5 Ways to Keep Your School Headphones Clean

These days, nearly all students will need headphones, headsets, or earbuds during their time in school to complete important parts of their education. Sets of school headphones often undergo heavy use: in a class setting, students may use an assigned pair of headphones for most of the year, while in a lab setting, hundreds of students may use the same pair of headphones each week. In these types of environments, how can educators keep headphones and headsets clean and sanitary for the next student to use, whether in the next week or the next year? Below, we outline some of the best techniques that teachers and educators can employ to keep their headphone sets in good working order and ready for use.

1. Headphone cleaning spray. Cleaning spray is a good solution for dirt that has set into the plastic parts of headphones and headsets. Hamilton Buhl offers a headphone cleaning spray that is free of harsh chemicals, alcohol, and ammonia, and is specifically designed to leave headphones streak- and scratch-free. This non-toxic spray is safe to use in the classroom and is a great way to keep your school headphones, headsets, and earbuds looking like new. By using this spray, many teachers are able to refresh a class set of headphones or headsets for a new group of students to use or keep headphones from getting too dirty over the course of the school year.
2. Leatherette or rubber earpads. Earpads constructed out of these materials are amazingly easy to clean. Leatherette and rubber earpads can be wiped down in between use with any standard cleaner, making the transition between one student and the next a breeze. Many educators prefer these earpads since they will not collect as much dirt as a foam earpad. Leatherette and rubber earpads are available on a wide range of headphones, from durable, lab-style headphones that will last the school year to disposable headphones perfect for school testing, guaranteeing that there is a pair that will fit your needs.
3. Headphone covers. Headphone covers are disposable, sanitary, cloth coverings that slide on over a headphone’s earpieces and protect them from building up dirt, skin cells, and oils from repeated use. Often utilized in hospitals to maintain sanitary conditions, headphone covers are easy to put on and take off. Once one student is finished with their work, the covers can be removed and disposed of and a new pair attached so that the headphones are ready for the next student. Headphone covers are a great way to keep headphones in good working condition, as keeping dirt and grime out of the earpieces can also extend the life of earpieces that are not washable. There are even microphone covers for headsets!
4. UV Sterilizer. Here is an ideal solution for eradicating germs on your headphones and other surfaces in the classroom. A safe and effective tool that offers 99.9% sterilization of all the “bad stuff” than can be found in the classroom.
5. Disposable headphones or earbuds.In some situations, the most efficient way to keep headphones clean in between uses is to swap them for a new pair. This is especially effective in school testing environments or learning modules where headphones will only be used for a short period of time and then not needed again after a few weeks. Disposable school headphones and earbuds are available in a wide variety of styles, and save educators the time needed to clean and wipe down multiple pairs of headphones or switch out sanitary covers.

By following the above guidelines, you can keep your school headphones and earbuds clean and in good working condition, enabling students to get the most out of their learning time. If you have any questions about which hygiene solution would work best for your needs, our team at Encore is always ready to help! Feel free to get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to work with you!