You washed your Google Pixel Buds. Here's what to do right now.
Pixel Buds are splash-rated at best, and the case is barely rated at all. Move fast, then be patient. Here's the honest playbook: what actually helps, why rice doesn't, and what your water rating really covers.
Do this in the next 60 seconds
Don't put them in your ears, and don't hit play. Powering a wet earbud is the fastest way to finish it off.
Open the case and take both buds out. Leave the lid open. Water trapped in a closed case just sits against the electronics.
Dry the outside gently. A soft cloth. Don't jam anything into the mesh or the charging contacts, or you'll push water deeper.
Do NOT put them back in the case to charge. Charging a wet earbud or case can short it for good. Wait until everything is fully dry.
Dry them in cool, moving air, or with silica-gel packets. Not rice, not a hairdryer. Then give it a few days before you test.
Now the honest part
About your Pixel Buds' rating. The Pixel Buds Pro rate the buds IPX4, splash and sweat only, and the case just IPX2, which is barely more than drip resistance. So the case has almost no protection, and the buds were never rated for immersion. Every one of those numbers is tested in clean, still water, not a hot, soapy, spinning wash. Here's why a washer beats any water rating.
Rice is mostly a myth. It's slow, and the starch and dust can work into the mesh and contacts. Silica-gel packets pull moisture far better, and plain dry air does about the same job as rice.
Time does the real work. Leave them completely alone for 2 to 3 days before you test. Most people check too early and kill a set that might have come back.
Replacement and coverage. A replacement bud or case runs roughly $30 to $100 depending on the model.
The quirk with these. The weak point here is the case: at IPX2 it is one of the least water-protected charging cases around, so a washed Pixel Buds case took real damage. Get it open and drying fast.
Save the steps before you need them again
Get the free one-page Wash Rescue Guide: the exact checklist for earbuds, plus phones, hearing aids, watches, and key fobs. Keep it handy for the next time something ends up in a pocket.
No spam. We'll also let you know when WashDog launches.
Quick answers
Do Pixel Buds work after the washer?
Sometimes. It comes down to how long they were wet, whether you charged them too soon, and luck. Dry them for a few days before you judge, and don't charge them wet.
Are Pixel Buds water resistant enough for this?
Not for a wash. The buds are IPX4 splash resistance and the case is only IPX2. Neither is an immersion rating, and neither covers soap, heat, or a spin cycle. Dry everything and treat it as water damage.
Does rice work?
Not really. It's slow and can shed dust into the mesh and contacts. Silica gel is better, and time is best of all.
How long before I test them?
At least 2 to 3 days, and don't charge them to check. Testing early is the most common way a savable set gets finished off.
Earbuds are the easiest thing in the house to leave in a pocket.
They're tiny, they ride in every jacket and gym short, and the person starting the load can't see them in there. Checking pockets by hand works right up until the one rushed load where it doesn't.
WashDog is that check, made automatic. It's a small device that watches your washer and catches tagged valuables, and many devices on their own, before the cycle starts.
Green: you're clear
Red ring and a bark: stop, something's still in there
It won't promise to save everything, since nothing honestly can. But it catches the mistake before the water does.
We're launching on Kickstarter. Join the list for $10 off at launch, plus the free Rescue Guide.