[gohanssjn]

Been using the small Shure Olive sleeves for a while now and they are due for a good cleaning. What is the best way to go about this?

I've seen hydrogen-peroxide mentioned on another forum, but did not know if this would be damaging to the foam.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[ClieOS]

Pharmacy graded hydrogen-peroxide (usually 5% or less solution) is fine, but olive probably don't need it. I usually just hold it b/w my fingers, rinse it slightly, than wipe it clean and allow it to dry naturally.

 

[Sugarfried]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pharmacy graded hydrogen-peroxide (usually 5% or less solution) is fine, but olive probably don't need it. I usually just hold it b/w my fingers, rinse it slightly, than wipe it clean and allow it to dry naturally.

That's what I do. A small amount of mild soap (dish soap) can help too.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugarfried /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's what I do. A small amount of mild soap (dish soap) can help too.

I asked this question of other head-fi members the other day, but, seems as you're part of the Shure team who deigned the shure products I own, thought I'd just seek your more judgement on it.

I use shure olives on my SE530's and also on my Sleek Audio SA6's and I was wondering if you could give me a more accurate idea of how long a set of olives' lifespan should work out to be on average, given that I wear either headphone for usually about 3-4 hours a day, often broken up into 30-40 minute spells? Also, how can you dtermine when a set of olives need changing/are worn out/have expired? You see, I find my olives can after a week or two, become very spongy, that is they don't stay compressed after I squeeze them. Functionally, this would suggest I need to replace them, however, is this the case? Another member indicated that olives, when need replacing, won't rexpand, that is they become fixed and hardened (with wax etc from ear canals?) in a compresed state- is this right? You see, my ear canals, for whatever reason, don't seem to ever- since I've been wearing IEM's- get that waxy or dirty at all so my olives might bear the odd stain or small blemish but otherwise look fine. They don't look worn of shoddy, they aren't hardened with wax, dead cells etc, they just don't stay compressed when I squeeze them. What does this mean? Do I just need to clean them? What are the signs of when a set of olives need replacing?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[ClieOS]

I think I read somewhere that a member said he still used the same pair he got a year ago (would have been two yrs now) in a meet where Shure PR gave them out for free.

 

[scompton]

I've been using the same pair for over a year with my UM1. They don't go far into my ear so they don't get that dirty. I've only had to clean them a couple of times.

 

[synaesthetic]

I wash mine with a slightly dampened makeup sponge. It works exceptionally well.

 

[pdupiano]

I get a small cup fill it with hot tap water (as hot as you can get it) and dip them in for about 10 seconds or so. I repeat until the wax can easily rub off. Then I grab some hand sanitizer and wipe away. You can skip the hot water part if your willing to scrub and rub a bit more with the purell soaked tissue paper or cloth. The real problem is that once the wax builds it just stays unless you clean regularly. Then again I do wipe down my shures everytime I use them.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

I think I read somewhere that a member said he still used the same pair he got a year ago (would have been two yrs now) in a meet where Shure PR gave them out for free.

Quote:

I've been using the same pair for over a year with my UM1. They don't go far into my ear so they don't get that dirty. I've only had to clean them a couple of times.

Wow! I wasn't expecting them to last that length of time! Thats encouraging has my ears don't get that dirty either. Do your olives lose their ability to stay compressed though scompton?

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow! I wasn't expecting them to last that length of time! Thats encouraging has my ears don't get that dirty either. Do your olives lose their ability to stay compressed though scompton?

They still look and feel brand new

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif They still look and feel brand new

Does that mean they stay compressed and squished after you sqeeze them before inserting?

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does that mean they stay compressed and squished after you sqeeze them before inserting?

They never did that as well as other foam tips, but they still stay compressed. The opening of my ear canals, where the UM1 inserts, are very large. I use the large tips and I don't have to compress them much. I can almost put them in without compressing. One thing I liked about the Shure tips compared to others I used is that, even new, they didn't stay compressed long so I didn't have to hold my IEM in place while the tip expanded.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif They never did that as well as other foam tips, but they still stay compressed. The opening of my ear canals, where the UM1 inserts, are very large. I use the large tips and I don't have to compress them much. I can almost put them in without compressing. One thing I liked about the Shure tips compared to others I used is that, even new, they didn't stay compressed long so I didn't have to hold my IEM in place while the tip expanded.

Actually, even though my olives may lose they're ability to compress, I can still get them in easily (particulary concerning my SA6). I was just concerned that if they stop compressing are they strictly expired and as to whether its normal that they stop compressing but, yeah, I can still use them. I'll jut carry on using them then