AirPods Sound Worse Than New? Earwax, Safe Cleaning — and Why a Battery Swap Rarely Pays Off

Where earwax gets in

Each AirPod is a tiny speaker — a driver whose thin membrane moves to make sound — sealed in a plastic shell. The sound leaves through a fine mesh at the tip, and more small meshes cover the microphones. That tip sits right in the ear canal, and earwax is sticky: over weeks and months it builds up on the mesh and gradually closes its holes.

Apple says it plainly in the AirPods safety information: clean AirPods regularly, because debris or earwax buildup can affect their performance and noise-control features such as Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio and Transparency.⁶ When one AirPod is quieter than the other, Apple’s first step is to take off the ear tips, check the speaker and microphone meshes for debris and clean them if needed; the next is to make sure the Balance slider (Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual) is in the middle.⁴ Apple also warns that soaps, shampoos, lotions, perfumes, sunscreen, oils and similar substances can harm the water seals and acoustic membranes of AirPods.⁵

Hearing aids show how serious earwax is for tiny in-ear speakers (in hearing aids they’re called receivers). Specialists writing in the audiology trade journal The Hearing Review describe earwax damage to receivers as a leading cause of hearing-aid repairs, citing data from Knowles, a maker of such speakers: over 60% of damaged receivers were linked to wax or debris blocking the receiver or its sound port.^10,11 They also note that earwax and moisture can block or distort some sounds, and that in many cases the mere presence of a hearing aid in the ear canal can increase earwax production.¹¹

Why the sound gets worse over time

From our bench: AirPods that have been worn every day for about a year often sound noticeably worse than a new pair of the same model — quieter and more muffled. In most cases the cause is a mesh clogged with wax and dirt: the speaker behind it may still be fine, but the sound can’t get through properly. We know of no published lab measurements comparing old and new AirPods, so treat this as workshop experience — but it matches Apple’s own warning about earwax buildup and the hearing-aid data above.^6,11

The battery ages too: like every lithium-ion battery, it loses capacity with charge cycles, heat and time — we explain why in our guide to how batteries work. That shortens the runtime; it doesn’t change the sound.

When the wax gets behind the mesh

Doctors soften earwax on purpose. Mayo Clinic lists ear drops such as carbamide peroxide and softening agents such as saline or olive oil, and describes flushing the ear with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide.¹² In the ear, softened wax comes out more easily. In AirPods it goes the wrong way.

From our bench: when people try to wash the wax out of AirPods with peroxide, alcohol or water, the softened wax doesn’t stay on the mesh — together with the liquid it seeps through to the speaker behind it and, once dry, sticks to the membrane. A membrane glued with wax can’t move freely, and the sound stays quiet and muffled. That fits the hearing-aid data: specialists also describe moisture and earwax as harmful to tiny in-ear speakers.¹¹ At this point cleaning no longer helps: the membrane can’t be reached without opening the earbud, and AirPods can’t be opened without damage (see below).

How to clean AirPods — Apple’s way

Apple publishes a precise method for the meshes of AirPods 3, 4 and 5 and AirPods Pro 2 and 3. You need a Belkin AirPods Cleaning Kit, or: micellar water that contains PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides (Apple mentions Bioderma and Neutrogena as examples), distilled water, a soft-bristled children’s toothbrush, two small cups and a paper towel.^1,2

1. Prepare. On AirPods Pro, pull off the ear tips first. Clean only the meshes Apple marks for your model — Apple says to avoid cleaning any other areas.
2. Brush. Pour a little micellar water into a cup and dip the toothbrush until the bristles are fully soaked. Hold the AirPod with the mesh facing up and brush the mesh in circles for about 15 seconds.
3. Blot. Turn the AirPod over and blot it on the paper towel so that the towel touches the mesh. Repeat brushing and blotting twice more — three times in total for each mesh.
4. Rinse off the micellar water. Rinse the brush with distilled water, then repeat the same steps with distilled water for every mesh you cleaned.
5. Dry. Let the AirPods dry completely — for at least two hours — before you put them in the case or use them.

The body: if AirPods get soap, shampoo, lotion, perfume, sunscreen, oil or similar on them, wipe them with a cloth slightly dampened with fresh water, dry them with a soft, lint-free cloth and let them dry for at least two hours. Ear tips (AirPods Pro): rinse them with water only — no soap or household cleaners — and make sure they’re completely dry before clicking them back on. The charging case: wipe it with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol if necessary; clear the charging port with a clean, dry, soft-bristled brush, and don’t put anything or get any liquid into the ports.^1,2

AirPods Pro 3 only: Apple also describes an optional extra rinse — seal the ear tip hole with a finger, dip the AirPod in a bowl of water for 10 seconds while shaking it lightly, dab it dry on a lint-free cloth and let it dry for at least two hours.² This applies to the AirPods Pro 3 only: Apple says not to submerge AirPods Pro 1 and 2, AirPods 3 or AirPods 4.⁵

What not to do

• Don’t hold them under running water or soak them. Apple says not to run AirPods under water, not to place them under a shower or faucet, and not to put them in the washing machine or dryer.^1,5 The only exception is the short Apple rinse for AirPods Pro 3 described above.
• No hydrogen peroxide or bleach. Apple’s general cleaning rules exclude products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide and say not to submerge Apple products in cleaning agents.³ Peroxide-based drops are exactly what doctors use to soften earwax¹² — and in AirPods the softened wax flows behind the mesh onto the speaker membrane (see above).
• Don’t wash them with alcohol. Apple’s method for the meshes uses micellar and distilled water, not alcohol. Apple mentions isopropyl alcohol only for slightly dampening a cloth to wipe the charging case, and its general rule is to keep moisture out of any opening.^1,3 Any liquid in the mesh risks carrying softened wax onto the membrane (see above).
• No compressed air — and no needles or toothpicks. Apple says not to use compressed air on AirPods, neither to dry them nor to remove dust, and not to clean them with sharp objects or abrasive materials.^5,1 In hearing aids, 62.3% of the receivers examined after a failure had sound ports that were badly blocked, or damaged by attempts to clear out the debris.¹⁰
• No heat. Apple says not to dry AirPods with heat, and gives 60 °C as the maximum temperature for AirPods batteries.^5,6 Why heat is so bad for batteries — including in a parked car — is explained in our guide to swollen batteries.

The battery: why a swap rarely pays off

Each AirPod runs on a small coin-shaped lithium-ion battery, and Apple itself lists AirPods batteries as non-replaceable. Apple adds that AirPods and case batteries should be repaired only by a trained technician, to avoid damage that could cause overheating, fire or injury.⁶

iFixit, which rates how repairable devices are, still gives the AirPods Pro 3 0 out of 10. To get inside, an earbud has to be heated and pried open with sharp tools, which often leaves permanent marks on the housing; the battery is glued in so firmly that getting it out comes down to luck; and iFixit’s own teardown ended with broken plastic, torn ribbon cables and destroyed speakers.⁹

Apple’s own price list for AirPods covers battery service and the replacement of a damaged or lost AirPod or case. Apple’s out-of-warranty estimates for Ireland (euro zone) are €59 for battery service and €79 for a replacement AirPods 5 earbud (€99 for AirPods Pro 3); Apple notes that these estimates are subject to VAT, and that authorised service providers set their own fees.⁷ A new pair of AirPods 5 costs €149 in Apple’s Irish online store,⁸ so replacing just one earbud costs more than half the price of new AirPods.

Apple’s warranty doesn’t cover batteries that wear down from normal use. With AppleCare+, Apple replaces the battery at no extra charge once its capacity drops below 80%.⁷

AirPods and water

AirPods Pro, AirPods 3, 4 and 5 are sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise, but they aren’t waterproof: Apple says they aren’t designed for swimming or showering. The ratings range from IPX4 on older models to IP57 on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 5 (up to 1 metre for up to 30 minutes). The resistance isn’t permanent — it can diminish over time, and AirPods can’t be rechecked or resealed. If AirPods get wet, Apple says to wipe them with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth and let them dry for at least two hours before using them or putting them in the case.⁵ What water does inside electronics — and why rice doesn’t help — is covered in our guide to water damage.

Why we don’t repair AirPods

We specialise in board-level repair — work that brings a device back rather than swapping it for a new one. AirPods don’t allow that: they can’t be opened without damage, the battery is glued in, and even Apple’s own price for a single replacement earbud is more than half the cost of a new pair. That’s why we don’t take AirPods in for repair. Only occasionally, as an exception, can we take a look — please ask us first.

What we recommend instead: clean the meshes the way Apple describes, keep AirPods away from water, heat and household chemicals, and if the battery or one earbud has died, compare Apple’s service price — and your AppleCare+ cover, if you have it — with the price of a new pair. Phones, tablets, laptops and MacBooks, on the other hand, are exactly our job: see battery and screen replacement and MacBook repair.

Related services and guides