My Bose headphones are such an important part of my job. They are noise-canceling, so I can work in peace without hearing my husband, who’s catching up on his TV shows.
My headphones let me hear the sound so clearly when I have a Zoom meeting, and I can’t complain about the mic either.
Plus, they are awesome for listening to music when I take breaks to just chill.
But with all this use, I have to embarrassingly admit that my headphones have gotten rather dirty.
So I learned how to safely clean Bose headphones to ensure they still work just as well as they did before. The only change is how clean they are now … and I keep them clean too.
If you are wondering how you can clean your Bose headphones, you are in the right place!
Table of Contents
How to Clean Bose Headphones
For a deep clean, wipe the outside of the headphones with a soft cloth with water and mild soap. For a quick clean, use non-alcohol-based wet wipes to wipe the ear cups, ear cup cushions, and mesh surfaces. Then dry your Bose headphones with a paper towel or soft cloth before air drying them.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Bose Headphones
Here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow to correctly clean your Bose headphones.
Of course, how you clean your Bose headphones depends on the model you have. But, you can use this general guide to jumpstart your cleaning task.
Step 1: Determine the Level of Cleaning Needed
The first step to cleaning your Bose headphones is to determine how dirty they are.
If you regularly clean them, then they’ll only need a quick clean once a week and you can do a detailed clean of all the parts of the headphones once a month — depending on how frequently you use the device.
If you don’t see much dirt and grime buildup, opt for a quick clean.
However, if there is a smell coming from your headphones and/or there is a lot of earwax, dust, and dirt buildup, rather properly and thoroughly clean your Bose headphones for the best results.
Step 2: Gather Your Supplies
For a quick clean, you’ll need:
- Soft cloth or paper towel sheets
- Non-alcohol-based wet wipes
For a detailed clean, gather:
- 2 Soft cloths
- Mild dishwashing soap or detergent
- Water
- Non-alcohol-based wet wipes
Step 3: A Quick Clean
The quick clean should go quickly too, but take your time until you feel comfortable cleaning your Bose headphones and know exactly what to do.
Take a wet wipe and ensure it isn’t too wet. It should only be damp.
I sometimes squeeze out the excess liquid so the wet wipe is not too damp.
With the damp wet wipe, wipe every part of your headphones — the plastic exteriors, the headband cushion, the ear cushion, and cable.
Then wipe your Bose headphones dry with paper towel sheets or a soft cloth.
Step 4: An in-Depth Clean
For an in-depth clean, mix a little of the mild dishwashing soap in water. Dampen your soft cloth with the soapy mix.
Be sure not to soak the cloth or use too much moisture as water will affect and damage the internal components of the Bose headphones.
Gently wipe the headband, the connectors, and any other plastic parts of your headphones with a damp cloth. You can lightly dampen the cloth again if you need to instead of making it too wet.
Then use the dry cloth and wipe the headphone parts you just cleaned.
Use the wet wipes to clean the mesh surface, the ear tip cups, and the ear cushions.
Air-dry the device for a few hours before using it again.
Step 5: Check That Your Headphones Work & Tip to Store Your Headphones
Now that your headphones are clean, whether you did a quick clean or a detailed clean, check that they work.
You can turn on and pair your Bose headphones to your PC or smartphone and play a song. If the sound quality is great, then you’ve done a great job at cleaning your headphones.
If you are planning to store your Bose headphones after you’ve cleaned the device, then add a silica gel packet into each ear tip cup.
The silica draws out any moisture that may collect and ensure that the ear cushions don’t crack.
Reasons to Clean Your Bose Headphones
Not cleaning your Bose headphones can:
- Result in the device losing sound performance as dirt accumulates
- Lead to a nasty ear infection and expensive medication (and discomfort and pain!)
- Shorten the device’s lifespan
Moisture from sweat can also make the earpad cushions crack.
Plus, improperly cleaning your Bose headphones will destroy the device and render it unusable.
Thus, regularly and properly cleaning your Bose headphones is essential for your ears and the device.
Now that you know how to clean your Bose headphones, you perhaps might want to discover how you can pair your Bose headphones to the device you’re using.
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Frequently Asked Questions about How to Clean Bose Headphones
How do I get rid of the smell from my Bose headphones?
To get rid of the bacteria and resulting bad smell from your Bose headphones, dampen a soft cloth with a mixture of mild dishwashing detergent and water and wipe the headphones. Next, use a water-dampened cloth (no soap) and wipe the headphones. Hang them to air dry before using them.
How do you disinfect headphones?
Regularly cleaning your headphones helps ensure that the device stays clean. To clean your headphones, wipe the device with wet wipes that haven’t been treated with alcohol and then wipe it dry with a soft microfiber cloth or paper towel.
Why are my Bose headphones not working?
If you were cleaning them and submerged your Bose headphones in water, then it’s due to water damage. Other causes for non-working Bose headphones are issues with the device’s memory, the device not being paired with your PC or phone, or faulty or incorrect USB charging cable being used.
Conclusion About How to Clean Bose Headphones
Cleaning your Bose headphones is vital to ensure you can hear properly, don’t pick up an ear infection, and the device stays usable for as long as possible.
If you use your headphones when you go to the gym or any other sweat-inducing activities, make sure to do a quick clean so the moisture of your sweat doesn’t damage your headphones.
If you use the headphones for work purposes only, then clean them once a week or when you see ear wax and other dirt building up.
Happy cleaning.
