If you’ve ever used an iPhone, you’ll know that keeping it clean is a never-ending battle. Food and drink particles, dust, and numerous other intruders constantly try to get into your phone – but there are places where dirt tends to build up, like the lightning port. It often becomes clogged with debris almost as soon as you unbox your device and continues to get messier over time.
Fortunately, several ways can help tackle this problem and keep your phone working at peak performance for as long as possible. The charging port is an awkward little space within your iPhone that can be difficult to access.
It’s also not something we tend to think about until we notice our phone doesn’t charge properly anymore. Luckily cleaning the iPhone lightning port is surprisingly easy with just a toothbrush!
Decide Which Type of Toothbrush to Use
The first step in cleaning your iPhone is to decide which type of toothbrush to use. For the most part, any old toothbrush will do, but you may want to consider your circumstances when deciding. If you have braces, for example, you won’t be able to use a standard toothbrush on your lightning port. Braces often have a wire in the back, which can cause damage to the port and make cleaning it very difficult. If you have braces, you may also want to avoid using a standard toothbrush due to the risk of infection from saliva.
If you wear a retainer or have sensitive gums, you may also be better off using a special toothbrush for cleaning braces. These brushes usually come with softer bristles that are gentler on the gums and more likely to prevent the transmission of bacteria. Another thing to keep in mind is the length of the bristles. While most standard brushes have bristles that are too short to clean the port, some brushes will be longer which makes cleaning the port easier.
Identify the Problem
This is the first step in any cleaning process and a good habit. Before you consider cleaning your lightning port you should check for any obvious signs of a problem. It can be difficult without the aid of a microscope, but a few common issues are visible without special equipment. If your charging cable doesn’t seem to fit as well as it used to, or you’re regularly getting “accessory not supported” error messages, there might be a problem with your lightning port. It’s also important to remember that your charging port will fill up with dirt and grime over time, meaning that eventually, it may need cleaning regardless of whether there are visible issues. All these issues can lead to your iPhone not charging properly. Or worse, not charging at all.
How to Clean an iPhone Charging Port with a Toothbrush
Now that you know what to look for, let’s get down to the cleaning process. There are three main steps to remember while cleaning your iPhone charging port with a toothbrush:
– Prep the toothbrush
– Clean the port
– Clean the bristles
Prep the Toothbrush
This one may seem a little obvious, but you’ll want to make sure your toothbrush is clean before using it. You don’t want to push dirt further into your phone by transferring it from the brush to the port. You can clean the brush by running it under warm water or giving it a quick scrub with a toothbrush cleaner.
Clean the Port
This is the hardest part of the process and where most people go wrong when cleaning their lightning port. The key to successful cleaning is to make sure you’re getting inside the port itself. Most people try to clean the outside of the port and that’s simply not enough to get rid of dirt and debris. If you’re struggling to clean the inside of your port with a toothbrush you could try using a cotton swab instead. Using a cotton swab makes it much easier to clean the inside of the port because you have more control over the movement of the swab.
Clean the Bristles
Once you’ve finished cleaning your port, you’ll want to move on to the bristles of your toothbrush. This is where most people go wrong! That’s because there’s a lot of misinformation out there about how to clean a toothbrush. You don’t need to soak your toothbrush in anti-bacterial soap every time you use it. Doing so can be harmful to your health. You should clean the bristles of your toothbrush after every use, but you only need to use warm water and a little bit of toothpaste.
How to Clean Your Lightning Port Without a Toothbrush?
While we think using a toothbrush is the best approach, there are a few other methods you can try if you don’t have access to a suitable brush. You can try using a cotton swab, but make sure you follow the instructions outlined above and clean the inside of the port correctly. You could also try grabbing a pencil eraser. Believe it or not, pencil erasers are surprisingly effective at cleaning out the inside of your port. Just make sure you don’t push too hard and cause damage. You could also try a small amount of rubbing alcohol, but don’t pour it into your port. Instead, use a cotton swab or pencil eraser to clean the inside of the port and then wipe it out with rubbing alcohol.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve found this article useful. The above-mentioned methods can help clean the charging port of your iPhone with ease. While cleaning the port may seem like a trivial and unimportant task, it can make a big difference to the overall performance of your phone. A cleaner charging port leads to fewer errors and connection issues, meaning less time troubleshooting and more time with your phone.