Quick Links

  • What You lot Need
  • Cleaning Your Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons
  • Cleaning Your PlayStation DualShock Controllers
  • Cleaning Your Xbox Controller

Just like your phone, your favorite gaming controllers are admittedly smothered in germs, and it'southward about time y'all cleaned them up. This is specially important if you lot recently had friends over to play some split-screen games. You don't know if they have skilful handwashing practices!

This guide covers how to clean your controllers whether yous're a PlayStation, Xbox, or a Nintendo Switch owner. Be sure to wash your hands before cleaning and don't submerge the controllers in water as this will crusade them to break.

What You Demand

Cleaning Joy-Con

For this operation, yous'll need cotton swabs, toothpicks, paper towels or a clammy cloth, and some sort of sanitizing agent. We recommend isopropyl booze as it's both cheap and unlikely to damage your controller, but other specialized cleaning agents tin exist used here too. Merely make certain whatever cleaning agent yous use won't melt rubber or plastic. Don't use water as it could corrode metal components.

In general, you will exist using cotton swabs to remove dirt and grime from in between buttons and below thumbsticks, y'all'll be using toothpicks to pick out dirt from whatever cracks are in the controller's casing, and you'll be using a cloth to apply disinfectant to your controller'southward surfaces.

Cleaning Your Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons

Cleaning Joy-Con

Since the Joy-Cons are and then small, this task will probably be the easiest of the iii and will serve equally a template for cleaning the DualShock controller and Xbox controller.

Kickoff, use a toothpick to remove dust and dirt from between the plastic casing and the various buttons on your Joy-Con. If y'all've had your Switch for a long time and have never cleaned it earlier, this could exist kinda gross. Brand sure y'all accept something to catch that dirt and grime in, or that yous have a vacuum gear up to pick it up off the floor.

Adjacent, utilise a cotton swab to remove clay from beneath the thumbsticks and where the controller would normally connect with the Switch screen. If things are particularly bad, y'all may dampen the cotton swab in booze before you begin scrubbing. Brand sure your swab isn't too damp before you brainstorm scrubbing every bit you lot don't want to get liquid inside the casing. Also, use the swab to clean in betwixt the buttons as it tin be difficult to make it there with a material.

Finally, dampen a paper towel or cloth with alcohol and give the Joy-Con a good rubdown. Any obvious stains might need a flake of actress effort but otherwise, y'all're only looking to remove whatsoever oils might have built upwardly on the controller's surface. Oils from your skin incorporate germs, then be certain to get every surface that regularly comes into contact with your hands.

Now just wait a bit for the alcohol to evaporate and you're good to get.

Cleaning Your PlayStation DualShock Controllers

PS4 Controller
via Business organization Insider

For the DualShock, follow the same procedure as the Joy-Con, start using a toothpick to scrape out clay from the controller'due south cracks, and then using a cotton swab to rub down hard-to-reach areas and between buttons, earlier finally rubbing the whole device with a cloth in rubbing alcohol.

Specific tactics for the DualShock include toothpicking around the central touchpad, which tin often receive a build-up of dead skin if information technology sees frequent utilise, as well every bit the D-pad and trigger buttons. Both thumbsticks should be swabbed thoroughly, and the connecting port should also exist given special attention. The speaker grill can also hibernate dirt, so waggle your toothpick in each grill hole to knock that dirt loose.

Different the Joy-Con, in that location's a lot of area on the DualShock to comprehend, so when wiping information technology down be mindful of the DualShock's shape.

Cleaning Your Xbox Controller

Xbox Controller
via Windows Study

The dazzler of the Xbox One controller is that it has a very uncomplicated clamshell pattern, significant there'southward actually but i seam where the two plastic halves come together. That means in that location'southward merely 1 fissure to dig with your toothpick and wiping information technology downwardly is as well easier due to the lack of touchpad.

The only existent challenge volition come at the tiptop where the Xbox I Controller has a more than complicated series of bumpers, triggers, and connecting ports. Spending some additional time here with your toothpick and cotton fiber swab volition be necessary as a result.

On the plus side, wiping down the smooth plastic surface on the Xbox One Controller will be easier than the other two, so this shouldn't result in an overall increase in cleaning time. Just remember to be as thorough as you lot were before.

Next: How To Utilise An Xbox One Controller On Android or iOS

Is Scarlet & Violet Going To Introduce Tri-Blazon Pokemon?

Read Side by side

Nigh The Writer