How to Clean Earplugs the Right Way

Want to know the best way to clean your earplugs? Keeping your earplugs clean is an essential part of caring for them.

We are happy to explain how to clean earplugs the right way.

How to clean earplugs

Earplugs are designed to protect your hearing as effectively as possible. In doing so, they make a real contribution to your health. After all, what happens if you do not wear earplugs while listening to loud music at a concert or festival, or while working in a noisy environment? You can end up dealing with all sorts of health problems, including hearing loss, tinnitus and even persistent headaches.

To make sure your hearing stays optimally protected without exposing you to dirt or unpleasant infections, it is a good idea to clean your earplugs regularly. Cleaning your earplugs is also a smart way to keep their protective performance at its best.

It may not sound very pleasant, but even the cleanest ears produce earwax every single day. This earwax ends up in your earplugs as well. What happens if you never clean your earplugs? The filters become clogged, and the earplugs can no longer protect your ears properly.

Cleaning your earplugs

Cleaning custom earplugs is an excellent idea, because that is the only way to keep protectors that are perfectly tailored to your ears working as they should. There are several ways to clean your earplugs quickly and easily. You can also buy special cleaning products for earplugs that make the job even simpler.

Some of these products also thoroughly disinfect your custom hearing protection. Of course, the choice is entirely up to you when it comes to cleaning your earplugs. Looking for the cheapest option? Then you can simply use lukewarm to warm tap water. The most important thing is that your hearing protection gets cleaned regularly!

Storing your hearing protection

Earplugs can only do their job, of course, when you actually put them in your ears. That is why it is smart to make sure you take them with you wherever you go. Whether you are heading to work, to a party or away for the weekend, just make sure your earplugs travel along with you.

Even so, it is good to realise that not every spot makes a good storage place for your custom earplugs. As mentioned, they perform best when there is no dirt in the filters or the rest of the plugs. So never toss your earplugs loose into your trouser pocket, coat pocket or bag. Many manufacturers supply earplugs with a handy storage case. Did you receive such a practical case with your purchase? Then always keep your earplugs in it. Otherwise, take a look here at both a soft case and a hard case from Audinc for storing your earplugs.

For the most convenient use, it is best to clean your silicone earplugs, let them dry and then put them back in the storage case. Incidentally, many people use their earplugs mainly during the summer. That is the time of year when countless festivals and other parties are held, where good hearing protection is certainly in order.

Your silicone earplugs are delicate, however, so it is important not to expose them to intense heat and bright sunlight for too long. Never leave your earplugs lying in a hot car for long, either. If you do, they can dry out, crack or otherwise become damaged.

Why is it important to clean earplugs?

Every time you use your earplugs, earwax can stick to them. This can happen on the outside, but also on the inside (in the filter). If you do not clean your earplugs regularly, this earwax builds up more and more until you eventually cannot remove it at all. This is not only unhygienic, but also dangerous. The acidity of the earwax can, for example, damage the material of the earplugs.

The filters can also become clogged easily. In both cases, the protective effect of the earplugs will be lost. You will barely notice it, but in the end this leaves you at greater risk of permanent hearing damage.

Step-by-step cleaning guide

You can clean your universal or custom earmoulds using the following step-by-step guide.

Start by removing all the earwax present from the centre part of your earplugs. You can use a tissue for this, but there are also special wax-removal picks.

Next, clean the outside of your earplugs, for example with a special cleaning spray for hearing protectors. This not only removes dirt but also disinfects your earplugs at the same time. Do not have a dedicated cleaning product for earplugs at home?

Then you can also clean the plugs with lukewarm water. In that case, it is best not to use soap or cleaning agents.

After that, it is just a matter of drying your earplugs or letting them air-dry. Once that is done, you can neatly store them again in a matching case. There are also special cleaning tablets for earplugs. For each cleaning session, you use one effervescent tablet, which you dissolve in a bowl of lukewarm water. Place your earplugs in it and wait until they are nice and clean.

After cleaning, you naturally let the hearing protection dry thoroughly again. Take a look here at the complete cleaning set, which is perfectly suited for cleaning your earplugs thoroughly.

Keep this in mind while cleaning

Silicone earplugs are made to last a very long time. To extend their lifespan, it is best to clean them properly on a regular basis. We have just explained the best way to do this.

It is also useful to know that, although earplugs are perfectly resistant to water, you must always let them dry properly. It is no problem at all if the filters get wet during cleaning, but they only work optimally again once they are completely dry. Wet earplugs and wet filters do not feel pleasant either, for that matter.

Knowing that your ears are not well protected with wet filters will probably also keep you from putting them back in your ears too soon. We would also like to point out that the filters of your earplugs can certainly take a knock. Even so, it is important not to put any pressure on the filters while cleaning.