How to clean xbox one controller without taking it apart

Without dismantling your Xbox controller, here’s how to clean it.

The majority of Xbox controller cleaning jobs only require an exterior sweep. Even though your controller appears to be in good condition, you should clean it thoroughly. Sweat and dust can quickly accumulate in the cracks of your controller, and even if you can’t see it, it’s almost certainly there. Here’s everything you’ll need to clean your Xbox controller without disassembling it:

• Cotton swabs are a type of cotton swab that is used to clean
• Toothpicks
• A microfiber cloth is a type of cloth that is made up of tiny fibres.
• Isopropyl alcohol is a kind of alcohol (70 percent or higher)
• Compressed air in a can
• Bottle for spraying (optional)

Depending on the quantity of isopropyl alcohol in your system, you may also require water. A bottle of isopropyl alcohol must contain at least 70% alcohol and 30% water in order to be considered “rubbing alcohol.” You may need to dilute your bottle with water if it has a greater percentage. But don’t go crazy; isopropyl alcohol is still the best cleaning solution.

The clean-up

You can use an air compressor to remove surface dust if you have one, but be careful. An air stream with too much force may push crumbs and dust deeper into your controller.

Now that the big stuff is out of the way, wipe down your controller with your microfiber cloth. The idea is to clean your controller of dust before using the microfiber cloth, as the more junk that is stuck in your cloth, the less effective it will be. If you’re having trouble, you can use a spray bottle to mix a little water with your isopropyl alcohol (the aim is a 50/50 combination).

Allow your controller to dry when you’ve finished. naturally. Because the remaining moisture will attract lint from towels, paper towels, and tissues, it’s best to let the air do its job rather than physically drying your controller.

Crevices and buttons

Now that the surface has been cleaned, it’s time to focus on the intricacies. Gently dip a cotton swab into your isopropyl alcohol (no extra water this time). You don’t want the swab to be dripping with alcohol; you simply want it wet enough to cover all of the cleaning surfaces. Clean the buttons, thumb sticks, d-pad, and triggers of your controller with it, making sure to lightly cover these surfaces with alcohol.  You don’t want to drown them, but there should be enough to rinse off any residue.

You may find that a single sweep isn’t enough for some spots as you work your way around the controller. If that’s the case, use a clean cotton swab lightly soaked in isopropyl alcohol to go over them again. Allow your controller to dry naturally once more. Because rubbing alcohol dries quickly, you shouldn’t have to wait long.

Take a dry toothpick and carefully scrape the controller’s seams. Even though you can’t see it, there’s probably oil from your hands on the floor. In the folds of your controller, you’ll find your home. Repeat the process on the textured surface of the thumb sticks and the edge of the d-pad. It’s possible that you’ll have to go over the thumb sticks a few times. The ribbed ring at the top has a propensity for capturing and concealing the oil.

Digital Trends/Jacob Roach

You should also look behind your battery cover. Despite utilizing a reasonably fresh controller, we disc gently poke around the headphone jack, accessory port, and Micro USB connector with a different dry toothpick. The essential word here is “gently.” The purpose of this procedure is to remove any crumbs that may have made their way inside the ports rather than to clean them. If you press down too hard, you risk destroying the port, so be cautious.

Finally, immerse a third toothpick in alcohol for a few seconds (the higher the percentage, the better for this step). Clean the ports on your controller with this one, but be cautious not to press down too hard. Allow the alcohol to dry naturally.

After that, test your controller by pressing all of the buttons and making sure the ports function. You’re done if everything checks out. To keep your controller working, simply repeat this cleaning step every month or so. If you’re having trouble with squishy buttons, though, you’ll need to disassemble your controller.

Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the outside of your Xbox One controller to remove fingerprints, dirt, and other smudges. This should help get rid of a lot of the dust that collects on top of electronic devices, especially those that have been sitting on shelves or behind TV stands for a long time. Microsoft does not advocate attempting to open your gaming controller yourself, and any internal repairs should be handled by a professional. Microsoft also advises against using any form of liquid cleanser, as even cautious use might cause moisture to collect inside your controller. If you find any extra build-up in the buttons or ports of your controller, use a can of compressed air to carefully remove it. These cans are available in both low-cost and high-cost versions.

Another thing to remember while cleaning your Xbox One controller is that you should never spray dirt directly on the screen. The dirt is transferred inside the circuit board, where it can disable your Xbox One controller before you even notice it! Always make a back-up cleaning of the screen. Using a microfiber cloth, spray the screen. If the screen is accidently broken, it can be readily replaced with the same clean cloth.

Close the case and remove the battery when you’ve finished cleaning your Xbox One controller. The microfiber cloth should then be placed within the enclosure. After that, rubbing the excess dirt with the microfiber cloth will remove it.