Tech accessories

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

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Apply super glue to the junction where earbud wires meet the plastic housing to reinforce strain relief.
This ensures that pulling on the wire stresses the case rather than the internal terminals.
- Super glue takes longer to dry on plastic surfaces.
- Do not power on the device for a few minutes while the glue is wet.
one person who lived it
Check the letter on your earphones up close to identify the sides, preserving their look.
To preserve the look of the earphones.
one person who lived it
Gently remove lint lodged at the bottom of the headphone jack using a needle, a small paper clip, or the frayed end of a broken wooden toothpick.
These tools can extract significant amounts of debris that cause connection issues.
one person who lived it
Use earhooks or loop-around-ear designs if standard earbuds consistently fall out.
3 people, independently
- Invest in higher-quality headphones recommended by reviewers like The Wirecutter if cheap earbuds fail to stay in.1
Use compressed air duster to clean the headphone jack without inserting objects.
This avoids jamming anything into the jack while cleaning it.
one person who lived it

Avoid tying knots in earbud wires.
Knotting damages the wires, causing the earphones to stop functioning more quickly.
2 people, independently
Look for L/R markings or raised Braille-like dots on the earpieces to identify orientation.
- Cheaper in-ear models may not have these markings.
5 people, independently
- Use different colored tips for left and right earbuds to distinguish them easily.4
Clean dirty or muffled earphone grilles using adhesive poster putty.
The texture sticks together when pulled out, leaving no residue on the earphones.
one person who lived it
Avoid switching earbuds frequently to prevent awkward handling.
Switching requires awkwardly taking them out and reinserting.
one person who lived it

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Mark the right earbud casing with a distinct physical alteration, such as a scar from a knife, to identify it by touch without puncturing electronics.
one person who lived it