likes the saying \u201cDo not put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.\u201d Webster also explained that \u201cthere has definitely been a rise in problems<\/a> associated with earbud use, including hearing loss, tinnitus, and infections.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing loss<\/a> has little to do with my poor headphone cleanliness, but it is worth remembering that \u201cprolonged exposure to loud noise can damage the very delicate hair cells in the inner ear (cochlear), leading to permanent hearing loss. With the in-ear headphones, there is a concentration of the sound directed into the ear, which may make it more likely to cause a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that the UK\u2019s National Health Service<\/a> advises that headphone users should not listen to music at higher than 60 percent of the maximum volume, and not for more than an hour at a time.<\/p>\n

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