Scroll TikTok and you’ll see the 165 Hz tone worshipped as the magic speaker‑cleaning bullet.
We put that single tone head‑to‑head with a 800→50 Hz sweep (our default).
| Test | Residual water (%) after 1 pass |
|---|---|
| 165 Hz sine wave, 30 s | 64 % |
| 165 Hz square wave, 30 s | 48 % |
| 800→50 Hz square‑wave sweep, 30 s | 14 % |
(Measurement via 0.01 g precision scale after controlled dunk test, n = 5.)
Why sweeps win
- Resonance coverage – every phone model has a slightly different speaker resonance. A sweep hits them all.
- Square waves push more air – instantaneous transitions maximise diaphragm excursion.
- Psychoacoustic comfort – a sweep avoids the ear‑fatigue of a fixed shrill tone.
🔊 Want science‑backed cleaning? Quick Clean ↗
Bonus: sweeps also jar loose dust because the transient frequencies create micro‑shear in the mesh—a single tone can’t.