Although you may go many months with out noticing any grime in your controller, it’s in all probability affected by mud and hand oil after just a few weeks. In this information on the right way to clear your Xbox controller, we’re going to point out you the right way to get your controller trying model new.
In addition to cleansing the skin, we’re going to speak about taking aside your Xbox controller to wash the within. This is a complicated course of that might break your controller, so solely try it in the event you’re comfy coping with electronics. After you’re carried out cleansing your Xbox controller, make sure to learn our information on cleansing your PS4 controller.
How to wash your Xbox controller with out taking it aside
Most Xbox controller cleansing jobs require nothing greater than an exterior sweep. Still, even when your controller appears comparatively clear, you need to give it a full cleansing. Sweat and dirt can simply construct up within the crevices of your controller, and though chances are you’ll not see the buildup, it’s virtually actually there. Here’s what you’ll want to wash your Xbox controller with out taking it aside:
Cotton swabs
Toothpicks
A microfiber material
Isopropyl alcohol (70% or greater)
Canned compressed airl
Spray bottle (optionally available)
You might have water as nicely, relying on the proportion of your isopropyl alcohol. In order to be thought-about “rubbing alcohol,” a bottle of isopropyl alcohol must be a minimum of 70% alcohol to 30% water. If your bottle has a better share, chances are you’ll must dilute it with water. Don’t go overboard, although; isopropyl alcohol remains to be the really useful cleansing medium.
The sweep
Start through the use of your can of compressed air to blow away any floor mud, pet hair, or human hair from the face of your controller. If you will have an air compressor, you too can use that to wash floor mud, however watch out. Too highly effective of an air stream might push crumbs and dirt deeper into your controller.
With the big bits out of the best way, give your controller a rubdown utilizing your microfiber material. The objective is to take away issues like mud out of your controller earlier than utilizing the microfiber material, because the extra junk that will get caught in your material will make it much less efficient. If you’re having a tough time, you may combine just a little little bit of water along with your isopropyl alcohol inside a sprig bottle (the objective is a 50/50 combine).
Lightly dampen your microfiber material with the spray and run over the controller once more, paying shut consideration to the internal area between buttons and the undersides of the thumbsticks. After you’re carried out, go away your controller to dry naturally. The leftover moisture will pull lint from towels, paper towels, and tissues, so it’s finest to let the air do its work somewhat than drying off your controller manually.
Buttons and crevices
With the floor cleaned, it’s time to maneuver on to the small print. Grab a cotton swab and gently dip it in your isopropyl alcohol (no additional water this time). You don’t need the swab to be dripping, simply saturated sufficient in order that alcohol covers the entire cleansing surfaces. With it, gently clear your controller’s buttons, thumbsticks, d-pad, and triggers, being positive to flippantly cowl these surfaces with alcohol. You don’t wish to drown them, however you do need sufficient on there to wash off any residue.
Jacob Roach/Digital TrendsAs you’re employed your approach across the controller, chances are you’ll discover {that a} single sweep isn’t sufficient for some areas. If that’s the case, run over them once more with a brand new cotton swab flippantly soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Again, go away your controller to dry naturally. Rubbing alcohol dries in a short time, so that you shouldn’t be ready too lengthy.
Now, take a dry toothpick and gently scrape the seams of the controller. Although chances are you’ll not see it, there’s seemingly oil out of your arms that’s discovered a house within the creases of your controller. Repeat this course of on the sting of the d-pad and on the textured floor of the thumbsticks. You might must go over the thumbsticks a couple of occasions. The textured ring on the prime has a knack for trapping and hiding the oil out of your arms.
Jacob Roach/Digital TrendsYou might wish to examine underneath your battery cowl, too. During our teardown, we even discovered oil buildup there, regardless of utilizing a comparatively new controller.
With a special dry toothpick, gently poke across the headphone jack, accent port, and micro-USB connection. “Gently” is the key phrase right here. The objective of this step isn’t to wash these ports, however somewhat to take away any crumbs which will have made their approach inside. You additionally run the chance of damaging the port in the event you press too exhausting, so watch out.
Finally, take a 3rd toothpick and flippantly soak it in alcohol (the upper the proportion, the higher for this step). Use this one to wash the ports in your controller, once more being cautious to not press down too exhausting. Once once more, go away the alcohol to dry naturally.
Once that’s carried out, check your controller out, guaranteeing all of the buttons really feel proper and the ports work. If every thing checks out, you’re carried out. Simply repeat this cleansing course of each month or so to maintain your controller working. If, nonetheless, you’re experiencing mushy buttons, you’ll must take your controller aside.
How to take aside an Xbox One controller
If you continue to have extra cleansing to do, you’ll must take aside your Xbox controller. Although the cleansing course of above works for Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, we’re going to cowl the right way to take aside an Xbox One controller particularly. It ought to go with out saying, however that is a complicated course of, so try it at your personal danger.
Before stepping into it, right here’s what you’ll want:
A plastic pry device
Precision screwdriver with TR8 bit
Magnetic components tray
Soldering iron (optionally available and never really useful)
First, take the batteries out of your controller. In addition to eradicating the chance of electrocuting your self, there’s a hidden screw within the battery bay that you simply’ll want entry to. We’ll get again to that in a minute.
You’ll must take away the deal with covers. Depress one of many triggers and use the opening to wedge your plastic pry device into the controller. Don’t go too deep, although. The objective is to softly pry the deal with cowl away from the physique, not injury any of the interior elements. Work your approach across the fringe of the deal with, rocking forwards and backwards with just a little little bit of pressure.
Jacob Roach/Digital TrendsYou’ll must pry the deal with cowl away, however don’t pressure it. Rocking forwards and backwards ought to produce a collection of clicks, signifying that the plastic bits holding the controller collectively have come aside.
With them eliminated, you’ll discover 4 screws, two on every deal with. Unscrew them utilizing a TR8 bit, being cautious to not strip them. If you’ve by no means used this kind of bit, it’s for Torx heads, which seem like a star with six factors. It’s unattainable to take away these screws with a Phillips-head screwdriver, and though you could possibly match a flathead screwdriver inside, you’ll virtually actually strip the screws earlier than eradicating them.
Carefully take away the screws and place them in your magnetic components tray comparable to their place on the controller (prime left screw goes within the prime left of your tray, for instance). Finally, grip the entrance of the controller and gently poke on the sticker within the battery bay. You’ll discover a small gap. Puncture it along with your screwdriver gently to disclose one other screw.
Jacob Roach/Digital TrendsAt this level, this screw is the one factor holding your controller collectively, so make sure to grip the physique when eradicating it. Once it’s out, you may freely take away the again by knocking down and again. The entrance ought to fall proper off.
Between the 2, you’ll discover the bones of the controller. Everything remains to be held in place, simply with just a little extra room. Again, clear across the buttons and thumbsticks utilizing a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol. This is fairly straightforward to do, as there’s a plastic cowl internally that holds the buttons in place.
Jacob Roach/Digital TrendsThis is the place we suggest stopping. In order to appropriately take away the motherboard, you’ll must desolder some factors on the board, in addition to take away two small Torx screws. If you’re feeling courageous, we suggest following IFixIt’s button substitute information for Xbox One controllers. If your controller nonetheless isn’t clear at this level, although, you need to search out knowledgeable restore service.
What to do in case your Xbox One controller has a button jammed
Jacob Roach/Digital TrendsIf you will have a button jammed, the almost certainly perpetrator is a rogue crumb that’s labored its approach between the controller face and the button. Following the exterior cleansing course of above intently, you need to be capable to repair any mushy or sticky buttons you will have. If not, although, there’s an issue inside your controller.
We suggest intently cleansing round the issue button as soon as the controller is disassembled. If that also doesn’t resolve your drawback, there could also be one thing between the button and the connection pad in your controller’s motherboard. In that case, we suggest in search of out knowledgeable restore service.
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