Step by step guide on how to clean your phone speaker

Did you play some sound on your phone and found it to be muffled? Well, it could be a sign that your phone speaker is not clean and your smartphone’s speaker has possibly collected lint, dust, and other kinds of dirt. This could also occur if you accidentally get water in your phone.

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The obvious thing to do is to clean the speaker from both the outside as well as the inside of the phone. 

And if you’re wondering just how, follow this little step-by-step guide on how to clean your phone’s speaker quickly and easily.

How to clean your phone speaker

The first step before you start cleaning your phone speaker is to turn off the phone. Once you have switched off your phone, you can try these three methods to clean cell phone speaker.

Method 1: Cleaning using a soft-bristled brush

Method 2: Use an adhesive putty

Method 3: Use a handheld blower

Method 1: Cleaning using a soft-bristled brush

The first method you should try while cleaning your phone speaker is using a soft-bristled brush. This can be a clean toothbrush or paintbrush. All you need to do is gently clean your phone’s speaker grilles and make sure that you brush at an angle so that you push the dirt out and don’t push it further inside the device.

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This is the method that even Apple recommends for cleaning iPhone speakers. “If necessary, clean the speaker or receiver opening with a small, soft-bristled brush. Make sure that the brush is clean and dry,” the iPhone maker states on its official support page. Remember, you need to make sure that you don’t push the dirt in while cleaning the speaker.

Method 2: Use an adhesive putty

This method uses an adhesive putty like a Blu-Tack or a dedicated cleaning putty. We are looking for a putty-like pressure-sensitive adhesive that can be pressed into the grille to lift off more dirt. Just make sure that you are not pushing the putty in too deep. Once you place it on the grille of your phone speaker, simply lift the putty away to remove it and the dirt attached to it.

Method 3: Use a handheld blower

If you are still facing issues with your phone speaker then this is a solution worth trying. You can use a handheld air blower to blow away any remaining dirt from the surface of the phone. A handheld blower is much more gentle than compressed air. Like with a soft brush, you need to blow the dirt away from the speaker and not further into the phone.

Additional methods to clean your phone speaker

While you will need to try the above-mentioned steps a couple of times to remove the dirt, you may still find the speaker to have issues and dirt still trapped in a hidden area. To get to stubborn spots, you can use the following:

1. Cotton swabs

While cotton swabs are not recommended, you can try to get to stubborn dirt using them. On your phone’s speaker grille, you need to gently wipe the surface with the cotton swab to brush the dirt aside while ensuring the lint doesn’t get trapped.

2. Cleaning sponges

There are dedicated cleaning sponges available in different shapes and sizes that can be used to clean the speaker grille on your phone.

3. Cleaning brushes

You can also use a dedicated cleaning brush to push off dirt and grime without causing any scratches on your device.

What to avoid while cleaning a phone speaker

While different guides recommend the use of different tools and techniques to clean your phone speaker, some might cause more harm than cleaning your speaker.

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Here are things to avoid while cleaning your phone speaker.

1. Sharp objects

You might have an urge to use a paperclip or a sewing needle but these sharp objects should be avoided while cleaning your phone speaker. By using a sharp object, you might irreparably damage your phone’s surface or other internal components.

2. Compressed air

While compressed air might seem like a natural solution to your issues, it could worsen the problem.

3. Liquids

You should also avoid liquids since they could short-circuit or corrode internal components.

The above-mentioned steps show how cleaning your mobile phone speaker without damaging its internal components is not as difficult as thought. You may need to repeat some of these steps a few times before you completely get rid of dirt from your phone though. Happy cleaning!