Unless we're talking about different stuff, those are usually done as short term use and meant to be thrown away when damaged/dirty.
this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2025
21 points (92.0% liked)
Autism
8844 readers
402 users here now
A community for respectful discussion and memes related to autism acceptance. All neurotypes are welcome.
Community:
Values
- Acceptance
- Openness
- Understanding
- Equality
- Reciprocity
- Mutuality
- Love
Rules
- No abusive, derogatory, or offensive post/comments e.g: racism, sexism, religious hatred, homophobia, gatekeeping, trolling.
- Posts do not need be related to autism, off-topic discussions are allowed. This is a safe space where people with autism can feel comfortable discussing whatever they feel like discussing, as long as it does not violate the standing rules.
- Your posts must include a text body. It doesn't have to be long, it just needs to be descriptive.
- Do not request donations.
- Be respectful in discussions.
- Do not post misinformation.
- Mark NSFW content accordingly.
- Do not promote Autism Speaks.
- General Lemmy World rules.
- No bots. Humans only.
Encouraged
- Open acceptance of all autism levels as a respectable neurotype.
- Funny memes.
- Respectful venting.
- Describe posts of pictures/memes using text in the body for our visually impaired users.
- Welcoming and accepting attitudes.
- Questions regarding autism.
- Questions on confusing situations.
- Seeking and sharing support.
- Engagement in our community's values.
- Expressing a difference of opinion without directly insulting another user.
- Please report questionable posts and let the mods deal with it.
.
Helpful Resources
- Are you seeking education, support groups, and more? Take a look at our list of helpful resources.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Spend the money and get concert earplugs. Not only will it save money (a basic set is only about $30), and fit better, but the event will sound better. Those foam ones are great to protect your ears, but they muffle the sound. Great if you're around power tools and the like, but terrible if you're at a concert
Concert earplugs (I have Loops, but there are countless options and each has its fans) lower the volume without significantly changing the sound. You can still hear your favorite songs, and they sound correct.
Love my loops but I find they still muddle certain sounds. Saw system of a down (!!!!) recently and they made serj's voice nearly inaudible.
If you are using disposable earplugs, then throw them away. I used to wash and reuse them, and got some nasty ear infections as a result. It's just not worth it. It would be batter to buy a pair of loop earplugs.
This. Please don't reuse them. They're foam. I don't care how clean or how solid they look or feel, foam is incredibly porous. Pores mean there's wonderful places for bacteria and mold to hide from soap and water. Not even soaking them in something nasty is gonna fully sterilize them to a level I'd be comfortable with placing into my body.
Grab some reusable concert or regular earplugs. They're a million times easier to clean, safer for long term use (you're not meant to wear the foam ones longer than a couple hours), and you'll skip on a lot of infections.
Get reusable ones
You can get construction ones for something like 25 pairs for $5. Just throw them out once they get dirty.
This kind of thinking is why our landfills are the way they are.
I disagree. I do reuse them a number of times, I said just when they get dirty. And they're tiny. There's more waste in a bag of chips or a fast food burger wrapper than a pair of foam earplugs.
You don't, these are single-use for a reason.
You can get this: 100 pairs for like $25
You really should throw them away. They are porous so cleaning is not going to work well. They are meant to be disposable.
Or get longer-term ones if you want better quality sound for music. I have a pair from EarPiece that I use. They have much better sound distribution, adjustable components to change the protection level, and they can be cleaned with alcohol. Plus they come with a nice case and an extra plug in a separate compartment in case you lose one while at an event.
I got some Etymotic reusable plugs and I never leave home without 'em. They come with a little carrying case, and they don't affect the frequency response of my hearing (just the overall decibel level!)
Second Etymotic, they seem to have put a lot of thought into the “how will it sound” part of the noise reduction
I would just buy a pair of Loops, come with a little carrying case as well.
My loops are in my pocket all the time and my tinnitus has gone away since I started wearing them.
Given you use them often, I would go for professional earplugs. Anything above €25~30 would be infinitely more comfortable than disposable ones, and you would still be able to understand people talking to you. If you feel extra fancy and have the cash (€150+) there're some you can adjust the level of attenuation so you could use them at a concert as well as, let say, the super market.
As others have said, they're usually disposable. If not, or if you want to try cleaning them anyway, try putting them into a mesh bag or something similar, then put them in the washing machine on a gentle wash cycle and let them dry naturally.
Obviously, try this with a small amount first, so that if they don't survive the process it's not the end of the world. If you don't have a mesh bag, a clean sock should be ok, just tie the end closed.
You can wash them in the sink with warm water and a little bit of soap too, but it's more work. Just remember to rinse them thoroughly before they go back in your ears :)
Don't, especially not with water. All it will do is create a breading ground for bacteria and lead to an ear infection. Trust me, they aren't fun.
If you must I use a little bit of bio-degradable all-purpose cleaner from ZEP, and then wipe it down again with a damp cloth; however, I've also found that the older single-use ear plugs don't work as well, so do try to get a proper pair of re-usable ones.
I'd be careful using cleaners. You probably don't want that stuff in your ears.
On top of that, trying to clean and reuse disposable earplugs can cause infections regardless of method. It's better to invest in a reusable pair like loops.
Ofc, it's a cost/benefit thing. Even though most of it's gone with the wipe down, some of it might remain and then your ear canal could get infected if it disrupts production of ear wax; however, if you can't sleep without them, well, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
A better answer would be to get something else
Sounds like those single use earplugs. ~~I'd just try a dry or damp paper towel~~. Spending more effort or money than that to clean them would probably warrant getting better, reusable earplugs; as mentioned in other comments.
Edit: Maybe don't clean them when they aren't designed to be used more than once. Ear infections are really horrible.
I wouldn't do this, it can cause ear infections
That's a very good point. I have corrected my previous comment.