Different blockages need different methods, and some cannot be removed at home at all. Matching the method to the material saves a lot of wasted effort.
For a complete overview, see our full guide: Diagnosing what is actually wrong.
Water — acoustic cycles
Held by surface tension, which has a breaking threshold. Enough diaphragm displacement exceeds it and the film
fragments all at once, which is why water often clears in a single cycle. Fixed low tone, grille facing down,
70–80 percent volume, two or three cycles.
Dry dust and lint — brushing plus sweep cycles
Held by static charge and mechanical wedging, with no threshold — so it comes out gradually across four or
five passes. Brush the exterior first to clear the exit path, then use a sweeping tone rather than a fixed one,
because a steady oscillation lets particles settle into a stable position.
Compacted or oily debris — adhesive putty
Putty grips material and lifts it straight out rather than dragging it sideways. Press lightly, lift straight
off, fresh face each time, five or six repetitions. This is the only home method that removes rather than
redistributes sticky residue.
Oil, earwax and dried sugar — not removable acoustically
Held by adhesion rather than resting mechanically. Vibration applies mechanical force, which does not break an
adhesive bond regardless of amplitude. Putty helps with surface residue; anything that has penetrated the mesh
needs disassembly.
Anything past the dust mesh — not removable at home
Behind the diaphragm's airflow and behind any brush. This is why compressed air fired into a grille is so
damaging: it moves debris from a recoverable layer into an unrecoverable one.
Corrosion — professional only
Green or white residue, or audio that recovered then degraded over days, indicates corrosion. That needs a
technician's ultrasonic bath with the assembly removed.