# How do I clean a radio earpiece?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-clean-a-radio-earpiece/539522>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 15, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-clean-a-radio-earpiece/539522 "2010-05-15T06:16:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-clean-a-radio-earpiece/539522/1 "2010-05-15T06:16:11Z")

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So, at work, we have radios and earpieces. The latter look similar to [this](http://shop.earpieceonline.co.uk/images/products/epon%20-%20113.jpg). I’d like to clean the nub that goes in my ear–it’s not disgusting, yet, but it’s starting to get a slight patina of ear wax and I’d like to nip that in the bud. (I clean my ears every day for this reason, actually. If this is how much gunk can get on my earpiece when my ears are clean, who knows what it’d look like if I left them for a week? :eek:)

What materials can I use without damaging the earpiece (or, for that matter, my ear)? It’s three bucks for a replacement, which I guess isn’t much, but it’d be kind of a pain in the butt to have to pay it.

What say you, dopers?

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-clean-a-radio-earpiece/539522/2 "2010-05-15T13:43:53Z")

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I also have earwax = earbud issues 🙂

You’re really not gonna get a decent tool to clean them. You can use a pin and such to try. You could try a warm hair dryer, but that usually only makes it worse.

The only thing I can think of that might work is some short of cheesecloth over the opening. This will allow sound and prevent earwax. However this is a do it yourself thing and I’ve never been able to get the cheesecloth to hold on for long.

If anyone can think of a way to do it, let me know 🙂

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**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-clean-a-radio-earpiece/539522/3 "2010-05-15T19:00:30Z")

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I used denatured alcohol and a q-tip to clean various electronics like headphones.