Protect Your Earbuds

Avoid spending a small fortune buying earbuds. This article shows you how to prolong the life of your buds.

Steps

Bind the end caps to the ear buds with glue. The end caps are very easy to pop off and when they do come off, damaging the little wires inside will render your ear bud useless.
Bind a loop of the earbud cable to the earbud with some sewing thread to keep the cord from getting pulled out of your buds.
- With a file or a knife, nick the section, that the thread will be wrapped on, so the thread will not slide down.
- To keep the thread in place, try melting a groove in the plastic with a hot, wand iron or a hot knife.
- To further solidify the thread wrapping, paint over it with nail polish, floor wax, varnish, or fabric glue.
- If you have not fortified the cord to the earbud, handle the earbud in the proper way. When removing it, even when in a hurry, do not yank on the cord, instead grasp the earbud (not the cord).
Accidentally dunking an earbud in a mug or a cup is another problem and there just a fair chance that your earbuds will work later.
- Put a little post-it at your desk with the message: "Do Not Drop Earbuds in Mug".
- Artist types - draw a mug with earbuds over it and put and X over the picture.
- If you do drop your earbuds in liquid: 1) disconnect the earbuds immediately,and 2) Do not reconnect it until after you have extracted the liquid and your earbuds are totally dry. See articles on reviving a wet cellphone and where a little vacuum cleaner is used to extract the water.

When wrapping with thread, use 10 clove hitches instead and then, finally, use a modified square knot.
If you are using your earbuds away from home, make it look presentable by choosing the right color of thread and by wrapping it neatly.