If you’ve had a smartphone for long enough, there’s a good chance that you’ve one day found yourself faced with one of its biggest enemies: clothes pilling. These small textile debris actually have an unfortunate tendency to lodge in the ports of our phones, rendering some of their functions inoperable.
If your mobile device seems to have a faulty contact at its charging port or jack socket, a little elbow grease could save the situation. No need to replace the part or change the phone: an old toothbrush and a few cotton buds could help you out. As the boss of iFixit explained recently, these cavities are in a way “the navel of our smartphones” ; so you need to give them a clean from time to time.
Usage warning
Avoid cleaning your smartphone ports with metal tools as much as possible. A good needle might seem like the best method for scraping out the lint nestled at the bottom of your charging port, but the contacts on the charging jack could get damaged in the process.
Also forget the good old method of blowing into the port to dislodge foreign bodies. Both your phone and your NES game cartridge could be damaged due to the humidity generated.
First of all, check for debris
If you notice that the charging cable of your phone or headphones is no longer holding as well as before, the first thing to do is to check for pilling inside. To do this, take a flashlight or the flash of another phone to practice a little amateur archeology in the cavities. If you see irregular shapes at the bottom of the port or you are unable to see it, there is no doubt that stuffed animals have nestled in there.
Toothbrush or toothpick
Don’t have any specialized tools on hand? Do not panic ! It is possible to clean your device with everyday objects. You probably have a toothbrush (preferably dry) lying around, so you can try gently inserting the bristles into your port and scrubbing. Make sure that these “frame” the connector well in the center (in the case of the charging port) to dislodge the pilling above and below the socket. The result is often more conclusive with hard-bristled toothbrushes.
Without a backup toothbrush, a simple wooden toothpick can also do the trick. Then gently scrape all around the connector to try to dislodge any debris. Be careful not to go too suddenly, you risk breaking pieces in the port and making the situation worse.
Cotton swab, isopropyl alcohol and dry air can
If none of the above methods have worked, you can do what you can by using specialized tools and consumables. Turn off your smartphone first, then try cleaning your port using a cotton swab dipped in three drops of isopropyl alcohol (99% preferably). This solvent evaporates quickly and leaves few traces, minimizing the risk of short circuit. However, let everything dry well before reconnecting your phone. If your cotton swabs are too thick, you can also try attaching a piece of cotton to a toothpick.
Happy owner of a dry air bomb? Try swiping it around the perimeter of the connector to dislodge any remaining debris.