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What would you do with the filfthy headphones?

  • I'd use them after a good sterilization.

    Votes: 14 31.1%
  • I'd use them right after finding them on the floor, because I have no problem.

    Votes: 2 4.4%
  • I'd toss them.

    Votes: 2 4.4%
  • Its not such a big deal.

    Votes: 8 17.8%
  • A little bit of wiping on the sleeve would do.

    Votes: 19 42.2%

  • Total voters
    45

Hummer

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sooo today is the first time I've ever had my earbuds touch the floor of a subway car. I was taking my iPhone out of my pocket when, plop. There they went onto the germ covered subway car floor. Now after 15 minutes of sterilizing I'm still skeptical about using them and thinking about ditching them for a new pair. All of the stuff I've seen, smelled, and stepped in on the subway I don't know what could have been in that spot before I dropped my earbuds. I've seen some people dragging their headphones along behind them unknowingly only to just put them back in their pockets and keep going.

Would you keep the headphones or would you toss them for a new pair?
 
Well if it was a DC metro car I'd say, no problem. But, a NY subway. Uck.

Anyways, alcohol should do the trick. Don't throw them out. They are perfectly fine after a good scrub.
 
Guess I'm in the "A little bit of wiping on the sleeve would do" category. In fact, I doubt the thoughts of a thorough cleaning would have even occurred to me.

Your ear is no different than your hand, and you picked 'em up without giving it a second thought, right?
 
5 second rule? 😀



I'd say there fine after a good cleaning. Cleaning them would've never even crossed my mind, I'd just put them back on. I really don't think you'll catch anything that you wouldn't catch by touching anything else on the subway car with your hand
 
I have those Bose headphones with the rubber bit on them that always falls off. One evening I lost one on threat to work and didn't have time to look for it. I found it the next morning on the way home, it had been raining all night and it was next to a bin. Still, it looked clean enough so I popped it straight back in. I'm still alive and my ears's fine, now that the boils have settled.
 
Keep them, I highly doubt you'll catch anything.

I'm one of those mentioned people who have had my headphones trailing on the floor behind me for about an hour in town before. I popped them back into my pocket, gave them a quick wipe down and back in the ear.

Still no ear infections to date.😀
 
are they slightly damaged (scuffs scratches)? cause then you can convince yourself you need a new pair. Thats how I bought my first mac when the hd in my xp laptop died.
 
I probably wouldn't even wipe them on my sleeve....

That's going by the London tube though.
 
I'm funny about things like that so I would not wear them until I got home and cleaned them with that dry hand gel that they use in hospitals lol 😱
 
You mean that gel that doesn't work? 😛
LOL don't
errr.gif
 
I don't trust soap that doesn't require water. Come on, is it magic soap or something? I want stuff to be washed away.

If I see them hit the floor, I put them back into my ear and never think twice.
 
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