If you’ve sprung for a professionally installed and amazing sounding speaker system in your car , you know how important upkeep and cleanliness is to keep your speakers in good shape and sounding perfect.
There are special ways of cleaning your system so as not to damage it, and to keep the sound quality as good as it was when you heard it the first time.
One important addition to a very good sound system is a grill for your speakers. A grill covers the speakers so as to make sure that the sound is as good as it can be by protecting the cones inside the speaker. However, you’ll want to keep the grills clean in order for impressive sound to continue.
The cones in the speaker do quite a bit of the work of making the sound even, loud, and clear. Over time, grills can get inundated with dirt, sand, debris, and dust that has settled in your car.
You don’t want this to get to the cones, so it’s best to take preventative measures. Grills are usually made of metal, fabric, or plastic, and are pretty easy to take care of and keep clean if you’re diligent.
You’ll just need some supplies, some time, and know how to keep your speakers and their grills in excellent shape.
Getting Started – You Need The Following Supplies
You won’t need much to keep your grills clean. Most of these items can be found in a local store rather than a specialty one, so it will be easy and affordable to get everything you need together.
Here is what you should have before you begin:
- Two flat blade screwdrivers
- A vacuum cleaner with an attached upholstery
- Dry cleaning powder spray that contains liquefied petroleum gas
- Compressed air can
- A face mask
- A dust brush
- Mild detergent
- Warm water
- A microfiber cloth
- A lint roller
How To Clean Car Speaker Grill
The first thing you will need to do to clean your grills is to make sure that the stereo is at least turned off. If there are cables connected to the stereo and the speakers, make sure they are disconnected before you start the cleaning process. Once that is done, you can remove the grills from the speakers.
Some grills won’t willingly come off. For example, some fabric covered grills will need a bit of a pull for the cover to come off. Be as careful as possible when doing this, you won’t want to tear the fabric or harm the speaker. You should do this by removing from top to bottom and not all at once.
If the fabric is secured with screws, this is when you’ll need your screwdriver.
Cleaning the Grills
Once you’ve removed all the necessary fabrics from the grill, you will be ready to begin cleaning it. It’s best for the grill to be set on a dry, flat surface in order for it to be properly and thoroughly cleaned.
You will need the dust brush and the vacuum with its hose to suck the dust from the grill that has gathered over time. Make sure that you don’t hold the vacuum too close to the grill. You also will want to make sure that the vacuum hits and cleans the grill as evenly as possible, so as not to cause any warping or damage.
Next, you will need your dry cleaning powder spray. In the list of supplies, you will see that the spray recommended will need to contain liquefied petroleum gas. You will also need your face mask at this step, as you will not want to inhale or ingest any of the chemicals or toxins that are contained in the spray.
Just as with the vacuum, spray the grill as evenly as possible. You will need to wait for the grill to dry before moving on to the next step.
The spray will absorb any dirt and oil, leaving a whitish powder in its place. These two steps in the cleaning process should be enough unless there are some very tough stains that your grill and its fabric have come in contact with. If this is the case, you will want to consider giving your grill a wet clean.
A wet clean will involve the mild detergent mixed with warm water and a cloth. Using the cloth after dipping it into the mixture, try to clean the tough stain to the best of your ability, without cleaning too hard and damaging the grill or its fabric. Make sure the fabric is dry and clean before securing it back to the grill.
If your grill does not have a soft fabric cover, it likely has a metallic or plastic one. These can still be cleaned, though better to do so in a sink. You should also use a cloth, the mild detergent, and water to get out any stains.
Be especially careful with mixing too much water with plastic, as it is thin and tends to warp or damage pretty easily. As with the other steps, make sure your grill is completely dry and clean before attempting to reattach it.
What if I Can’t Remove My Grill?
If your grill is not removable, don’t worry, it can still be cleaned, just in another way. The best way to do so is with a lint roller so as not to damage the grill with too much interference. You can also use compressed air or a vacuum that should be used just as gingerly as if it were removable.
It’s best not to put water in contact with a non-removable grill, as the worst case scenario would be water seeping into the speaker and ruining it completely.
Why You Should Clean Your Speaker
Allowing dust into the speaker will affect the cones and the way they function, but it will also shorten the life of your entire speaker. If you’ve gone to the trouble of having your sound system professionally set up, you’ll want to keep it in good care, too.
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