You can clean your iPhone’s charging port by spraying a can of compressed air. Wooden toothpicks, cotton, or paper products such as q tips, cotton swabs, or paper towels are also proper and non-abrasive ways of cleaning the charging port of your iPhone.
Have you found yourself trying and failing to charge your iPhone and wondered how to clean iPhone charging? The possible reason for an obstructed charging port might be dirt and debris collecting in the port. There is no need to worry about it as there are a few ways to clean the port.
We will cover a thoroughly detailed guide on how you can clean out your charging port at home by yourself.
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How To Clean iPhone Charging Port at Home? A Complete Cleaning Guide
The first thing you need to do when your iPhone charging port is not working is to check the lightning cable, your power source, and the connection. If you have checked all these and found no issues with them, a dirty charging port might be why you have an obstructed charging port now.
The iPhone’s lightning port can store debris and bits of dust and lint over time. When you plug in the charger, it pushes the dirt and debris deeper into the port. This leads to you having a dirty enough charging port, which refrains the connector from receiving electric signals.
There is no need to run to the professionals and spend money to get this fixed when you can simply fix it at home. All you need is the proper materials and instructions to help you out.
Here is a complete guide on how to clean the charging port of your iPhone:
Step 1: Turn Off Your iPhone
First, make sure that your iPhone certainly is powered off. You will find the power button top on the top or the side of the iPhone. Press and hold down the button until the on-screen slider pops up. Then, drag it to power off the iPhone.
Alternatively, You can go to Settings. Then click on General. Lastly, turn it off by pressing Power Off.
Step 2: Look Deep Into the Charging Port
To realize and locate what exactly is blocking the charging port, you have to look deep inside it. Shine a bright flashlight directly to the charging port or put the port under a bright LED lamp.
The brighter the light, the better you will find the dirt buildup. Inspect the edges on the inside of the charging port. You will soon have an idea of what is constructing the pathway.
Step 3: Clean the Insides with the Proper Material
You have a few options for cleaning out the port safely. No metal components should be used in the process as it could lead to electronic shocks. You can use specific paper or cotton products safely inside the port.
Clean the Charging Port with Compressed Air:
Experts always recommend using compressed air to clean out the charging ports. Short bursts of compressed air sprayed into the charging port can clean the post quickly and effectively.
The steps to Clean the iPhone Charging Port With Compressed Air are as mentioned below –
Step-1: Hold a can of compressed air directly to the charging port. Don’t hold it too close to the port that it touches the insides of the charging port. Additionally, don’t try and stick the nozzle inside the charging port at any point.
Step-2: Press down on the nozzle. Ensure the sprays come in short bursts instead of long hefty sprays.
Step-3: Wait for a few seconds for the dust to clear up completely.
Step-4: Plug in your charger again and check if it is working now.
Clean the Charging Port With a Toothpick:
If you have already tried cleaning the charging port with a can of compressed air and failed, you will need something more practical to do the job.
A wooden toothpick is a preferred tool for cleaning the charging port since it is more flexible and softer. It successfully removes the buildup of debris or lint inside the charging port.
The steps to Clean the iPhone Charging Port With a wooden toothpick are as mentioned –
Step-1: Place the toothpick on a cotton ball to wrap the cotton around it for extra padding. Twist the toothpick on the cotton ball, and it should start catching the cotton and roll it up in a ball.
Step-2: Insert the toothpick carefully inside the charging port.
Step-3: Gently swipe it around on the inside. The dirt should be coming off in a swipe or two soon.
Step-4: If no dirt is coming off and there is grime inside, put a little pressure onto your hold and gently swipe again.
Step-5: Don’t scrape the insides too hard, or you might scratch the surface of the edges of the port.
Step-6: Plug in your charger again and check if it is charging now.
Clean the charging port with Cotton And Alcohol:
Sometimes the grime buildup on the inside of the charging port is too sticky to remove with a toothpick or compressed air. In those cases, the best idea is to use a cotton swab or q tip dipped in alcohol to clean the charging port.
The steps to clean the iPhone charging port with cotton and alcohol are –
Step-1: Dip the top of a q tip in a small amount of rubbing alcohol.
Step-2: Insert the q tip inside the charging port.
Step-3: Gently scrape over the edges of the charging port repeatedly.
Step-4: Circle the insides of the port with the q tip thoroughly until you can remove all the grimes inside.
Step-5: Wait for 2 to 3 minutes for the port to dry up correctly from the rubbing alcohol.
Step-6: Plug in your charger again and check if it is charging now.
If none of the methods and tools mentioned above work for you, you must take your iPhone to the Apple service center. The experienced professionals will use proper cleaning tools and methods to clean the charging port. They use tiny vacuum cleaners to clean the lightning port without any damage.
How To Remove Water Out Of Your Charging Port?
If your iPhone or iPad gets soaked in water, chances are that the charging port requires some extra care. After all, it’s quite difficult to reach the port with wipes or cotton swabs (neither is recommended).
To remove water from your iPhone’s charging port, do the following-
- Slowly tap the phone against your palm with the port facing downward.
- Place the iPhone in a well-ventilated area and let the water drain out by itself.
- Place your phone against a wall or vertical surface with the charging port uncovered and facing downward.
- Do not keep your phone in a bowl of rice or silica gel.
- Avoid using cotton swabs, paper napkins, cloth, or any other moisture-wicking devices.
- Do not blow hot air with a hair dryer or compressed air as it can force the water further into the charging port.
How To Prevent The Charging Port From Being Dirty?
Maintaining proper hygiene and cleaning out the port of your iPhone is the only way you can prevent this from happening.
There is dirt and dust everywhere around us. No matter how safe and protected you keep the iPhone, small specks of dust will eventually get in and build up. After long usage, this dirt can even transform into sticky grimes and affect the charging process.
You can use the methods mentioned above to keep your ports clean. Just perform a cleaning session every few months to prevent any grimes from building up. To clean your charging port, you can use a cotton swab or wooden toothpick safely.
FAQs
You might have a few questions after learning about these new methods of cleaning the charging port of the iPhone. This section will answer some of the most common questions regarding this process.
What is the easiest way to clean the charging port?
Using a can of compressed air is the easiest way of cleaning the charging port. Only a few short bursts of compressed air applied properly can clean up the clogged port in the shortest time.
Can I use a toothbrush to clean the iPhone charging port?
Yes, you can use a toothbrush to clean the iPhone charging port. It is not the ideal option to get all the dirt out. But rubbing the soft bristles of the toothbrush along the edge can clean up the port to a certain level.
Can I use a paperclip to clean the iPhone charging port?
No, you can not use a paperclip to clean the iPhone charging port. Inserting any kind of metal components inside the charging port is discouraged. It can damage the insides and cause electrical shorts at any time.
Bottom Line
Now that you know the methods and the process of cleaning the charging port of your iPhone, you should utilize it properly. Maintaining the hygiene of your iPhone is a must to keep your device in good shape for a long time.
So, for your convenience, we have added several solutions to your question about – how to clean iPhone charging ports at home. Use several cleaning methods periodically to keep your phone screen, speakers, and charging port clean.
If your charging port refuses to connect to the charger no matter what method you use, taking the iPhone to a professional will be the best bet.
Meanwhile, you can use wireless chargers to charge your iPhone until that problem gets sorted out. Qi and MagSafe are two of the most helpful wireless charging options you can choose until your charging port starts working again.