Who wants to watch their $150 wireless Bluetooth earbuds drop in the toilet and wash down the drain? I’m sure you don’t go as far as extending your hand to reach them—that sounds disgusting. So, what should you do if you dropped airpod in toilet?

If you face such a predicament, the next course of action is to retrieve them from the toilet and clean and disinfect them. After that, you are free to hook them back in your ears to enjoy your music and other forms of entertainment.

Consequently, knowing how to clean AirPods after accidentally dropping them in the toilet would help you a great deal. This is where this post comes in, providing you with steps for cleaning your AirPods after falling in the toilet.

Also, learn how to disinfect your AirPods after dropping them in the toilet and prevent this from happening altogether.

What Happens If You Drop Airpod Into Water

Dropping AirPods in water will cause them to malfunction, seeing that they are not waterproof. If they plunge into the water, dry them and cross your fingers because Apple doesn’t cover water-related damages.

How Do I Know If My AirPod Has Water Damage

Apple AirPods don’t have liquid indicators, making it difficult to determine the extent of the water damage.

Will Airpod Work If Dropped In Toilet

Most AirPods won’t work after dropping in the toilet because they lack water-resistance capabilities. Even sweat poses a risk to these earbuds.

However, AirPods Pro boasts limited IPX4 water resistance. It means doing everything you can to keep your AirPods away from water. But if you drop them accidentally, turn them off, then dry them immediately.

How To Clean AirPods After They Fall In The Toilet

Knowing how to rid your wireless Bluetooth earbuds of water and dirt will save you the extra money you’d otherwise incur in buying replacement ones. Follow the steps below to keep your entertainment devices from further damage:

Step 1

Start by retrieving them from the water immediately. This is because these devices lack waterproofing attributes and thus cannot withstand being underwater.

After getting them out of the toilet water, place the earbuds on a dry surface. An antimicrobial wipe and paper towel would be useful at this stage (more of this in the procedure with AirPods in the dirty toilet).

Step 2

This step involves employing tech to eliminate excess water from the device. You need to download RoutineHub on your phone, pair the earbuds with your iPhone, then run the “Water Eject” program.

It will generate airwaves and elicit a low buzzing sound—a sign that water is coming out of the speakers. Repeat this step until you eject all the moisture.

Step 3

After ejecting excess water from AirPod speakers, the next thing to do is wipe them with a cleaning cloth, cotton swab, or a lint-free microfiber cloth (expert recommendation). Additionally, professionals caution against using abrasive clothes and applying excessive force when cleaning the surfaces of these devices.

Instead, gently wipe the water on the earbuds to prevent scratching and other damages accrued to excess force.

Step 4

The next thing is to dry your wireless Bluetooth devices. You can place them in a well-aerated place with low humidity.

If you opt to dry them under the sun, ensure the temperature is below 35 degrees, bearing in mind that too high temperatures can render your $150 devices useless. Allow your AirPods to dry (1-2 hours), but avoid using heaters, radiators, and blow dryers to speed up drying.

Step 5

Though this step is optional, using desiccants like silica gel or DampRid could help. All you have to do is place the earbuds in an airtight container with silica gel and give the desiccant 24-48 hours to do its magic.

Experts recommend silica gel (or DampRid) owing to its hygroscopic properties. It reduces humidity and absorbs water from the atmosphere, and it can replicate this on your AirPods.

Repeat the step until you get the desired results.

NOTE: RoutineHub employed in the procedure above is not an Apple app.

How To Clean AirPods That Dropped In A Dirty Toilet

A dirty toilet is so unsightly, and the thought of getting your hands in the bowl is repulsive. If you unintentionally dropped your AirPods in a dirty fixture, you’ll need to muster the courage for the daunting task of recovering them.

After getting them back, cleaning and disinfecting them are essential, and the following steps will help you achieve that.

Step 1

Wear a protective hand glove and retrieve the earbuds from the dirty toilet. Place them on a stack of paper towels.

Step 2

Clean the Apple AirPods using a toothbrush or cotton swab. Apply antibacterial gel or disinfectant on the toothbrush (or cotton swab) and dissolve debris from your wireless Bluetooth devices.

A gel applicator brush can also get the job done, but be careful not to spill the gel into the earbud speaker holes.

Step 3

Use an antibacterial coating to wipe the gel. You can use a sponge only after washing and disinfecting it in warm water.

Sterilizing the sponge curbs a foul smell and aids in removing residual debris from the earbuds. Additionally, you can employ the antibacterial coating to safeguard your precious AirPods from future microbial attacks.

How To Disinfect AirPods That Fell In A Toilet

Once your Apple AirPods fall into the toilet, cleaning them is ideal, but disinfecting them would assure you that your ears are safe from bacteria.

Remember, these wireless Bluetooth earbuds are not waterproof. Therefore, exercise the utmost caution when applying disinfectants, so they don’t get to the speakers.

Furthermore, avoid using strong-based wipes on the speaker mesh. Instead, use a specialized AirPod cleaning pen to dislodge the toilet dirt in the speakers.

Experts suggest restricting them to the outer surfaces of the devices since the speakers are sensitive and risk malfunctioning when they come in direct contact with strong-based wipes.

Having said that, 70% isopropyl or 75% ethyl are popular disinfectants you can consider in sanitizing your earbuds. Professionals also suggest Clorox wipes and lint-free microfiber cloths because they are equally up to the task.

However, avoid using bleach products to sterilize AirPods because they will dull the coating on the devices.

How To Prevent AirPod From Falling In The Toilet

I bet you have heard the phrase “prevention is better than cure” countless times, and the AirPod falling in the toilet case is no different. Instead of taking a deep breath and loving up to recover your devices from the toilet, why not stop them from falling in the first place?

The following tips will help keep your earbuds safe from the toilet:

Wearing them upside down
Apply waterproof tape and add a hole punch to the AirPods
Use anti-slip Apple Airpod accessories.

Final Thoughts on Dropped Airpod in Toilet

Apple AirPods are pricey, compact, and portable wireless devices that are sometimes susceptible to falling off. The last place you want or imagine them plunging into is a toilet.

Thankfully, this post has given you easy-to-follow guides on how to clean and disinfect your earbuds and save the $150 you’d have spent on new ones.