How to clean an iPhone’s headphone jack?

If you are using an iPhone, particularly the models like iPhone 5, 5S, 6, or 6S, which are equipped with a headphone jack, you must have has to make rounds of a nearby mobile store to get the clogged headphone jacks cleaned. This is a typical problem that every smartphone user including iPhone users. iPhone users spend hours using our headphones to listen to music, playing games, calling, or video calling to maintain privacy. But spending even one day without headphones is like a punishment for the tech-savvy youth.

Like all the other mobile parts, even the headphone jack needs a little tending from time to time. Most of our mobile phones are tucked into the pockets or purses for a considerable amount of time and exposed to dust, dirt, and even water sometimes when kept outside. While this can’t be avoided, this also results in clogging and getting dirty over time. iPhone’s headphone jacks are no exception to this. Clogging of headphone jacks can ruin your experience while using headphones. It may cause various sound disturbances like voice or sound breaks, skipping, dimming or uncontrolled sound volume changes, or even produce very disturbing static noises. 

To avoid such annoying encounters the only way out is to clean the headphone jacks from time to time. Now, running to professionals at iPhone stores every time the headphone jacks get dirty isn’t an option always for everyone. So here we are, presenting some useful and easy tips to DIY (do it yourself) headphone jack cleaning. Let’s get started with the different methods of cleaning iPhone’s headphone jacks right away.

• Compressed air cleaning: Compressed air when sprayed into the headphone jack through a nozzled can will flush out any dirt and debris that might be clogging the jack. The intense pressure inside the can blasts the air out to clean up any build-up, even from the most minuscule of spaces. This is the safest DIY technique for cleaning the iPhone’s headphone jack.
• Cotton Swab Cleaning: Cotton swabs are a common household item available at every home today. This is the most inexpensive clean up technique. However, this might be a little tricky to perform as the chances of traces of cotton getting stuck to the interiors of the jack remains a challenge. Just be extra careful while applying this method. Let us learn to clean the jack using this method in the following steps:
• Cut the tip of the cotton swab to form a slightly sharpened tip to be able to reach every nook and corner inside the jack.
• Slightly dampen the cottony edge, just so much that it collects the dirt without damaging the metal parts inside the jack.
• Insert the wet swab and collect the debris from within by a circular twist of the swab.
• Repeat the last step with a dry swab that is cut the same way to finish the clean-up process.
• Tape & Paper clip technique: This is a very easy headphone clean-up technique as using a paper clip and tape you can reach every nook and corner inside the jack. Just be vigilant that you don’t prick and damage any metal part inside the jack. Let us look at the steps quickly:
• Unfold the paper clip as straight as you can for ease of use.
• Wrap a piece of tape with the sticky side facing upside. You may also use a double side sticking tape for ease.
• Insert the tape-wrapped clip into the jack and move it around inside the jack in a circular motion so that the dirt and debris get stuck onto the tape.
• Alcohol cleaning: Alcohol, when used carefully, can clean your iPhone’s headphone jack and remove all debris and stains. Let’s look at how this process is done:
• Just like the swab techniques, cut the tips of the cotton swab to make them sharp at the edge.
• Dip it in alcohol and squeeze the excess alcohol out.
• Insert it in the jack and Swirl it around in circular motion.

Now you don’t need to hit the shop every time you need to clean your iPhone’s earphone jack. But remember to switch off your phone when cleaning. Hope this was helpful. Let us know which process do you find the best and easiest. However, we suggest you get expert supervision and check-up in case the problems with your headphone’s performance still persist after cleaning.

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