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It turns out you do need to clean your earbuds regularly to prevent bacterial growth -- and I've found just the gadget to help you do so. This earbud cleaning tool costs just $6, and will help keep your AirPods working like new.

Also: These pocket-sized tech gadgets are packed with purpose (and they're inexpensive)

Besides being optimistic that it would work better than Q-tips, I'm not sure what possessed me to purchase this little gizmo last year, but I'm glad I did. And now my knowledge is your knowledge. This AirPods cleaner tool has a 4.5/5 star rating and over 11,000 reviews, so others agree with me.