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How to clean Samsung Galaxy Buds

If your earbuds are starting to sound weird, it may be time for a cleaning.
By

Published onMay 4, 2023

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Buds 2, and Buds Live are some of the best earbuds for Android, but they aren’t self-cleaning. After wearing your earbuds for a week straight, you’ll want to sanitize them. Doing so can improve sound quality and help maintain good ear health. In just a few steps, let’s walk through how to clean your Galaxy Buds.

QUICK ANSWER

To clean your Galaxy Buds, you'll want to remove the ear tips, get rid of large dirt and debris, remove earwax from the grills, and sanitize all components, including the case. Before placing the ear tips back on the buds, and returning the buds to the case, make sure everything is completely dry.


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What do you need to clean the Galaxy Buds?

Clean Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro supplies
Lily Katz / Android Authority

Before you dive into swabbing your Samsung Galaxy Buds, gather the following materials:

  • Cotton swabs.
  • A soft cloth.
  • An unused toothbrush.
  • Adhesive putty.
  • 70-90% pure isopropyl alcohol.
  • Liquid dish soap and warm water.

How to clean Samsung Galaxy Buds

Clean Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro hand cotton swab
Lily Katz / Android Authority

Now you’re ready to get started and learn how to clean your Samsung Galaxy Buds:

  1. Remove the ear tips and drop them in warm water mixed with dish soap.
  2. With an unused toothbrush, gently brush any debris off the buds.
  3. Dab the buds with a sticky putty to get smaller debris out of the earbud grills.
  4. Once all the grime is gone, dab a small amount of isopropyl alcohol onto a cotton swab.
  5. Brush the exterior of each earbud. Do not soak the swab with alcohol; we’re sanitizing, not submerging.
  6. Repeat with the other side of the swab to clean the inside of the case.
  7. Remove the ear tips from the soapy mix and rinse them under water.
  8. Let everything dry before reassembling and placing the buds back in the case.

Why should you sanitize your Galaxy Buds?

Believe it or not, swabbing your earbuds can improve how they sound. After a while, debris like earwax and dirt can clog the grills that protect the drivers. This occlusion can affect how your music sounds, making it seem quieter or less clear than expected. If your cleaning session removes a lot of debris from the buds, particularly around the ear tips and grills, they’ll sound new again.

Cleaning the Galaxy Buds can improve the sound quality and help prevent ear infections.

More important than improving sound quality, cleaning your earbuds regularly can help prevent an ear infection. Bacteria love warm, damp places; your ear canals fit that bill to a tee. It’s good practice to sanitize your earbuds at least once a week or more often if you exercise with them. This way, you’re less likely to encounter any kind of ear infection from enjoying your music.


FAQs

Although it’s unlikely, you can damage your Galaxy Buds while cleaning them. The most likely way that this could happen is if you used too much rubbing alcohol on the cotton swab, and that caused liquid damage to the buds. We recommend using conservative amounts of liquid when swabbing the buds and case.

To get ear wax out of the Galaxy Buds, we recommend pressing sticky putty against the earbud grills (aka earbud mesh).