How Often Do People Clean Their AirPods or Hearing Aids? The Answers Might Surprise You!

It seems like everyone has AirPods, from pre-teens to older adults. In addition, the use of hearing aids is generally considered to be increasing, especially in the over 70 population (Reed et al, 2023). The reasons are numerous, but one of the most significant contributing factors is the rapid advancements in technology for all in-ear devices.

Cleaning your AirPods or hearing aids may not be at the top of your to-do list. However, the results of a recent survey of over 2,000 adults revealed that many people clean their devices regularly. The results varied by age and device type.

The top reported cleaning frequencies included a few times a week and each day (59 percent for hearing aids and 54 percent for AirPods), with scattered responses under 18 percent for once a week, a few times a month, once a month or year, a few times a year, or never. Gross!

Gen Z (32 percent), millennials (31 percent) and Gen X (29 percent) reported a few times a week as the most common response, while baby boomers most often preferred a daily cleaning (23 percent).

For hygiene and performance, cleaning at least once a week is recommended for AirPods and daily for hearing aids.

The results are somewhat surprising. It appears even younger people are taking better care of their devices than thought. That’s welcome news for wearers and audiologists alike! 

References

Prendergast C. (2024) Survey: how often do people clean their AirPods? Forbes Health (accessed November 26, 2024).

Reed NS, Garcia-Morales EE, Myers C, et al. (2023) Prevalence of hearing loss and hearing aid use among US Medicare beneficiaries aged 71 years and older. JAMA Netw Open. 6(7):2326320.