Basically, your earbuds are party central for dirt, germs, and bacteria. In a study measuring the volume of microorganisms on various surfaces, the earbuds they tested averaged almost 120,000 CFU’s, which are Colony Forming Units. So, in layman’s terms, they were gross!
The study found that earbuds had 2,700 times the number of bacteria found on a kitchen cutting board.
330 times more bacteria than a kitchen countertop.
6 times more bacteria than a faucet
Of course, not all earbuds are created equal, and the level of contamination did vary with the design of the headphones. But the takeaway is that earbuds need cleaning, not least of all because dirty earbuds can lead to ear infections by literally forcing germs into your ear canal.
