How to clean USB-C connectors? (Need to be plugged in only in one orientation)

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How to clean USB-C connectors? (Need to be plugged in only in one orientation)

In our house we have 2 apple laptops, and a plethora of charging cables, both old and new. For the last 2 weeks, we have had intermittent problems where one or more of the cables won't deliver power at all, or delivers power but won't charge the battery. I finally sat down with a pencil and paper and all the devices, and found that the problem appears to be the ORIENTATION that I plug the USB-C into the brick! Something online said "clean the connectors" -- how do we do this? It seems like it is probably the female side in the brick. Please advise. Thanks!

MacBook Pro 13″

Posted on Jan 27, 2023 9:42 PM

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Answer 1

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MartinR

Level 7

24,762 points

Jan 28, 2023 6:52 AM in response to KristenL777

Use a can of compressed air to blow out (or at least loosen) any dust or debris that may be inside the connector. Use a toothpick to pick up any debris you can see. You may need to shave down the point of the toothpick (and also be very careful not to break off the tip if you insert it into the connector).

But since you say it works when plugged in only one way, it may be that your cable (the plug) may have worn from use and should be replaced.

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How to clean USB-C connectors? (Need to be plugged in only in one orientation)

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