Dust, lint, dirt, grime—we ‘re used to cleaning these things off the floor, but they can besides find their direction into your phone ‘s charging port. It can happen any time you put your device inside a bag or pouch with the port facing down, and that happens a lot. While a little debris wo n’t affect your telephone immediately, over time, it can become so dirty that your device stops working. At Asurion, our experts help millions of customers get the most out of their favorite technical school, diagnose device problems, and resolve them every day. here are their tips for cleaning your phone ‘s charging port safely .
Why you should clean your phone’s charging port
The open on the buttocks of your call might look small, but it can get dusty fast. And when you charge it, the connection can force this dust and soil deep into the charging port until the earphone loses power completely.
The adjacent time you plug in your earphone, consider this : Does the connection fit snugly ? Are you having trouble charging the battery ? If so, your USB-C or Lightning cable may no farseeing be making a solid connection and it ‘s time to clean out the interface. The first base thing to do is inspect your device. Use a bright flashlight or lamp to take a closer expression at the charging port. You ‘ll want to check it regularly for scatter and debris .
How to clean a phone’s charging port safely
once you determine that you have a dust problem inside the charging port, you ‘ll want to be careful when cleaning it to avoid causing permanent price to your device. Using sharp metal objects like safety pins, newspaper clips, or knives can scratch your phone ‘s delicate components or even check and break off inside the port .
What you can use to safely clean your charging port
Take a softer, but more effective approach, to cleaning out your earphone ‘s charging port with the tools Asurion Experts use :
- A cotton swab or toothpick—these items are soft and can fit into small spaces, making them less likely to cause physical damage to the charging port.
- Compressed air or bulb syringe—the air from these items can loosen and extract debris so you don’t have to insert anything in the charging port.
What not to use when cleaning your charging port
When cleaning your charging port, using these tools can do more wrong than good :
- Toothbrush—the bristles on the brush can get stuck inside and make things worse.
- Blowing on the port with your mouth—your breath contains water particles that can add moisture and damage your device.
How to clean an iPad or iPhone charging port
The Lightning port on Apple® devices contains slenderly different charging pins than a standard USB-C port. however, the steps for how to clean an iPhone charging port or an iPad USB-C charge port are elementary : 
- Turn off your device and use the can of compressed air or the bulb syringe to clean out the charging port. Blast a few short bursts and see if any dust falls out. If using compressed air, make sure you’re holding the can upright to avoid getting water inside the port.
- Turn your device back on and try charging the battery. If it still won’t charge, turn off the device again and use a toothpick to gently scrape or pull out any debris in the port. Be sure to do this under a bright light so you can see what you’re doing, and work slowly so the toothpick doesn’t break.
- Spray the compressed air or bulb syringe one more time to remove the dust particles you have loosened with the toothpick. Then turn your iPhone or iPad back on and see if it charges.
If these methods do n’t work, you may need to have your device checked for early barrage issues. 
When your earphone stops working, your life shouldn ’ thymine have to Our experts can help. Make an date at your nearest shop today.
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How to clean the charging port on a Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel
The USB-C port on Android™ devices can be rugged to keep clean, but there are steps you can take to rid your call of unwanted soil .
- Turn off your device and use the can of compressed air or the bulb syringe to clean out the charging port. Blast a few short bursts and see if any dust falls out. If using compressed air, make sure you’re holding the can upright to avoid getting water inside the port.
- Turn your phone back on and try charging the battery. If your phone won’t charge, turn it off again and use a toothpick to gently scrape or pull out any debris in the port. Be sure to do this under a bright light so you can see what you’re doing, and work slowly so the toothpick doesn’t break.
- Spray the compressed air or bulb syringe a few more times to remove the dust particles you have loosened with the toothpick. Then turn your phone back on and see if it charges.
How to get water out of a charging port
In addition to dust, lint, and scandal, your phone ‘s charging larboard can besides malfunction if it gets wet, whether you dropped your telephone in body of water or moisture found its manner inside from a spillway, rain, or sweat .
Here’s how to dry out your phone charging port:
- Don’t grab the rice. Rice can potentially become lodged in your phone’s charging port or headphone jack, which can be extremely difficult to dislodge as it swells when exposed to liquid.
- Leave your device in a dry area for at least an hour with the charging port facing down. This will allow airflow into the port and force excess water to drip out on its own.
- If you suspect your USB-C or Lightning cable is also wet, store it in a dry place where air can reach it for an hour as well.
How to clean corrosion off an iPhone charging port
corrosion can besides affect your phone ‘s charging port and cause it to stop working wholly. While it ‘s more common with older phones that have experienced extended habit, it can form along the walls of your iPhone ‘s Lightning interface if you world power it up in wet conditions. If you notice greens build-up in or around your charging larboard, it ‘s best to get professional help to clean your phone. But if you choose to do it yourself, you may be able to clear some of the crust with cotton swabs .
How to clean a phone’s speaker
Another share of your phone that ‘s likely caked with crap and debris ? Your speakers. Just like a charging port, this sphere is constantly exposed to dust, lint, food, and even dead skin cells ( yuck ! ) that can clog the bantam loudspeaker holes and reduce your earphone ‘s sound quality. Going excessively long without cleaning your speakers—both on the bottom of your telephone and at the top—will make dust hard to remove and earphone calls harder to hear. To prevent more dirt from getting in, Asurion Experts recommend cleaning the speakers with a muffle fabric, cotton swab, or soft-bristle keyboard brush. Skip the compressed air out for this area, and never use liquids. Both can damage components inside your earphone. A clean charging port and crystal-clear speakers will help your call do at its best. While you ‘re at it, you may want to give your device a fully wipe-down to restore some of its old radiance. To help you clean your screen and phone case, our experts created this guidebook on how to remove bacteria and germs from your call .
Protect your phone
For more than 25 years, Asurion has helped 300 million customers protect, connect, and enjoy the technical school they love most. And smartphones are no exception. Your life is on your device, make indisputable it ’ mho protected. Learn more about Asurion phone indemnity plans today.
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