The Galaxy Buds live most of their life safely set in a closed case. But they're still bound to get grimy with hours in your ears and occasional time in your hands and pockets — not to mention the accidental drops as you take them out of your ears. Thankfully, it's quick and easy to clean your Galaxy Buds, and their case, in a matter of minutes.
Products used in this guide
- Good to have: AmazonBasics Microfiber Cloths for Electronics ($9)
- Next level: Windex Electronics Wipes ($15)
How to clean your Galaxy Buds
How thoroughly you get into cleaning your Galaxy Buds is going to depend on how dirty they look to you. Pull out your Galaxy Buds and look closely; they've probably accumulated a good amount of earwax, if not also dirt and dust. Pull off the earbud tip (sometimes giving it a twist as you pull helps), and also pull off the supporting wingtip portion around the wider part of the earbud. With the three pieces separated, you can get to wiping it all down.
You don't need any particularly specialized equipment to clean the Galaxy Buds. A simple microfiber cleaning cloth will do the trick, but you could get away with a paper towel or some other lint-free towel you may have. Just be sure to stay away from things like tissues that have a tendency to leave behind fibers — you don't want those clogging up the small passages in the headphones and their case.
Grab that lint-free towel and lightly dampen it with water if you're so inclined (the earbuds are sweat resistant, so they'll be fine!). Give the earbud and both silicone attachments a good wipe down. You may need to use the edge of the cloth to get into the tiniest spots. The earbud tip can be squished and deformed in whatever way necessary to get things loosened up — it'll spring right back when you're done.
The earbud tip can be a little finicky to get back on, but just line it up straight and give it a good push to get it in place — sometimes you'll go too far and have to pull it back, but again don't worry about damaging it. The wingtip portion has a small cutout that aligns with a peg on the earbud, so it's impossible to incorrectly align.
Now, turn to the Galaxy Buds case — it may be dirtier than the buds themselves. You should be much more cautious about introducing moisture to the case, so start with a near-dry or completely dry towel instead. Be extremely careful when wiping inside the earbud receptacles, as the pair of pogo pins in each one could easily be damaged. Be as precise and calculated as you can, focusing on the areas you see the most dirt.
If you chose to use any sort of moisture in cleaning the Galaxy Buds, it's a great idea to leave the case open and the earbuds outside of the case for a little while to completely dry. The last thing you want to do is put damp components inside the case and close the lid. After several minutes, everything will be perfectly dry and ready to go for your next listening session.
Our top equipment picks
These materials will make quick work of cleaning Galaxy Buds, but are also great for cleaning all of the electronics you have.
You'll find uses for these little cloths everywhere.
Whether you're cleaning headphones, smartphones, monitors, keyboards or just about anything else, these lint-free microfiber cloths are a great tool for the job. There's no shortage of uses for these things, and they're inexpensive to have around.
A bit more of an active cleaning solution.
For those of us who want something a bit more active than just a cloth, Windex actually makes single-use wipes that are designed to clean electronics without damaging sensitive components. These can be great to deploy when things really get messy but you're aware of how fragile electronics can be.
