Of course, it’s very unpleasant to find headphones forgotten in your trouser pocket in the machine’s drum after washing. In such a situation, do not despair and immediately throw away the accessory. You can try to revive the headset. Let's figure out what actions need to be taken.
Urgent action?
The less time the headset is in the water, the more likely it is to save it. When a sweater or jeans are washed by hand, it's easy to spot speakers left in your pocket. If the owner washed the headphones in the washing machine, there will also be a chance of recovery. What to do with a wet accessory?
Remove the gadget from your wet pocket as soon as possible.
Disassemble the headphones, disconnect all removable parts.
Wipe the internal elements of the headset with a dry cloth.
Use a hairdryer to dry the device. It is important to blow the parts not with hot, but with warm air to avoid their deformation. The exposure time should not exceed two minutes, otherwise you risk damaging the speaker membrane.
Cover the heating radiator with a clean napkin or towel and place the disassembled headset on it.
Wait a couple of days until the device is completely dry.
Do not use the headphones until they are dry, this will prevent short-circuiting.
When the headset is dry, you need to inspect its elements in good lighting. If stains from water or washing powder are visible on the membrane, you need to wipe it with an alcohol wipe. It is not recommended to soak cotton wool in alcohol and treat the part with it - lint may remain on the surface. Non-removable headphones will have to dry for 6-7 days. There is no need to try to pick them out with a needle, otherwise you can completely ruin the gadget.
How will we dry it?
What to do if the headphones get wet in the warm season, when the heating radiators are turned off? In this case, the battery will not be suitable for drying; you will have to take a different route. There are several options:
dry the speakers in a dry and warm room with good ventilation, that is, in natural conditions;
place the disassembled headset in direct sunlight;
use a hairdryer. The important thing here is not to overdo it and damage the headphones. Blow the device from a distance, do not bring the device close to the elements of the accessory;
hang the speakers on the fan's protective mesh. The headset will dry quickly under the influence of air currents. The device should be blown for at least three hours.
You should not resort to the help of improvised absorbents, namely burying the accessory in rice or silicone litter for cat litter boxes. It is also not recommended to treat the headset with WD-40 lubricant.
The sound quality of the headphones will depend on how quickly they dry out.
The longer the water drops remain inside the gadget, the higher the likelihood of the winding rotting. When the device does not turn on after drying, or the left or right speaker does not work, the wires of the device may have been broken during washing.
It happens that after drying the headset begins to distort the sound, wheeze or work too quietly. In this case, the reason usually lies in the powder remaining on the membrane. You can deal with the problem in a rather unusual way:
pour 95% medical alcohol into a mug;
immerse the headphones in the container;
turn on music through the headset;
After 10 minutes, remove the gadget.
This method is worth trying when you have nothing to lose and the question is about purchasing new speakers. Typically, this method helps improve the sound - alcohol dissolves the detergent and thereby restores the functions of the headset. You should check the operation of the gadget only after it has completely dried.
“Reanimating” headphones without wires
Regardless of which headphones you wash in the washing machine, wireless or wired, you first need to disassemble the device. All removable parts of the gadget must dry separately.
An incident with a wireless headset can damage not only the speakers, but also the sensor that transmits and receives the signal: Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Water should be removed from it very carefully.
At the same time, modern wireless headphones are usually equipped with a waterproof membrane. True, this measure will protect the headset during short-term contact with water. When rinsing for two hours in an automatic machine, there is no point in hoping for protection.
Branded IPhone headset
From experience, iPhone headphones resist moisture much better than headsets from any other manufacturer. However, this does not mean that they are allowed to come into contact with water - you should use the gadget as carefully as possible, avoiding getting into the washing machine.
Sometimes, after getting wet, the iPhone headset continues to work properly. Do not immediately connect headphones to the device. It is important to completely dry the device before further use.
The manufacturer does not provide any precise recommendations for restoring speakers for iPhones. Washed Air Pods should be wiped with a hydrophilic cloth, dried with a hairdryer and placed on the table until the moisture is completely removed.
Does it make sense to send it in for repair?
If thoroughly drying the headset does not help, and the sound is still distorted, you can try taking the gadget to a repair shop. It makes no sense to hand over inexpensive headphones, costing $2-5, to a specialist. A specialist will charge a large amount for the work, so in this case it is easier to buy a new device.
Diagnostics of the headset alone can cost $5-6, so before going to the service, evaluate the feasibility of this idea.
If you have an expensive headset, costing $20 or more, it makes sense to have it repaired. The technician must be told that the device has been washed and has been in contact with water for a long time. Before signing a contract for the provision of services, check with a specialist how realistic it is to repair the gadget, ask to calculate the approximate cost of the work.
Agree with the technician that after opening the headset and identifying the fault, he will call you back and give you the exact price of the repair. Then you can decide whether it’s worth paying to restore the speakers or whether it’s easier to buy new headphones.
Depending on the repair service, the cost of the work will vary. On average, you will have to pay for:
speaker replacement – $10-12;
wire repair – $5.;
restoration or replacement of the Bluetooth module – $15;
Air Pods repair – from $25.
Sometimes it is necessary to replace the speaker and restore the wire. The price may also vary depending on the city where the services are provided and the urgency of completion. If you don’t have time to go to the center for a consultation, just call the specialist, explain what happened, and clarify the prices for the work being carried out.
Of course, it’s very unpleasant to find headphones forgotten in your trouser pocket in the machine’s drum after washing. In such a situation, do not despair and immediately throw away the accessory. You can try to revive the headset. Let's figure out what actions need to be taken.
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