Headset Hygiene & Etiquette

Your headset collects dirt and germs over time. Though there isn’t always visible grime, bacteria and dirt collect nonetheless. As a standard, your headset should be cleaned once every six months. Since the device is dirtiest in and around your ear cushions/buds and mic, we recommend replacing the ear cushions & windscreen and giving the whole apparatus a wipe down. It’s important to use alcohol-free sanitary wipes for this, since alcohol and other harsh chemicals can degrade your headset. For the same reason, try to keep creams and lotions away from your headset as much as possible in day-to-day use. If you use a hand cream, wipe your hands before adjusting your headset. Another easy way to ruin a headset is by eating carelessly. If you plan on snacking while you’re wearing your device, move the microphone out of the way to keep crumbs from getting in the windscreen and mic holes. This word of advice comes right from our repairs department. Some of the mic windscreens that our previous repairs technician, Kumar, received were so filled with dirt, food, and makeup that he would use tweezers and gloves when cleaning them out. Use this cleaning process at least twice-a-year to make sure your headset never gets to that point.

In addition to keeping your headset clean, it’s important to take good care of it in general. If you have a wireless headset, this means charging the headset when you aren’t using it. There’s a common misconception that it is best to completely drain your headset before charging it, but that’s an urban myth. Your headset works on the same battery technology as a cordless phone— it is meant to be left charging in the base when not in-use. If you’re using a wired headset, keep your cables organized by wrapping the cord around your headset when you put it away. Make sure not to wrap the cord too tightly around your headset, since doing this can damage or bend the device. Finally, as a general rule of electronics: Don’t leave your headset in the sun. The sun will heat up the components which can cause damage or even total failure (unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer).

If you work with headsets in an office environment, there are some assumed rules that you should know. These make sure that you are being considerate to both your colleagues and clients. First, keep your voice at a regular talking volume as not to disturb your peers or their callers. If your office or call center struggles with volume levels, check out our article on Managing Noise in the Call Center or Office. Next, try not to have conversations with your those around you while you’re on a call. It’s disrespectful to both parties and worsens everybody’s experience. Also, when you’re on a conference call and you aren’t speaking, mute your mic. Nobody wants to hear your breathing, keyboard, or background noise. And finally, never take your headset into the bathroom. Not only is it gross, but it makes your office-mates uncomfortable. Should you choose to ignore this word of advice, at least try to avoid using your headset in the bathroom. Blanka from our sales team was very taken aback when she was troubleshooting with a client and could clearly tell that they were using the bathroom while talking to her. It’s a better experience for everyone to stay away from the bathroom when you’re wearing a headset.