In-ear earbuds are a godsend for those who prefer to listen to their music without the interference of the outside world. No longer do you have to crank up your music to drown out your surroundings. But over time, and thanks to some natural biological processes, they get dirty, especially if you have headphone models that come with white earbuds. So, to satisfy your cleanliness impulsion and get those earbuds looking brand new and hygienic again, here are a few cleaning instructions using a homemade solution.
What You Need
Before you can get right into cleaning, you first need to gather a few things.
- Homemade cleaning solution (made by mixing together one part water with one part distilled vinegar)
- A glass
- A rag (of course, it has be clean)
- Purified water
What To Do
Once you’ve gotten all your materials ready, take your in-ear earbuds and detach the rubbery earbud inserts from the headphone set. Next, take your empty glass and fill it an inch high with the cleaning solution. Drop your dirty earbud inserts into the glass with the cleaning solution, and then wait patiently till 15 minutes have passed by. 
Take the earbud inserts out of the glass and turn them inside out. Now, drop them back into the cleaning solution and wait for another 15 minutes (if you get tired of just waiting, feel free to do something else to keep you amused). Once the second 15 minutes are up, fetch the earbud inserts out and dump the cleaning solution out. Rinse the glass thoroughly with water, then fill it up with the purified water you’ve put aside for this task. 
For the last time, drop the earbud inserts into the glass, and let them chill there for approximately 10 minutes. When time’s up, take them out of the glass and use the clean rag to soak up the water on the earbuds. When completely dried off, attach your newly cleaned earbuds onto your headphone set, and continue with your music listening ways.
Apartment Therapy | Images: Joelle Alcaidinho
