I consider having a clean controller necessary to play games well. Over time, controllers get dirty, whether it be from dust, sweat, or tears from playing rough matches or environmental factors that we cannot control.
Regardless, it is best to keep your controllers clean. Today I’ll be calling you out on the spots that you probably don’t think about. Although I will be using my pink Xbox Wireless Controller for the image examples, this advice can also apply to Sony, Nintendo, and retro controllers as well.
Dead Skin Can Get Trapped in the Seams of Your Controllers
Not a lot of people think about this, but we lose a lot of microscopic pieces of dead skin daily. Usually, we do not see this skin falling off. However, if you check the sides of any old controller that’s been well-used, you will see quite a bit of old skin.
This was something that I did not know could happen until I started working at a second-hand video game store. Most of the “well-used” controllers that come in have a lot of dead skin trapped within their seams. This leads to some controllers looking more worn down, with rare cases of there being so much dead skin that both sides of the case started to separate from each other at the seam.
In order to clean the seams of your controller, you will need a thin-tipped object which can be anything like a nail cleaner, toothpick, or dental tools. Carefully run the tip of these objects down any seams on the controller to push out dead skin trapped within before wiping it with a microfibre cloth to pick up any remaining debris.
As gross as cleaning this can get, it’s better that you do this often than to avoid letting the skin build-up.
The Cables and Ports Still Need to Be Cared For
Due to most modern consoles having wireless controllers, this is an area that many people do not clean often. I would advise you not to overlook this as sometimes wireless controllers can lose juice, requiring them to be plugged in. There are also cases where controllers may need to be used with their original wires due to Bluetooth failing.
As annoying as it is having to deal with wires in the 2020’s, they are still very important to the life of your controllers. Another spot to be mindful of is the ports that these wires connect with, especially the one in your controller. As a general rule, you should be diligent when connecting anything to ports. However, shoving things into objects is a human action that a lot of us cannot restrain ourselves from doing. The chances of breaking these ports increase when they are dirty, which is why it is important to keep them clean.
The best way to clean wires would be by spraying a rag or paper towel with your cleaning spray of choice, which is approved for use on electronics, and wrapping them around the cord. After wrapping, slide the rag down the wire slowly to pick up any dust and grime that has attached to it. In this process, be sure that there are no tangles in your cords or rips on the PVC as exposed wires can potentially make plugging them dangerous.
To clean the ports, all you need is a Q-tip that has been moistened with isopropyl alcohol to gently scrub on them. To ensure that there are no standing liquids, you can gently tap off the Q-tip on a paper towel before scrubbing the insides of the ports. Be sure that the alcohol has fully evaporated before using your cable again.
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You Could Break Your Controller by Not Cleaning the Battery Compartment
If there is one spot that I want you to remember to clean, it is this one. Although many controllers are moving away from disposable batteries, there are still several wireless devices that use batteries. Despite being covered by a case, the battery compartment is still a very important place to keep clean, as if it gets too dirty it could render the whole controller out of commission.
One of the main ways that this area can get dirty is from the batteries themselves. If you leave a dead battery in a controller, it can corrode over time which will lead to the whole compartment being covered in battery acid. Depending on the leak or level of corrosion, it could be too late to clean as the battery acid can make touching the controller dangerous.
The best way to maintain this area of your controller is by changing the batteries when needed, as well as removing the batteries from the controller if it is about to go unused for a prolonged period of time. Even if a battery is not being actively used, they can still break or corrode as time wears on in storage.
I also recommend a quick scrub of the area with a toothbrush that has disinfectant spray approved for use on electronics on the bristles. You do not need to soak the area, but keeping it clean from dust and dirt will help prolong the lifespan of the controller. Just make sure that the battery compartment is dry before putting the batteries back in, failure to do so will increase the likelihood of corrosion.
Before the disposal of any batteries, be sure to check what type they are as there may be different steps to get rid of them. If your batteries are rechargeable (lithium-ion or nickel), you should be able to bring them to most big-name stores like Best Buy or Walmart to recycle. Meanwhile, if they’re one-time use (alkaline, zinc-carbon), you will need to check your local community’s battery disposal policies before disposing them.
For more information about what to do with used batteries in the US, please refer to the EPA’s recommendations on their website.
The Grime on the Far Sides of Your Thumbsticks
Lastly, one of the spots that is easy to forget while cleaning controllers is somewhere that you’d be surprised is often overlooked: the sides of the thumbsticks.
Although it is one of the things gamers use the most while playing games, many people do not througoughly clean their thumbsticks. Wiping down your controller does help make them look clean, however, you can miss some spots where dust and dirt can build up overtime. There is a higher likelihood that they could get stuck during gameplay, or worse, lead to the sticks having drift if the sides of the thumbsticks are left unchecked.
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One of the best ways to clean the thumbsticks of your controllers is by using a toothbrush to scrub them down. While cleaning, be sure to get the bristles of the brush into the far sides of the edge. To help see where there could still be some dirt, move the sticks all of the way to the sides to ensure you check every part of them.
Like with the battery compartment, make sure you do not soak your controller while scrubbing to avoid getting standing liquid inside the device.
Hopefully these tips will help you make sure that you keep your controllers clean! Although these won’t prevent the normal wear and tear that our devices get with time, properly cleaning them will ensure that they’ll have a longer lifespan.
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