It’s likely that your fantastic hi-fi speakers are heard a lot more than they are seen, and that’s perfectly fine. But what’s wrong is that you may not have noticed all the dust, pet hair, and grime that collects on your speaker cabinets, grilles, diaphragms, tweeters, woofers, and connectors that can potentially affect their sound.
Whether it’s a set of tower speakers, bookcases (like the pictures below), or even specific Bluetooth speakers, cleaning your speakers occasionally is a great way to ensure they look and sound great for years to come. And it’s relatively easy with a few common tools you may already have on hand. Here’s how to clean your speakers.
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Clean your speaker enclosure
While all of that audio magic happens inside your speakers’ enclosures, their exterior beauty makes a great pair of speakers look great in your environment.
With regular maintenance, you shouldn’t need anything more than a damp microfiber cloth or even a clean cotton cloth to wipe dust from the speaker housing. Whether they are made of wood or MDF composite, this is your safest bet. Here’s how to safely make them look their best
Step 1: First, you’ll need two lint-free microfiber cloths. Take the first one and moisten it with a little lukewarm water. Be sure to rinse it so that it is just slightly damp, not soaked. For wood cabinets, if you have a safe wood cleaner or pre-moistened cleaning wipes, you can add them to the cloth (be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations for what’s safe first).
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Step 2: Move around the speaker, wiping in the same direction as the grain of the wood, if it’s wood.
Step 3: Now grab a second, dry microfiber cloth and go over the speaker housing again to pick up any remaining moisture. A microfiber cloth will also attract all the lint.
Clean the speaker grilles
Some hi-fi geeks think it’s sacrilegious to keep grilles — those soft fabric or hard-shell covers that fit over the front of a speaker cabinet — covering those sweet-looking drivers underneath. Sure, they can look boring, but many add an air of sophistication to a pair of speakers while protecting the woofers and tweeters underneath. But speaker grills can also attract dust, debris and pet hair, so it’s a good idea to keep them clean. Here’s how to do it without damaging them.
Step 1: If your speaker grilles are made of fabric and have only a little dust or pet hair on them, you can give a light brush once or twice with a sticky lint brush. Be sure to do this with a clean layer on the roller (not after you’ve just rolled up the sweater).
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Step 2: For a slightly more thorough cleaning, we recommend removing the grilles from the cabinet first. Many grills are attached in different ways, so if you’re not sure how to remove them, refer to the speaker manual. However, most of the time they will be attached with rubber prongs in the holes in the corners of the front of the cabinet. Gently pull the bars from the top and bottom of the cabinet fasteners. If there are screws securing them, remove them and remove the grilles.
Step 3: Without the grids, lay them on a clean surface. Using a vacuum cleaner with a soft, clean brush attachment, gently sweep the vacuum cleaner over the surface of the grill cover, being careful not to pull too hard on the fabric.
Step 4: You can also wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth. But to remove more stubborn dirt or stains, grab your cloth and with some warm water and a mild detergent, run it over the grid in gentle circular motions. With another clean cloth slightly soaked in clean water, rinse the treated area and allow it to air dry.
Step 5: Metal or plastic grates can be washed more easily with water and detergent and left to air dry or patted with a clean cloth.
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Clean the speaker woofers
Speaker woofers, or diaphragms, are the bigger drivers in the speaker cabinet, responsible for all that wonderful low-mid frequency sound and volume. They can be made of a variety of materials, including wood, silicone, polymer, Kevlar and paper. Some are more sensitive than others and can be punctured easily if you’re not careful, but many are tougher than you might think.
Step 1: For more sensitive woofers/cones, like paper ones, it’s best not to use anything wet or damp; instead, try using a soft-bristled brush (such as a paint or makeup brush) to remove dust or debris. You can also use a can of compressed electronics air to blow out any debris.
Derek Malcolm/Derek Malcolm
Step 2: Cones made of more resistant materials, such as wood or polymer, can be brushed or given a little air first. But then feel free to take your trusty damp microfiber cloth and gently wipe them down. However, be careful not to touch the center part of the dome as it may buckle.
Step 3: Wipe the cone again with a dry microfiber cloth.
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Step 4: Finally, you can also wipe down the surrounding soft rubber or foam ring around the woofer with a safe rubber care product.
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Clean your tweeters
This is the tricky part. The woofers and midranges tend to be pretty solid, but the tweeter — the tiny speaker that usually sits on top of the cabinet and handles all the treble and treble — is a different story. Made of sensitive cones and domes, diaphragms, coils and other sensitive parts, you generally don’t want to touch or wipe them at all. Instead, air is your best friend.
Grab that can of electronics compressed air again and, making sure you’re holding it at least a few inches from the tweeter, give it a few quick blasts. If you’re careful, you can also lightly brush them with a soft-bristled brush, perhaps one of those photographic blowers from the camera cleaning kit.
Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends
Please note that this post is about fairly basic cleaning of most speakers. Of course, use discretion if there is a particular dirty or stubborn stain or build-up, and you may want to consult a professional. The last thing you want to do is damage a pair of expensive speakers. It may seem scary, but keeping your precious speakers clean and dust-free will ensure they sound their best, and you only need to do it a few times a year.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: How to
Source: newstars.edu.vn