You would be forgiven for having missed the news. After all, Apple had all the week and no one convicted anyone for not being able to see past the new M3-chip-enhanced iPad Air, an M4 chip-enhanced MacBook Air, an M4 Max-enhanced Mac studio (with an even better M3 Ultra Opportunity this confusing to anyone else?) plus Some new budget -friendly iPads.
But Airpods owners need to know that although all this took up their seats in your news boxes and discovery feeds, Apple quietly released new and fairly comprehensive instructions for cleaning your AirPods and even approved a third party Belkin Airpod’s cleaning kit (which Apple now sells).
Tim Cook’s Behemoth has decided to lead with instructions for cleaning AirPods 3 and AirPods 4 (both variants), with detailed images that circles that you need to clean.
If you do not buy the recommended Belkin kit (which costs $ 12.95, then about £ 10 or AU is $ 20) Apple’s list of items you need to buy, really also quite specific, including “Micellar Water, which includes PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, such as from Bioderma or Neutrogena; Children’s-Brush;
More than one way to clean an airpod?
Clean Tech is an area close to my heart, read-not at least because Techradar’s senior writer of AI, John-Anthony Disotto used to work on the Apple Genius Bar, and his tale that customer wax was flipped into his beard as he tried to clean their airpods is legend.
I’ve also written a missive about how to cleanse your AirPods (or any wireless earplugs), and I’m glad to report that my methods are very similar to Apple, although Apple’s use of very specific micellar water is new to me-and while Apple does not mention it, I have found to have found a quick blasting from the nozzle in a compressed air that can often remove dust and waax from those who have found has found that a box in the case in a compressed air can be dislodged dust and waax from those who have been smoothed in the room.
And I’m not alone! Techradar’s editor as a whole, Lance Ulanoff has also expanded the virtues of a very quick but controlled explosion of compressed air (cans are available for just a few dollars) on your technique.
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Of course, Apple’s AirPods are made of – you guessed it – Apple, and following the manufacturer’s guidelines is also something I always recommend. And now the company has spiced a step-by-step procedure depending on which models you own, along with a recommended cleaning set. It feels like a no-brainer if you think your airpods are a bit gunky.
Oh, and one last recommendation: Don’t eat dinner until you ask John-Anthony Disotto (or anyone who cleans Apple Tech professionally, for that matter) to tell you about the worst experience he has ever tried to clean the AirPods on the Apple Genius Bar. However, how can you get actually cooked food in AirPods? How…