Under $25 Scores: This $10 kit keeps your earbuds looking and sounding pristine
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Your wireless earbuds get disgusting over time. Experts say that the bacteria levels in your ears increase about 700% when using them. Furthermore, they accumulate germs when in contact with unsanitary items and surfaces. This amount of buildup isn’t just concerning for your aural health — it also affects your buds’ audio quality by blocking sound waves.
Learning how to clean headphones or how to clean AirPods is the simplest solution to preventing any hearing issues. The market isn’t short on cleaning kits that can get your buds looking and sounding as good as they did when you first bought them. Those who are in search of one won’t find a better deal than the Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit.
Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit
This tiny can, filled with 11 essential cleaning tools, is an effective and inexpensive hack that enhances sound by removing unwanted gunk from your earbuds.
$10 at Kikkerland
$10 at Bespokepost
$9 at JCPenney
How I found the Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit
As with several of my current favorite under $25 scores, the Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit fell on my lap via ad listing during a random Amazon search for cheap wireless earbuds. I searched online for lower prices, which I found at Bespoke Post and JCPenney. A sample request was submitted, and now I’m back to enjoying optimal sound from many of the best budget earbuds and best true wireless earbuds.
Why the Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit is a score
The Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit is a serviceable accessory to have in your drawer when your earbuds start looking filthy and sound quality diminishes. A few quick steps will clean up both issues.
Start by spraying the cleaner onto one of the 5 cleaning swabs and scrape off any debris or earwax from the eartips and sound ports. Grab one of the soft bristle brushes to clean out the charging ports in the charging case. Then use the soft brush to sweep away dirt from exposed areas on the case (like the charging port or the lid opening). Lastly, take one of the anti-static cleansing wipes and run them across the entire case. Feel free to reference the company’s video tutorial if step-by-step visuals are required.
My AirPods Pro 2 look much cleaner than they did the past several months. Any sticky grime in and on the case has been completely removed. Cleaning out the tips and sound ports were a breeze. I even used the kit on non-Apple earbuds like the category-leading Sony WF-1000X5. The bundled accessories won’t remove scuffs or scratches, though I hope Kikkerland considers adding a scratch remover or touch-up pen in a future release.
The sound on both sets of buds was clearer and more dynamic. Background elements like adlibs, instruments and special effects had a greater presence on multi-layered recordings. Spatial audio benefited most from the cleaning. Bass and dialogue were more pronounced when watching live performances and movies.
In addition, it felt so much better sliding the AirPods Pro into my ears after removing unwanted crud. The buildup on each tip often forced me to readjust them for a proper fit. Cleaning them fixed that.
The only thing missing from the kit is a soft, lint-free cloth to easily remove dust, grease, lint, moisture and oil. It’s possible that you have one lying around the house already (check your sunglasses, headphones, smartphone or tablet packaging). If not, you can buy a pack of 2 on Amazon for $6.
Hearing the sonic benefits alone was enough to convince me to purchase a second kit, which is ideal considering the warehouse of wireless earbuds in my home. Average consumers will only need one kit. The investment is worthwhile for anyone who values audio quality, comfort and ear care.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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