How to clean your Oculus Quest

Quest on Box with Controllers
Quest on Box with Controllers (Image credit: Android Central)

When you game in VR, you're wearing your system right on your face. The Oculus Quest is no different, and that means that after a few hardcore sessions you might be wondering how to keep your headset and controllers clean. With a mixture of hard plastic, fabric, and foam pads it means that you'll need to use different methods for each different part of your Quest.

How to clean your Oculus Quest

Keeping your VR headset clean isn't just a good idea; it also makes for better gameplay. You don't want to put your face on a foam insert that feels damp from someone else's sweat, and dust in your lenses will definitely hamper your gameplay. With that in mind, we've broken down how to clean each individual section of your Oculus Quest.

How to clean your Quest lenses

Oculus Quest lenses

When cleaning your lenses it's important that you remember that no liquid cleaner can be used. This means no damp paper towels, Lysol wipes, or lens cleaner should ever be applied.

  1. Use a compressed air cannister to clean out any dust or debris around your lenses.
  2. Use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe away any smudges or larger debris.

How to clean your Quest headset

Oculus Quest

  1. Use a wet wipe to clean off the front of your headset.
  2. Use a wet wipe to clean any smudges off of the straps at the side and back of your headset.
  3. Use a damp washcloth with mild detergent to spot clean the body of the headset.

How to clean your Quest foam facepad

  1. Gently remove the facepad from your Quest.
  2. Using gentle detergent handwash the face pad.
  3. Pat down the facepad to remove excess moisture
  4. Lay your facepad in a safe place to air dry.
  5. Re-insert it by pressing it back into place. Make sure it clips in at the top and bottom.

How to clean your Quest controllers

Oculus Quest controllers

  1. Use a wet wipe to run over the various parts of your controller. A lightly damp paper towel can also work.
  2. Use a compressed air cannister to clean out any dirt or dust inside the analog stick or around buttons.

While you do need to make sure you're using the right kind of cleaning supplies, the actual cleaning doesn't take long at all. The most intensive cleaning process involves your facepad, and if you're the only person using the Quest then you don't need to clean as often. By keeping your Quest in a cool safe space away from moisture and dust you can also mitigate how often you'll need to clean it, which leaves more time to play.

Our top equipment picks

While you definitely need an Oculus Quest in order to play, having the right cleaning supplies on hand when you need them is important. Nobody wants to get ready to play and then realize that they need to go out for compressed air, or soft microfiber cloths to get the job done.

Oculus Quest offers all of the fun of a Rift without any of the wires involved. It's the next step forward in VR gameplay, and it's definitely a headset that anyone can enjoy, whether they are familiar with VR or not.

Additional Equipment

In order to properly clean your headset, you're going to want a few different cleaning supplies — namely compressed air and microfiber cloths. When it comes to clothes, the softer, the better because then you don't have to worry about scratching or damaging your Oculus Quest.

Amazon Basics microfiber cleaning cloth

Amazon Basics Microfiber cleaning cloth ($13 at Amazon)

Amazon's Microfiber cleaning cloths are an excellent choice when it comes to keeping things clean. You can snag a 24-pack for under $15 which means you'll always have a clean cloth when you need it.

Dust-Off Disposable Gas Duster

Dust-Off Disposable Gas Duster ($14 at Amazon)

Dust-Off delivers an air canister that lets you spray away dust without having to worry about how to get it out of every nook and cranny. Even better, you can get a 2-pack online for the same price as a single can at most brick and mortar retailers.

Dr.Bronner's pure castille soap

Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap ($8 at Amazon)

Dr. Bronner's is a soap that is gentle enough that you can use it on babies, which means it's safe for use on that awesome new Oculus Quest. It's also easy to dilute, which means a single bottle can go a long way.

Jen Karner

Jen is a staff writer who spends her time researching the products you didn't know you needed. She's also a fantasy novelist and has a serious Civ VI addiction. You can follow her on Twitter.