Look closely at a pair of AirPods Pro that have been in daily use for a few months and you’ll probably find the ear tips aren’t quite the color they started. A little earwax, some skin oil, the odd bit of lint. Many owners wipe them with a tissue and hope for the best, nervous that water anywhere near expensive earbuds is a bad idea.

But for the ear tips, at least, Apple says water is exactly what you should use. Its support page on how to clean your AirPods Pro tells owners to “pull off the ear tips from each AirPod and rinse the ear tips with water.”

There’s one condition that matters more than any other: the tips come off first.

What Apple’s instructions actually say

Apple’s process for the ear tips is short. Remove them from the earbuds, rinse them, dry them and click them back on. The company adds one firm rule: “Don’t use soap or other household cleaners.”

Drying is the step people probably rush. Apple says to wipe the tips with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, and to “make sure that the ear tips are completely dry before reattaching to each AirPod.” A damp tip pressed back onto the earbud puts moisture right next to the speaker opening, which is the opposite of what you want.

Getting them back on can take a moment. According to Apple, “the ear tips are oval shaped, so make sure that you align them before you click them back on.” If a tip won’t seat properly, it’s usually rotated the wrong way.

Removing them takes a firm pull at the base of the tip. Apple’s page suggests rolling the rubber edge inside out or using a clean cloth if you need a better grip.

What about the new foam-lined tips?

The AirPods Pro 3, announced in September 2025, came with a different kind of tip. According to 9to5Mac, Apple described them as tips that “fuse a thin layer of soft foam to the silicone shell” for better noise cancellation. They come in five sizes, including a new XXS, and they don’t fit earlier AirPods Pro.

Foam sounds like something that shouldn’t get wet. But Apple’s cleaning page gives a single ear-tip procedure that covers both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, so it seems the same rinse-and-dry routine applies to the newer tips too.

The part that shouldn’t go under the tap

The permission to use water applies to the detached tips, not the earbuds. On the same page, Apple says: “Don’t run your AirPods Pro under water, and don’t use sharp objects or abrasive materials to clean your AirPods Pro.”

Apple’s separate page on sweat and water resistance explains why. The AirPods Pro 2 with the USB-C MagSafe case “have a rating of IP54,” and the AirPods Pro 3 “have a rating of IP57.” Those ratings mean the earbuds can cope with sweat, rain and splashes, but Apple is clear that “they are not waterproof or sweatproof.” It also says directly: “Don’t place your AirPods under running water, such as a shower or faucet.” And the protection doesn’t last forever. Apple notes that resistance “can diminish over time.”

There is one exception, and it only applies to the newest model. For the AirPods Pro 3, Apple describes an optional deeper clean: seal the ear tip opening with a finger, then rinse each earbud “by immersing it in a bowl of water for 10 seconds while shaking the AirPod lightly to wash away debris.” Afterward, you dab the tip on a lint-free cloth to remove excess water and leave the earbuds to dry for at least two hours. This method isn’t listed for the AirPods Pro 2.

Cleaning the rest

The speaker and microphone meshes are a separate job. For those, Apple recommends a soft-bristled children’s toothbrush, a specific type of micellar water followed by distilled water, and a two-hour drying time. Apple says to clean only the meshes it identifies and to “avoid cleaning any other areas.”

Here’s the full guide from Apple.

The charging case gets a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol if needed. Apple warns not to get liquid in the charging port and not to put anything inside it.

Why it’s worth doing

Apple links cleaning to comfort as well as to the life of the earbuds. Its page says that keeping your AirPods Pro, and your skin, clean and dry “will maximize comfort and prevent long-term damage to your device.”

So the routine is simple. Take the tips off, rinse them with plain water, dry them completely and click them back on. Just leave the earbuds themselves away from the tap.