How to Clean Beats Headphones
Damp cloth on the pads, dry brush on the mesh, wooden toothpick in the port. Here is the method by model, and when to replace flaking earpads.
Wipe the earpads with a barely damp cloth, brush the driver mesh dry, and clean the charging port with a wooden toothpick. Nothing wet goes near a driver or a port, and nothing sharp goes through a mesh. Beats earpads in particular are the part that fails, and they are replaceable at USD 20 to 40 rather than a reason to replace the headphones.
What you clean and how often depends on which Beats you own, since the over-ear and earbud ranges have different problems.
What you need
A microfiber cloth, a soft dry brush such as a clean toothbrush, cotton buds, a dry wooden toothpick, warm water with a little dish soap, and isopropyl alcohol at 70 percent.
Avoid running water anywhere near the electronics, compressed air aimed into a mesh or a port, anything metal in a port, and household cleaners containing bleach or ammonia, which damage plastics and cushions.
Studio and Solo over-ear models
The earpads are the priority. They absorb sweat and skin oils and sit against your face for hours.
Wipe them with a cloth barely dampened with warm soapy water, then a clean damp cloth, then dry fully. Never soak them, since the foam inside holds water and grows mold.
Beats pads are protein leather on most models, so avoid alcohol on them. It strips the surface and accelerates the cracking and flaking these pads are already prone to.
Clean the headband the same way, particularly the underside where it contacts your hair.
Brush the driver grille dry, working from the outside so debris falls away.
Wipe the cups and hinges with a barely damp cloth, and clean the folding joints with a dry brush since dust collects there and eventually makes them creak.
When the pads start flaking
Protein leather degrades, and on Beats over-ear models it is the most common visible failure. It starts as a shiny patch, then cracks, then flakes onto your ears.
Once that starts it cannot be reversed, and cleaning harder accelerates it.
Replacement pads cost USD 20 to 40 and clip or twist off on most models. They restore comfort and, more usefully, isolation, since a collapsed or split pad leaks sound in both directions and costs you bass. Our guide on why headphones sound quiet covers how much a worn seal costs.
Expect to replace them every one to two years with daily use, sooner if you exercise in them.
Studio Buds, Fit Pro and Powerbeats Pro
The driver mesh is the priority here, since earwax blocks it gradually and people notice only when one side has become obviously quieter.
- Remove the silicone tips or wingtips.
- Hold the bud mesh downward and brush gently from the outside so debris falls away rather than inward.
- Tap the bud lightly mesh down onto a cloth.
- For stubborn wax, press a small piece of poster tack onto the mesh and lift straight off.
- Wipe the body with a cloth barely dampened with isopropyl alcohol, avoiding the mesh and the contacts.
Wash the tips separately in warm soapy water, rinse, and dry completely before refitting. They collect wax on the inside where you cannot see it.
Never push a pin, needle or cotton bud fiber through the mesh. It drives wax toward the driver and can puncture the mesh, which is unrepairable.
The charging case
The case is where lint compacts, and a bud that will not charge is usually a contact problem rather than a battery fault.
Brush the wells out dry, then clean the metal contacts inside the case and on the buds with a dry cotton bud, or one barely dampened with alcohol and allowed to dry fully before closing the lid.
Clear the charging port with a dry wooden toothpick, rotating rather than jabbing. Nothing metal, since the pins inside bend and short.
Clean the hinge, which collects pocket debris and eventually stops the lid closing fully, which then stops the buds charging at all.
Our guide on charging Beats headphones covers the charging faults this prevents.
After exercise
Beats Fit Pro and Powerbeats Pro are sold for training, and sweat is what eventually kills them.
Wipe them down after every session while the salt is still damp, which takes ten seconds and does more than any deep clean later. Salt is corrosive in a way clean water is not.
Do not put them straight into a sealed bag or case while wet, which is how contacts corrode and foam degrades.
Wash the wingtips and ear hooks regularly, since they hold sweat against the plastic.
Note that ingress ratings on these products cover the body rather than the tips and the charging port, which is where problems actually start.
How often
| Part | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Earbud mesh | Weekly with daily use |
| Silicone tips and wingtips | Weekly, washed and dried fully |
| Charging case and contacts | Monthly |
| Over-ear pads, wiped | Weekly |
| Over-ear pads, replaced | Every 1 to 2 years |
| After exercise | Every session, wiped dry |
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean Beats earpads?
Wipe them with a cloth barely dampened with warm soapy water, then a clean damp cloth, then dry fully. Never soak them, since the foam inside holds water and grows mold. Avoid isopropyl alcohol on protein leather pads, which is what most Beats models use, because it strips the surface and accelerates the flaking they are prone to.
Why are my Beats earpads peeling?
Protein leather degrades with time, heat and skin oils, and it is the most common visible failure on Beats over-ear models. Once flaking starts it cannot be reversed and cleaning harder makes it worse. Replacement pads cost USD 20 to 40 and restore both comfort and isolation, which a split pad loses along with the bass.
How do I clean earwax out of Beats earbuds?
Remove the tips, hold the bud mesh downward and brush gently with a soft dry brush so debris falls away rather than inward, then tap it onto a cloth. For stubborn wax, press poster tack onto the mesh and lift straight off. Never push anything through the mesh and never use liquid near it.
Can I use alcohol wipes on Beats?
On hard plastic surfaces and metal contacts, yes, using 70 percent isopropyl on a cloth or cotton bud rather than applied directly. Keep it away from the driver mesh, the charging port and the protein leather earpads, where it accelerates cracking. Never use anything containing bleach or ammonia.