How To Clean An Xbox One Controller

Although you can go many months without noticing whatsoever grime on your controller, it'south probably littered with dust and hand oil afterwards only a few weeks. In this guide on how to clean your Xbox controller, nosotros're going to show you how to get your controller looking make new.

In addition to cleaning the exterior, we're going to talk about taking apart your Xbox controller to clean the inside. This is an advanced process that could break your controller, then only attempt it if you're comfortable dealing with electronics. Subsequently you're done cleaning your Xbox controller, be sure to read our guide on cleaning your PS4 controller.

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How to clean your Xbox controller without taking it apart

Nearly Xbox controller cleaning jobs require nothing more than than an external sweep. Still, even if your controller seems relatively make clean, you should requite information technology a full cleaning. Sweat and dust can easily build up in the crevices of your controller, and although yous may not run into the buildup, it's about certainly at that place. Here'southward what you lot'll need to make clean your Xbox controller without taking it apart:

Cotton swabs
Toothpicks
A microfiber cloth
Isopropyl booze (70% or higher)
Canned compressed airl
Spray bottle (optional)

You may need h2o as well, depending on the percentage of your isopropyl alcohol. In order to be considered "rubbing alcohol," a bottle of isopropyl alcohol needs to be at least 70% booze to 30% water. If your bottle has a higher percentage, you lot may need to dilute information technology with water. Don't become overboard, though; isopropyl alcohol is however the recommended cleaning medium.

The sweep

Commencement by using your tin of compressed air to blow away any surface dust, pet hair, or man hair from the face of your controller. If you lot have an air compressor, y'all can also use that to clean surface dust, but exist conscientious. Too powerful of an air stream may push button crumbs and grit deeper into your controller.

With the large bits out of the way, give your controller a rub down using your microfiber cloth. The goal is to remove things like dust from your controller before using the microfiber cloth, as the more junk that gets stuck in your cloth will make it less effective. If you lot're having a hard time, y'all can mix a little chip of water with your isopropyl alcohol inside a spray canteen (the goal is a 50/50 mix).

Lightly dampen your microfiber cloth with the spray and run over the controller again, paying shut attending to the inner infinite between buttons and the undersides of the thumbsticks. After y'all're done, go out your controller to dry naturally. The leftover moisture will pull lint from towels, newspaper towels, and tissues, so it's best to let the air do its work rather than drying off your controller manually.

Buttons and crevices

With the surface cleaned, it's time to motion on to the details. Grab a cotton swab and gently dip information technology in your isopropyl booze (no extra water this time). You don't want the swab to be dripping, just saturated plenty so that alcohol covers all of the cleaning surfaces. With it, gently clean your controller's buttons, thumbsticks, d-pad, and triggers, being sure to lightly comprehend these surfaces with alcohol. Yous don't want to drown them, just you practice want plenty on there to make clean off any residue.

Xbox Controller Clean D-pad — Jacob Roach/Digital Trends

Equally you work your way effectually the controller, you may find that a single sweep isn't plenty for some areas. If that'due south the case, run over them once again with a new cotton swab lightly soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Again, leave your controller to dry naturally. Rubbing alcohol dries very quickly, and then you shouldn't be waiting too long.

Now, accept a dry toothpick and gently scrape the seams of the controller. Although y'all may not encounter it, there's likely oil from your hands that's found a habitation in the creases of your controller. Repeat this procedure on the border of the d-pad and on the textured surface of the thumbsticks. You lot may need to get over the thumbsticks a few times. The textured band at the top has a knack for trapping and hiding the oil from your hands.

Xbox Controller Clean Back — Jacob Roach/Digital Trends

You may want to bank check under your battery cover, too. During our teardown, we fifty-fifty found oil buildup there, despite using a relatively new controller.

With a unlike dry toothpick, gently poke around the headphone jack, accessory port, and Micro USB connectedness. "Gently" is the keyword here. The goal of this pace isn't to make clean these ports only rather to remove any crumbs that may have fabricated their mode inside. You also run the gamble of damaging the port if yous printing also hard, so be careful.

Finally, take a third toothpick and lightly soak it in booze (the college the percentage, the better for this step). Use this ane to clean the ports on your controller, again beingness careful not to press downwardly too hard. Once once again, exit the booze to dry naturally.

Once that'south washed, test your controller out, ensuring all the buttons feel right and the ports piece of work. If everything checks out, you lot're done. Just repeat this cleaning process every month or so to keep your controller working. If, however, you're experiencing mushy buttons, you'll need to take your controller apart.

How to accept apart an Xbox One controller

If you however have more cleaning to practice, yous'll need to accept apart your Xbox controller. Although the cleaning process above works for Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, we're going to cover how to take apart an Xbox One controller specifically. It should go without saying, but this is an advanced process, then effort information technology at your own risk.

Before getting into it, hither's what you'll need:

A plastic pry tool
Precision screwdriver with TR8 bit
Magnetic parts tray
Soldering iron (optional and not recommended)

First, accept the batteries out of your controller. In addition to removing the risk of electrocuting yourself, in that location'south a hidden screw in the bombardment bay that you'll demand access to. We'll get back to that in a infinitesimal.

Yous'll need to remove the handle covers. Depress one of the triggers and utilise the opening to wedge your plastic pry tool into the controller. Don't go too deep, though. The goal is to gently pry the handle cover away from the trunk, non impairment whatever of the internal components. Work your way around the edge of the handle, rocking back and forth with a little fleck of forcefulness.

xbox one controller handle removal — Jacob Roach/Digital Trends

Yous'll need to pry the handle cover away, but don't strength it. Rocking back and forth should produce a series of clicks, signifying that the plastic $.25 belongings the controller together take come apart.

With them removed, you'll find four screws, two on each handle. Unscrew them using a TR8 bit, existence careful not to strip them. If you've never used this type of flake, it's for Torx heads, which look similar a star with six points. It's impossible to remove these screws with a Phillips-caput screwdriver, and although you may be able to fit a flathead screwdriver inside, you'll nigh certainly strip the screws before removing them.

Advisedly remove the screws and identify them in your magnetic parts tray corresponding to their position on the controller (top left screw goes in the top left of your tray, for example). Finally, grip the front of the controller and gently poke at the sticker in the bombardment bay. Yous'll notice a modest hole. Puncture it with your screwdriver gently to reveal another screw.

xbox one controller cotton hidden screw — Jacob Roach/Digital Trends

At this point, this screw is the only thing holding your controller together, so be sure to grip the body when removing it. Once it's out, you can freely remove the back past pulling down and back. The forepart should autumn right off.

Between the two, you lot'll discover the bones of the controller. Everything is yet held in place, just with a niggling more room. Again, clean around the buttons and thumbsticks using a cotton swab soaked in rubbing booze. This is pretty easy to do, as there'southward a plastic embrace internally that holds the buttons in place.

xbox one controller internal cleaning — Jacob Roach/Digital Trends

This is where we recommend stopping. To correctly remove the motherboard, y'all'll demand to desolder some points on the board, as well as remove two small Torx screws. If yous're feeling brave, we recommend post-obit IFixIt'southward push replacement guide for Xbox I controllers. Doing all this work just however non having a clean controller means you lot'll probably be improve off taking it to a professional.

What to do if your Xbox I controller has a button jammed

xbox one controller breakdown — Jacob Roach/Digital Trends

If you have a button jammed, the most likely culprit is a rogue crumb that's worked its mode between the controller face up and the button. If you're able to implement the cleaning process outlined above, yous'll be able to dislodge annihilation stuck beneath the controller's buttons. If not, though, there'due south a trouble inside your controller.

Once you take the controller autonomously, yous'll be able to actually focus your cleaning on the push that is messed up. If you're still having trouble with whatever of your buttons, then the event might exist with the connexion pad on the motherboard. In that case, we recommend seeking out a professional repair service.