How to Clean AirPods Pro: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide That Won't Destroy Them

13 min read

TL;DR

Clean your AirPods Pro by wiping them with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth, using a dry cotton swab for the speaker meshes, and removing the ear tips to wash them separately with water. Never use soap, alcohol (on the speakers), or submerge the charging case — and always let everything dry completely before reassembling.

Why This Matters

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: your AirPods Pro are probably disgusting right now. A 2022 study from the University of Arizona found that earbuds carry more bacteria than a kitchen cutting board. You’re inserting these things into your ear canal multiple times a day, and they accumulate earwax, skin oils, pocket lint, and sweat faster than you’d think.

Beyond hygiene, dirty AirPods Pro sound worse. Earwax buildup on the speaker mesh directly blocks sound output, which means you crank the volume higher, which accelerates hearing damage. The microphone mesh gets clogged too, making your phone calls sound muffled to the other person. And the ear tip sensors — the ones that detect whether the buds are in your ears — stop working reliably when they’re coated in grime.

You should be doing a light clean weekly and a deeper clean monthly. If you work out with them (and honestly, who doesn’t at this point), bump that up to after every gym session for at least a quick wipe.

What You’ll Need

Before you start, gather these:

What you absolutely do NOT need: compressed air, hydrogen peroxide, sharp objects like toothpicks or needles, bleach, hand sanitizer, or any kind of soap.

Step-by-Step: Cleaning the AirPods Pro Earbuds

Step 1: Remove the Silicone Ear Tips

Pull the silicone ear tips straight off the buds with a firm tug. They’re attached magnetically (on newer models) or with a friction fit, so don’t be afraid to use a bit of force — they’re designed to come off.

What can go wrong: If you pull at an angle, you might stretch or tear the silicone. Always pull straight back, not sideways. If the tips feel stuck, gently wiggle them while pulling. On the 2nd generation AirPods Pro, Apple redesigned the attachment mechanism with an XS size option, and these tips snap off more easily than the originals.

Step 2: Wash the Ear Tips Separately

Rinse the silicone ear tips under lukewarm running water. You can gently rub them between your fingers to dislodge any wax buildup inside. Apple specifically says water only — no soap, no detergent.

What can go wrong: Using hot water can warp the silicone slightly, affecting the fit and seal. Stick to lukewarm or cool. Also, make sure water doesn’t pool inside the tip — shake them out and set them open-side-down on a clean cloth to air dry completely. This takes about 30 minutes minimum, but I’d give it a full hour to be safe.

How to fix it: If you accidentally used soap and now the tips feel slippery, rinse them thoroughly under running water for 30 seconds to remove all residue. The slippery feeling usually goes away once they’re fully dry.

Step 3: Clean the Speaker Mesh on Each Earbud

This is the most important step, and also where most people mess up. Look at the oval-shaped speaker opening on each earbud — that fine mesh is what stands between your music and your ear canal, and it’s where earwax loves to accumulate.

Take a dry cotton swab and gently brush across the mesh in one direction. Don’t push hard, and don’t use a circular motion — you’ll just push wax deeper into the mesh. Light, directional strokes.

What can go wrong: Pressing too hard can push debris through the mesh and into the driver behind it, which is essentially irreversible without professional repair. The mesh itself can also tear if you use anything sharp. I’ve seen people online recommend using a needle or safety pin to pick out wax — please don’t do this. You will puncture the mesh, and Apple will charge you $89 per earbud to replace it.

How to fix it: If wax seems embedded in the mesh and won’t come off with a swab, this is where Blu-Tack (poster putty) becomes your best friend. Press a small piece of Blu-Tack gently against the mesh, then pull it away. The sticky putty grabs wax particles that a swab can’t reach. Repeat 3-4 times with a fresh section of putty each time. This trick alone makes this guide worth reading.

Step 4: Clean the Microphone and Vent Meshes

Each AirPods Pro earbud has multiple mesh openings beyond the main speaker: there’s a microphone mesh on the stem and pressure-equalization vents on the body. These are smaller and harder to see, but they matter — especially the mic mesh, which directly affects call quality and ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) performance.

Use the soft-bristled brush (your clean toothbrush) to gently sweep across these openings. Brush in a downward motion so debris falls away from the mesh rather than into it.

What can go wrong: Being too aggressive here can dislodge the mesh entirely on older units. These meshes are incredibly fine — we’re talking about openings smaller than a human hair. Be gentle. If ANC stops working properly after cleaning, it’s often because one of these vent meshes got pushed inward.

Step 5: Wipe Down the Earbud Bodies

Dampen your lint-free cloth with a tiny amount of water — we’re talking barely moist, not wet. Wipe down the entire exterior of each earbud, including the stem (which collects skin oils like crazy) and the proximity sensors.

You can use 70% isopropyl alcohol on the outer surfaces of the earbuds. Apple officially confirmed this is safe for exterior surfaces in a 2020 support document update. But keep alcohol away from any mesh openings — it can damage the acoustic components behind them.

What can go wrong: Using too much liquid. Any moisture that gets inside the earbud through the meshes or Lightning/USB-C connector at the bottom of the stem can cause permanent damage. The AirPods Pro are IPX4 water-resistant (sweat and splash proof), but that rating only applies to intact units — not ones you’re actively cleaning with openings exposed.

How to fix it: If you accidentally got a bud too wet, shake it gently with the mesh facing downward to help water drain out. Place it in a dry, well-ventilated area for at least 24 hours before using. Do NOT put it in rice — that’s a myth, and rice dust can clog the meshes further.

Step 6: Dry Everything Completely

Lay the earbuds on a clean lint-free cloth with the meshes facing down. Let them air dry for at least an hour. Same for the ear tips (which should already be drying from Step 2).

What can go wrong: Reassembling while still damp traps moisture between the ear tip and the speaker mesh, creating a perfect environment for bacteria and potentially muffling sound. Patience pays off here.

Step 7: Reattach the Ear Tips

Once everything is bone dry, align the ear tip with the oval connector on the earbud and press firmly until you hear or feel a click. Give a gentle tug to confirm they’re seated properly.

What can go wrong: If the tips don’t click into place, they’re probably misaligned. The AirPods Pro ear tips aren’t perfectly round — they have a slight oval shape that needs to match up with the connector. Rotate the tip slightly and try again.

Step-by-Step: Cleaning the Charging Case

Step 8: Clean the Exterior of the Case

Wipe the outside of the case with a slightly damp lint-free cloth. For the MagSafe-compatible AirPods Pro (2nd generation), pay attention to the speaker grille at the bottom of the case if yours has Find My capability — that tiny speaker mesh needs the same gentle treatment as the earbud meshes.

70% isopropyl alcohol is safe on the outer surfaces of the case.

Step 9: Clean the Lightning or USB-C Port

Use a dry, soft-bristled brush to gently sweep out the charging port. Pocket lint accumulates here constantly and can prevent proper charging. Brush gently from one side to the other.

What can go wrong: Using a metal tool (like a SIM ejector or paperclip) can damage the charging pins inside the port. Stick to plastic or bristle tools only. Compressed air is tempting here, but Apple explicitly warns against it — the high-pressure air can damage seals inside the case.

How to fix it: If your case isn’t charging after cleaning, inspect the port with a flashlight. If you can see compacted lint deep inside, a wooden toothpick (not metal) can carefully dislodge it. Work slowly and gently.

Step 10: Clean the Interior and Charging Contacts

Open the case lid and look inside. You’ll see the two wells where each earbud sits, with small metal charging contacts at the bottom. These contacts need to be clean for proper charging.

Use a dry cotton swab to gently clean each well, paying special attention to the metal contacts. A light brush with the soft-bristled brush works too.

What can go wrong: Getting moisture inside the case is worse than getting it on the earbuds. The case has no water resistance rating whatsoever. Never use a damp cloth inside the case.

Step 11: Clean the Case Hinge

Flip the lid back and gently brush the hinge area where the lid connects to the body. This is a dust magnet, and a buildup here can make the lid feel stiff or gritty when opening.

Common Mistakes People Make

1. Using alcohol on the speaker meshes. Isopropyl alcohol is great for surface disinfection, but it can dissolve the adhesive that holds the acoustic meshes in place and damage the oleophobic coating on sensors. Use it only on outer plastic/metal surfaces.

2. Cleaning with water running. I’ve seen TikTok videos of people holding AirPods under faucets. Stop. IPX4 means they can handle splashes, not running water. And even that splash resistance degrades over the lifespan of the product as seals age.

3. Using cotton swabs that are too wet. If you can see a droplet forming at the tip of the swab, it’s too wet. Dampen it by touching it to a wet cloth, then rolling it on a dry one — you want barely-there moisture.

4. Cleaning too infrequently then going too hard. If you let wax build up for six months and then try to scrub it all off in one session, you’re more likely to damage something. Regular light cleaning is safer and more effective than occasional deep cleaning.

5. Putting AirPods back in the case while still damp. The charging case is essentially a sealed box. Trapping moisture in there with your earbuds is asking for corrosion on the charging contacts.

6. Ignoring the ear tip fit test after cleaning. After cleaning and reattaching the tips, run the Ear Tip Fit Test in Settings > Bluetooth > (i) next to your AirPods > Ear Tip Fit Test. Cleaning sometimes shifts how the tips sit, and a bad seal ruins both sound quality and noise cancellation.

Pro Tips Most Guides Miss

The Blu-Tack method (mentioned in Step 3) is genuinely the most effective way to clean embedded wax from speaker meshes. It’s gentle enough to not damage the mesh but sticky enough to pull out wax that cotton swabs just push around. I’m honestly surprised Apple doesn’t recommend this themselves.

Store your case in a small pouch or pocket separate from your keys. Metal keys scratch the case finish, and the sharp edges of key rings can actually push debris into the hinge and Lightning/USB-C port.

Hold earbuds mesh-down while cleaning. Gravity is your friend. Let debris fall away from the internals, not into them. This sounds obvious, but watch how most people clean their earbuds — they hold them mesh-up while brushing, essentially sweeping dirt further inside.

Replace your ear tips every 6 months. Silicone degrades over time, and even with regular cleaning, ear tips lose their flexibility and seal quality. Apple sells replacement tips for $7.99, and third-party options from brands like Comply (foam) or SpinFit can actually improve sound quality and comfort over the stock tips.

Use a UV-C sanitizer for bacteria. If you’re concerned about hygiene beyond just wax and dirt, a small UV-C sanitizer case (like the ones sold for phones) will kill 99.9% of bacteria without any liquids or chemicals touching your AirPods. These run about $20-30 and work in 5 minutes.

Clean the AirPods Pro sensors with a dry microfiber corner. The proximity sensors (the dark ovals on the inner face of each earbud) use infrared to detect whether the buds are in your ears. When these get covered in skin oils, the auto-pause feature starts acting flaky — your music pauses randomly, or doesn’t pause when you remove a bud. A quick wipe of these sensors solves this annoyingly common issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rubbing alcohol to clean my AirPods Pro?

You can use 70% isopropyl alcohol on the exterior hard surfaces (the plastic body, the stem, the outside of the case). Do not use it on any mesh surfaces (speaker, microphone, or vent meshes), and don’t use it inside the case. Never use higher concentrations like 90% or 99% isopropyl — they evaporate faster but are harsher on coatings and adhesives. And skip hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and hand sanitizer entirely.

How often should I clean my AirPods Pro?

A quick wipe with a dry cloth after each use is ideal but honestly unrealistic for most people. Aim for a surface wipe once a week and a full deep clean (including ear tip removal and mesh cleaning) once a month. If you exercise with them regularly, do a wipe-down after every workout — sweat is corrosive and accelerates buildup.

Why do my AirPods Pro sound muffled even after cleaning?

If cleaning the speaker mesh doesn’t fix muffled sound, the issue might be deeper. Wax or debris may have gotten past the mesh and onto the driver itself — this typically requires Apple service. Another common cause is a bad ear tip seal. Run the Ear Tip Fit Test, and try a different tip size. A lot of people use tips that are too small because they’re more comfortable, but they sacrifice the acoustic seal that makes AirPods Pro sound good. Also check that you haven’t accidentally turned off ANC — muffled sound is sometimes just Transparency mode when you expected Noise Cancellation.

Can I use a toothpick to clean the speaker mesh?

Wooden toothpicks are okay for the charging port (carefully), but I’d avoid them on the speaker mesh. The mesh is incredibly thin and can tear or dent if you apply any pressure. If a cotton swab and the Blu-Tack method aren’t removing the buildup, the mesh may need professional attention. Apple Store Genius Bar appointments are free for diagnostics, and they have specialized tools for this exact problem.

Are AirPods Pro waterproof enough to rinse under water?

No. AirPods Pro are IPX4 rated, which covers sweat and light splashes — not direct water flow. Only the detachable silicone ear tips should be rinsed under water. The earbuds themselves and the charging case should never be placed under running water or submerged. Also worth knowing: the IPX4 rating is tested on brand-new units. After months of daily use, those seals degrade, making your AirPods even less water-resistant than when you bought them. Apple doesn’t cover water damage under warranty, even on earbuds they rate as “sweat and water resistant.” Yeah, I find that a bit frustrating too.

Taking five minutes to clean your AirPods Pro properly will extend their lifespan, keep them sounding great, and save you from the $89-per-earbud replacement cost that Apple charges when things go sideways. Keep a lint-free cloth near wherever you store your case, and make the weekly wipe a habit. Your ears — and your wallet — will thank you.