Keeping your headphones from tangling is more than just a simple cleaning method. It is also creating a safe place for them to be. This is important to do after every use, as dirt can accumulate over time and prevent them from working properly.
It is also necessary to do after extended use, as any damage to the internal parts can result in poor audio quality and/orLimited functionality.
Extended use can happen when you listen to music or movies for hours on end, especially with headphones. You would want your headphones to function well without needing to take them in or out of your ears, which would need special care or replacement.
There are many ways to keep your headphones from damage or limited functionality, such as using the included storage cases, avoiding strong music and text messages with headphone usage, and really taking care of them when needed.
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Roll them up
When you’re wearing your headphones, be sure to keep them rolled up at the end of the day. This prevents them from getting stuck in your ears or around the sensors in your phone or computer.
You can do this by putting them in a bag and placing it in your baggage for safekeeping. Or you can put them in a tight container and let it sit until the next day to unroll!
Another way to keep them from tangling is to fold up the headphone cords. You can buy small folded earbuds or necklaces, which makes this easy to do.
Lay them down
If you have a very important music track or noise-reducing headphones, keep them apart from the phone or tablet by laying them down on a table or floor.
This prevents the phones from being tugged into the phone case and/or tablet case, which could cause some problems.
It also makes it easier to remove and replace the phones if one gets wet or dirty.
If you have noise-reducing ones, put them in a pillowcase to prevent tangle. If you have sound-normalizing ones, put them next to a noise masking device to prevent static interference.
Bullet point cut offs are highly recommended as they can be difficult to read on with glasses on or in the sun glare.
Use a headphone organizer
If you have a large collection of headphones, the next step is to organize them. Many manufacturers offer headphone organizers, and they are typically designed to fit in your ears and provide some support.
Some companies even make ones that wrap around your head! The goal is to place the insides of the earbuds on one side of the organizer, and then rotate it until it is secure in your ears.
This method gives some support to the headphones, as they can tilt toward your head for extra comfort. Many people position their longest headphone pair at the bottom of the organizer, while shorter pairs may be placed higher.
Using a headphone organizer helps prevent your headphones from getting tangled and/or dirty, as well as keeping them organized.
Keep the cord straight
If you have a headphone cord with a swiveling or rotating headphone connector, make sure the corresponding end is the one that is straight.
This may seem like a small detail, but it can save you some frustration and/or money in the future!
When your headphones are connected, the cord should be able to remain straight without problems. If it does not, then try having another outlet nearby (in your house or hotel) plugged into the same wall as your headphones to test if that might help.
If that doesn’t work, then you may need to buy a specialized extension cable or converter so that your headphones can connect to an external source.
Do not wrap the cord around your devices
If you are already wearing your headphones, do not put any weight or thick cables in place of the headphones. The only time this would be necessary is if you had two different sizes of headphones or one had a thicker cord and the other a thinner one.
If you are using standard headphone sized cords, do not put any kind of case or weight on the phone to prevent it from tangling. If you have large heads or large headphone buds, make sure to buy small sized ones to ensure proper fit.
General tips: Avoid pulling on the headphone cord too hard while using it, and do not let your headphones fall off while walking or running because that can cause damage to them. If you have to take them off when they need replacing, let them fall onto soft ground so they do not hurt themselves before they get bruised or broken.
Keep them away from small children
Children can be very curious about electronics and what they do. When they try listening to your headphones for a minute or two, they may feel compelled to touch or move things on or off of them. This can cause them to release their hold on the headphones as soon as the song or noise stopes.
This is why it is important to supervise your children when playing with headphones. Make sure that they do not listen to the headset for too long before putting it on and sitting down.
It is also important to keep away from headphones that have substantial amounts of noise-cancelling technology. The design of these headsets make it almost impossible for a child to use without having some degree of hearing loss.
Simply because children do not understand how much sound goes into achieving this level of noise cancellation does seem like a missed opportunity to them.
Do not store them near pets
It is very important not to store your headphones near any pets as they could get tangled. If you have a dog or a child who likes to play with your headphones, avoid placing them in the front pocket of your clothes or in the hand-me-down style headphone case.
Instead, keep them in the packaging they came in, or the case they were shipped in. If you have children, make sure they do not play with your headphones as they can result in headphone damage.
If you have an iPhone or Android device, do not store your headphones beside the charging cord because that could result in short circuit of electricity which could destroy your device. Instead, put them on an external speaker or headband to prevent them from getting stuck.
Only use quality hair ties to knot their headphone cables because these can result in accidentally tangling them and losing signal or pulling off the headband which would send sound through it.
Wash the headphones wire carefully
When washing your headphones, make sure to pay special attention to the wire.
To prevent aymnophones from getting tangled, you can always keep a small piece of paper or a plastic wrap wrapped around the wire.
Washing the headphones can also help remove any oil, perfume, or other stains that may have accumulated. To prevent breaking one of these stains, make sure to wash them with warm water and detergent.
To prevent your headphone’s cases from wearing off, make sure to case them with good quality material. Avoid cheap plastic cases that may melt when exposed to heat and coldness, because they may break after a little use.
And lastly, if you have children who are difficult to talk to or age limit for switching out devices, then get rid of those! Keeping your headphones handy will help keep them from tangling and/or breaking.