How to clean Beats Solo3 headphones

Beats Solo Pro
Beats Solo Pro (Image credit: iMore)

While you may think your Beats Solo3 headphones don't have a ton of opportunity to get dirty being on your head all day, dust, sweat, and little bits of dirt still manage to find their way onto them eventually. Proper cleaning and care of your Beats Solo3 headphones will help keep them in tip-top shape and looking great, so here are a few handy tips on how to clean the Beats Solo3 headphones.

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If there's no visible dirt, use a soft cloth

After you're done using your Beats Solo3's for the day, take them off your head and wipe them with a soft microfiber cleaning cloth. Make sure to clean the entire surface area, including the band, ear cups, and the padding lightly to get rid of dust, smudges, and oil your skin may leave on the headphones. If you feel like you need for a little extra cleaning, you can get the cloth slightly damp and give the oily, or smudgy spots another wipe. Just make sure you don't use too much water because the Beats Solo3's aren't water-resistant.

For $8, you can pick up a 6-pack of MagicFiber MicroFiber Cleaning Cloths that should do the trick perfectly well, and give you enough of them, so you always have a clean one with you wherever you go. Throw one in your car, one in your desk at work, one in the backpack you carry around every day, and anywhere else you take your headphones, so you can clean them when necessary.

For pesky dirt spots try a cotton swab

If you've noticed after wiping the Beat Solo3's down with a cloth, and there's still a little dirt, grime, or smudge that still hasn't gone away, I find that a cotton swab will do the trick just fine.

Cotton swabs are cheap as heck, and you can get a lot of them at once, meaning you won't have to buy them very often, making them a very inexpensive and efficient way of cleaning your Beats Solo3's. The 500-pack of Q-Tips should do the trick just fine.

Don't use cleaners

Compared to what you may believe, cleaners of any sort can ruin the finish on your Beats Solo3 headphones, causing them to look dull or even damaging the color. You want to avoid using any aerosol, solvents, or anything abrasive to clean your headphones to ensure they stay looking as good as the day you bought them.

If you follow this guide and clean your Beats Solo3's often, they should stay looking as clean as the day you bought them and prevent any dirt, dust, or grime build up over time that could interfere with performance.

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A soft and gentle cleaning cloth like the MagicFiber MicroFiber Cleaning Cloths will ensure that you don't cause any damage to your Beats Solo3's as you're cleaning them.

You likely won't need to use a cotton swab on your Beats Solo3's every day, so the 500-pack will last you a long time and provide you with a solution for pesky dirt that a cleaning cloth can't handle.

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 

Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.