The speakers on your phone quickly attract a lot of dust, especially if you don't use a case and like to carry your gadget in bags, backpacks or pockets. If you do not regularly clean them from dust, you will soon begin to notice that the volume and sound quality have changed.
However, cleaning the speaker must be taken seriously as it is a delicate component. Firstly, it needs to be cleaned often, otherwise dust will begin to stick, and it will be more difficult to remove dirt. Secondly, when cleaning, you need to act carefully so that the dust does not get deeper and worsen the situation.
Cleaning the speakers is also made more difficult by the fact that now large manufacturers such as Apple (iPhone), Honor, Samsung, Xiaomi and others supply the market with non-separable phones. The speaker itself is difficult to clean, and in such models you also have to overcome the protective mesh of the housing.
Read on to find out how to properly clean the speakers on your phone.
How to clean your phone speaker at home
As usual, it is better to do this periodically, without waiting for critical consequences. Moreover, it takes very little time to clean. You will need quite ordinary and affordable components: alcohol, cotton swabs, a toothbrush with thin bristles and masking tape, as well as transparent tape.
- Exploitation
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Ways to clean the speaker
You can clean a dirty speaker mesh using either special tools or those you have on hand. There is no need to disassemble the phone, so any user can handle cleaning.
Vacuum cleaner
Using a mini vacuum cleaner, which is used to clean computers, you can also clean the speaker. Just turn on the device and bring it to the gadget. Dirt, debris, small crumbs will literally disappear.
The disadvantages include the fact that the vacuum cleaner only sucks in large debris. It will not be possible to get rid of greasy deposits, which means that such cleaning will not be effective enough.
Toothbrush
If you don’t have special tools, use a regular toothbrush. It is better to take a new one with soft, clean bristles.
Gently rub the phone's speaker grill. Perform circular movements and make sure that the dirt does not get deeper. Soon all the debris will remain on the lint, and you will have a perfectly working device.
Alcohol or peroxide
For greater efficiency, it is recommended to clean the earpiece with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. These liquids disinfect the surface, dissolve sticky deposits and prevent dust from sticking in the future. In addition, they are quite volatile. A few drops on the electronics will not harm them. But you shouldn’t water your phone too much. Cleaning should be as gentle as possible. Proceed as follows:
- Take a cotton swab.
- Lightly moisten it with alcohol or peroxide.
- Then wipe the speaker thoroughly. Avoid applying excessive pressure.
Advice! You can periodically wipe the mesh, and all other parts of the smartphone, for prevention.
Masking tape
You can clean the speaker grill on your phone using paper tape. This cleaning will not be deep, but will get rid of large particles of debris. It is necessary to use masking tape, as it does not leave glue on the surface.
If dirt has clogged the hole and won't budge, place a piece of tape on the grate and then quickly tear it off. Dirt and grease will remain on the adhesive tape. Of course, this method only helps with surface contamination; it will not be possible to pull the plug out from the depths.
Chewing gum
Regular chewing gum will work in a similar way. You should chew the gum intensively for a few seconds, and then cover the speaker with a viscous substance. Everything unnecessary will remain on it.
Advice! The method can be used on the road when there are no other means at hand.
Needle
If the dirt is deeply embedded and no other methods help, you can clean the speaker mesh with a thin sewing needle. But this must be done extremely carefully! One awkward move can ruin your smartphone:
- Soak the tip of the needle in alcohol.
- Insert the tip into the hole no more than half a millimeter.
- Pull the dirt out.
If you are unsure of your jewelry's accuracy, it is best to have a professional clean your piece. Don't take risks - buying a new phone will cost more.
First stage: remove dust with a vacuum cleaner
Oddly enough, a regular household vacuum cleaner with a lint attachment may be the best solution for cleaning your speaker. Especially if it is deeply recessed behind the surface of the screen. If the vacuum cleaner is miniature (such as the Xiaomi Mi Vacuum Cleaner) it’s even easier. Carefully, trying not to touch the hard plastic brush to the smartphone screen, run the brush several times in the area of the speaker (and at the same time near the USB port). Most of the dust should be gone.
Then it’s time to brush with a toothbrush. For this type of work, it is advisable to purchase a special toothbrush with pointed bristles.
Signs it's time to clean your speaker
Even owners of expensive smartphones sometimes face the problem of deteriorating audibility of the interlocutor. The main signs that the speaker is faulty are:
- Spontaneous changes in volume during a conversation;
- Noises of different types in the dynamics;
- Sometimes the sound disappears completely;
- The volume is not reproduced evenly, but with hissing sounds.
If you experience any of these problems, you should try cleaning the speaker grill.
If the smartphone is still under warranty, then it is better to take it to a service center. Failure to do so may void the warranty.
Stage three: attach masking tape
You can clean the grate from dirt using masking tape. But only if it is not very deep. The sticky layer will not leave marks on the screen, but will stick to grease and dust from the crevices of the speaker mesh.
Just stick the tape with the sticky side to the speaker and iron it firmly (with the same cotton swab) in the area of the speaker mesh. Repeat the procedure several times, changing the sticky area. You can also use transparent tape for this procedure, but you need to be sure that the sticky layer does not separate from it and will not remain on the surface of the display. If it remains, it can be removed with the same alcohol.
Option #2: Scotch tape
You can try to remove adhered dust using tape. Roll the piece into a cone with the sticky side facing out and clean all the speaker holes step by step. But just change the tape more often so as not to introduce even more dirt into the speaker than it already was!
This method helps a lot when the dust is “magnetized” and does not want to leave its secluded corners. Then the adhesive tape will help quickly remove most of the dirt.
What to do if nothing works
The “improvised means” do not always work effectively. If there are no visible changes in the state of the grid, you will have to take the device to a service center. Usually the cleaning procedure is inexpensive, about 1,500 rubles. And, as a rule, those who started the situation suffer. Here's another reason to periodically clean the speaker grill at home.
By the way, it won’t hurt to clean your personal computer from dust. And this is also not difficult - read our guide, and you will succeed.
Option #4: Compressed air in a can
This product is specially designed to clean hard-to-reach places from dust. The air in the can is compressed under high pressure, so when you press the spray head, you get a powerful stream of air. To avoid wasting air, be sure to use a tube for precise direction.
When using, be careful and do not bring the tube with the can close to the speaker (it should remain at least 1 centimeter), as the pressure is really high and can damage the phone cables.
Speaker cleaning apps
Such applications can be used both when debris gets into the speaker and when water gets into it. Google Play has a special application Remove water - Speaker repair, costing about 100 rubles. After installing it, a sound of a certain frequency is sent to the mobile device, due to which the loudspeaker is cleared.
There are also special applications for iPhone owners. The most commonly used program is Sonic. It is paid and costs $1.99.
Reviews about these programs are quite good; many users managed to restore the sound to the original level.
Cleaning the speaker using software
The essence of the functioning of such software is to increase the volume of sound waves to max. The peculiarity of this sound is that sound waves change the frequencies of the emitted waves. This causes dust or water to pass through the holes in the mesh. It is advisable to use this method later than the above methods. We will use the Speaker Cleaner program. For the most part, the application is used when water has entered the phone, but it can also be used to clean dust.
The application has a clear design. To clear your phone speaker we will do the following:
- First, select the desired mode. The software supports two cleaning methods: static (sound frequencies increase smoothly) and rhythmic (frequencies increase like waves in water). Method 2 is more suitable for those users whose phone has been swam in water;
- Now we select the speaker that needs cleaning (speakers are usually located at the top and bottom);
- Then we need to increase the volume to the max level when the bottom speaker is dirty. After that, turn on the program and wait a while for the dust to penetrate the mesh. When cleaning, it is advisable to place the phone with the connector down. Turn off the program;
- Turn on Speaker Cleaner again and increase the volume to max. level, if the top speaker is dirty (this is the order). The phone should be face down.
It is advisable to have a dry napkin or cloth under the smartphone. When cleaning is finished, Speaker Cleaner will stop working.
Using a brush
The most effective and recommended way to clean your speaker is to use a brush or soft-bristled brush. Although gadget manufacturers do not approve of cleaning devices on their own, many of them officially recommend using this method of caring for your device if necessary. If you are using an old toothbrush, make sure it is in the “soft” or “very soft” category.
Instead of toothbrushes, you can use art brushes. Their pile is soft and thin, so it is almost impossible to damage the speakers with them.
Water got into the speaker of your Android smartphone, what should I do?
If any liquid gets into the inside of the mobile device, it may break. It doesn't matter where exactly the water got. Urgent action is needed. If the phone is heavily flooded, you need to turn it off quickly. Then place it in the sun or any dry place.
It is not recommended to use a hair dryer. If the phone is still working after getting wet, air flow can move the water to important parts. Which can lead to short circuits, oxidation and other disastrous consequences. But if after drying the voice on the phone becomes quiet, try the Clean Speaker .
You need to use this application according to the same principle:
- Raise the volume to the maximum level.
- Turn the phone over so that the water comes out of it.
- Click on the Start Cleaning .
More than eighty percent of users are grateful to the developers of this program. After using it, the sound becomes louder. And noise or other interference goes away. If the first mode did not help, switch to the additional one (in the program interface). A clean speaker can even repair headphones.
An excellent sorbent is rice (any kind). If the phone has been heavily flooded with water, place it in a cup of rice with it turned off for 12 hours.
Download Clean Speaker in Play Market.
Popular article: How to set a downloaded ringtone to a call.
Using hydrogen peroxide
- This method is gentle. Take a cotton swab and soak it in peroxide. Then, you need to start wiping the speaker as carefully as possible. The peroxide should not penetrate inside the phone. Otherwise, you will add problems to yourself;
- By the way, peroxide eats away such dirt quite well. Then, you need to wipe with a dry cloth the place that we wiped with peroxide. Your smartphone will look newer. There is another advantage of this option: you will disinfect the phone.
Preventative measures for speaker contamination
In order for a mobile phone to serve faithfully for a long time, it must be handled with care. The main measures to prevent speaker contamination are as follows:
- Use the case;
- Do not carry a mobile device in your pocket or bag, in the same compartment with other things;
- Do not use a smartphone while eating or on the beach.
Avoid talking on the phone in rainy or snowy weather. You should avoid using your mobile phone in rooms with high humidity.
Question to the expert
Can nail scissors be used to clean the speaker grill?
It is better not to do this, as there is a risk of damaging the speaker.
I noticed that recently I began to hear my interlocutor worse. I'm thinking about cleaning my smartphone myself. But can this be done if the phone is under warranty?
In this case, it is better to avoid cleaning the speaker yourself. If the mobile phone is under warranty, then it would be more logical to take it to a service center.
Drops of water got into the speaker of my smartphone, what should I do?
You can use special applications. These programs are paid, but allow you to quickly and safely extract water using certain sound frequencies.
There are many recommendations on the Internet regarding how to clean the speaker. Chewing gum, slime and tape are used. Some craftsmen even use gel to remove blackheads. As they say, all methods are good to achieve results. But the main thing is not to get too carried away, as you can seriously break your mobile phone.
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Chewing gum
At first glance, this method will seem somewhat unusual, perhaps even funny, but you will be surprised at how effective it is. To do this, we need chewing gum, which must be softened as much as possible before use, that is, chewed. Then we apply the softened rubber band to the speaker mesh. It will absorb the remaining dust and dirt. This method is recommended to be used at the end of any other cleaning method.
Caution: toothpicks
Even after using compressed air to blow out the speaker vents, there may still be visible dust particles stuck to the edges. In such cases, you can use this old school method. Take a toothpick or a small piece of plastic and make sure there is enough light and the speaker grilles are clearly visible. One wrong move can cause permanent damage to your iPhone or other smartphone's speaker, so cleaning with this method should be done with extreme caution.
The effect of speaker contamination on phone performance
Even if you handle your mobile phone very carefully, dust and grease over time completely clog the earpiece grille, which leads to poor sound transmission. High tones are especially difficult to hear.
The entry of foreign particles into the speaker leads to distortion and absorption of sound. As a result, the following problems arise:
- The interlocutor can be heard very poorly or not at all;
- During a conversation, the volume of the subscriber's voice may change;
- Extraneous noise is often heard in the handset.
If problems of this nature occur, you should clean the speaker; perhaps this is the problem.
Other means
Finally, we suggest you familiarize yourself with a couple of extraordinary methods that will help you clean the speaker quite effectively. One option is used chewing gum. It needs to be stuck to the hole, and then torn off along with the dust. This method can be used as an auxiliary method (after cleaning with alcohol and a brush).
The next option is a special face mask that removes blackheads. The operating principle of the black mask is exactly the same as that of chewing gum. However, the product penetrates a few millimeters between the mesh holes, which is why it cleans the speaker much more effectively. Apply a thin layer of mask and remove the film after 5 minutes.
But for complete cleaning it is necessary to disassemble the device body and remove dirt from the inside. We advise you to contact a service center for help rather than trying to disassemble the phone yourself.
Which parts can be cleaned?
All modern phones are equipped with two types of speakers, located in different parts of the device, which require periodic cleaning:
- in the upper part of the body there are auditory ones to hear the caller’s speech;
- at the bottom are conversational and polyphonic, used for hands-free conversations and listening to music from the device without using an additional headset.
Since the phone produces electromagnetic radiation, dust accumulates on it much faster than on any other item that the user carries with him. Knowing this nuance, manufacturers install fine meshes on speakers that trap dust particles.
Before you decide to clean your smartphone speakers using the methods below, find out which element is having problems due to dust. It's easy to do:
- If you can't hear the other person clearly during an audio call, the target is the hearing speaker located at the top of the screen.
- I can’t hear the ringtone or music being played - the problem is with the polyphonic speaker grille.
Remember, for iPhone models older than 7, the speakers located on the bottom edge of the device are represented by two sets of holes. But only the right set is the actual speaker, while the one on the left is the microphone.
So, let's move on to cleaning the speakers of the iPhone or any other smartphone models from dust. The principle of operation for all devices will be approximately the same.