Cleaning Headphones, Any tips... Options

[SceneMaster]

Hi,

I have just finished a show and someone borrowed my headphones for mixing and well as you that happens when out on shows and your headphones aren’t being looked after on you person the whole time they tend to get slightly greasy. This has happened to mine (Sennheiser H2200s btw) and basically although they aren’t really dirty they feel slightly unclean (if you know what I mean). I know this is an odd request but has anyone got any tips on cleaning headphones? Obviously with the detachable cable I can just run a dam cloth down but outside of the headphones and more importantly the ear pads (the inner foam in front of the cone is fine)?

Thanks,

This post has been edited by SceneMaster: 20 Jul 2005, 8:48 PM

[david.elsbury]

Depending on what the pads are made of, I'd try for isopropyl alcohol to give them a clean. Are the pads foam, leather, or what?

[SceneMaster]

Are the pads foam, leather, or what?

Hard to tell... foam inside the pad but the outside is like soft leather but not as it is much thinner and synthetic, I would say semi permeable but probably a very lightly moist cloth would be fine. Would the isopropyl alcohol melt this sort of stuff or affect it in anyway?

[david.elsbury]

I don't think so, because isopropyl just evaporates off whatever surface it's applied to. To me, it doesn't seem any different to a damp cloth.
I clean my fostex headphones with isopropyl, the muffs are sorta a synthetic/leathery combination and I've had no problems.

PS: if you don't have any isopropyl alcohol, you can get if from your chemist. It's also very good at cleaning tv and computer screens, eyeglasses, gaffer gunk off cables....

This post has been edited by lxdeptnz: 20 Jul 2005, 9:08 PM

[BethB]

I wouldn't think it would affect it really... Surely another good solution would simply be to get a cotton bud or something and dip it in (this will sound stupid but it works!) Simple [brand name] eye make up remover... I've found that works quite well on mine... I could just be stupid though so feel free to ignore.
Gb xox

[SceneMaster]

Maybe I am just being fussy but headphones are very personal pieces of kit (well they are to me). So I just like them to be clean and if they are clean they tend to feel more comfortable although I don’t mind the condition they are in as much with regards to the stickiness (well not really stickiness but used state) from my own sweat and use, just other people’s use and dirt from there use feels weird.

Thanks for the advice I think might get hold of some of the isopropyl alcohol and give it ago.

[david.elsbury]

Yeah, it's like comms headsets- after a week of a show, they get really really yuk. A tip, if you are ever lending them out again, do what my boss does- use kids socks over the ends. Black, if possible they do a really good job of keeping sweat and gunk off the muffs, and they can be removed and chucked in the wash. Secure with either a rubber band or a cable tie (zip tie).