Quick answer: How to clean a hoverboard: switch it off, disconnect the charger and let any mud dry. Never hose, soak or pressure-wash it. Brush the dirt off the tyres, footpad edges, charging port and power button, wipe the casing with a cloth that is barely damp, and charge only once everything is dry.
Can you wash a hoverboard?
Not with running water. Neither of the two boards we sell has a published rating for protection against water, and the lithium-ion battery, the electronics that keep the board level and the wiring that joins them all live behind the casing. The London Fire Brigade lists what water inside a battery device can lead to: short circuits, corrosion and battery failure. It also warns specifically against washing battery bikes and scooters with high-pressure water.
So never take a muddy hoverboard near a hose, a bucket, a shower or a pressure washer. A dry brush does most of the work, and a cloth that is barely damp does the rest.
What should you clean a hoverboard with?
- a soft, clean brush kept for the job;
- a wooden toothpick for the port and the gap around the power button;
- two cloths: one dry, and one dipped in plain water and wrung out until it hardly feels wet;
- a torch;
- an old towel to stand the board on.
That is the whole kit. Leave out anything that sprays, foams or dissolves: we have no figures on what the casing, footpads or tyres tolerate, so we recommend no cleaning product at all.
How do you clean a hoverboard, step by step?
- Switch off and unplug. Press the power button to switch the board off, and make sure the charger is unplugged. If a Hoverkart (go-kart seat for hoverboards) is strapped on, as on our sit-down kart sets, lift the board free of the frame so you can reach every part.
- Let wet dirt dry first. Stand the board somewhere dry until the dirt has dried out. Brushing it while it is wet only works it into the seams.
- Knock off the loose clumps. Do this outdoors, holding the board by its middle, and brush rather than bang.
- Tyres and wheels. Turn each wheel slowly by hand and brush the tread as it comes round. Pick out stones pressed into it, and unwind grass, string or hair caught around the wheel.
- Footpads. Brush along the rubber edges of each footpad, where cuttings and sand collect, then wipe the pads with the damp cloth. Grit under those edges can confuse the sensors that detect your feet, which is one cause of footpad sensors and beeping problems.
- Charging port and power button. Shine the torch into the port and lift dirt out with the toothpick or the brush, never with anything metal, and never spray anything into it. Brush around the button and press it to feel that it still clicks.
- Casing, lights and speaker. Wipe the casing with the damp cloth, working away from the port and the button. Go gently over the LED lights and around the speaker with the dry brush.
- Dry it. Go over everything with the dry cloth and leave the board in a dry, airy room with the casing closed. If it got properly wet rather than just dirty, follow the steps for drying out a board that got soaked before you charge it.
- Check it. Once it is dry, run through the quick check further down.
How do you get sand and grit out of a hoverboard?
Sand is fine enough to work its way into the port, the gap around the button, the footpad edges and the tread, and the 8.5-inch board's off-road tyres are made for sand, so the larger board meets it more often.
- Clear the port and the button before anything else, so nothing you brush off the casing falls into them.
- Tilt the board while you brush, so the sand falls away from the port rather than into it.
- Keep the charger out until the port is clean and dry; our port checks before you charge show what a healthy port looks like.
- Sand you cannot reach without opening the board is a job for us, not for a screwdriver.
What should you never do when cleaning a hoverboard?
| Do not | Because |
|---|---|
| Hose it, rinse it under a tap or use a pressure washer | Water can reach the battery and electronics through the port, the button and the seams |
| Stand it in a bath, a shower tray or a bucket | Fire services advise against using a battery once it has been under water |
| Dry it on a radiator or with a heater or hairdryer | Heat stresses lithium-ion cells; let it air-dry indoors |
| Take panels off or open the casing | The battery and its wiring are behind it, and one slip with a tool can short the pack |
| Poke the port with metal | It can bend or bridge the contacts |
| Charge it while any part is still damp | Moisture and a charging current belong nowhere near each other |
What if water got inside the board?
You cannot see inside, so judge by how the board behaves once it is dry. It beeps when you switch it on, will not balance, smells unusual, or the port still looks wet inside: any of these means water may have reached the electronics. Stop there. Do not charge it, do not ride it, and contact us with photos. The same applies if it stood in a deep puddle or a flood, even if it seems fine afterwards.
What should you check after cleaning a hoverboard?
A clean board is the easiest time to spot damage, because the dirt is no longer hiding it.
- Tyres: cuts, splits and stones still in the tread.
- Wheels: each one turns freely and quietly by hand.
- Casing: cracks, gaps along the seams and loose bumpers.
- Footpads: they sit flat and the rubber is whole.
- Port: clean, dry and firm when the connector goes in.
Anything that worries you is covered in the outside checks after a clean, with a note on which faults to leave to us.
How often should you clean a hoverboard?
Brush it down after every ride on grass, sand or gravel, before the dirt sets hard, and give it a full clean before putting the board away for the winter. If you ride seated, brush grit off the straps and frame of the Hoverkart seat before you fit it again, so the board sits square in the frame.
Better still, avoid the dirtiest ground: stay off mud, puddles and wet grass, and wait until the ground is dry, on private land where you have permission.
Stop and contact us
Leave the board switched off, keep it off the charger and get in touch if, while cleaning, you find that:
- water has reached the port, the button or a seam, and since then the board beeps, refuses to balance or gives off an odd smell;
- the casing has cracked deeply, or a footpad has lifted away from it;
- the charging port is loose, cracked or scorched;
- a wheel drags, scrapes or sticks once the dirt is out.
Questions riders ask
How do I clean hoverboard footpads?
Switch the board off, then brush grit out from under the rubber edges with a dry brush and wipe the pads with a cloth that is only just damp. Let them dry before you ride, so your shoes do not slip.
Can I use a hairdryer to dry a hoverboard?
No. Direct heat stresses the battery cells. Towel the board off and leave it in a dry, airy room at room temperature for as long as it takes, then charge it.
Can I ride my hoverboard again before cleaning it?
Brush the worst off the tyres and footpads first: mud makes the pads slippery, and any in the port has to come out before the next charge. Then stay off muddy ground, which hides holes and gives the tyres little grip.
Should I clean the board before storing it?
Yes. Dirt left in the port, the tread and the footpad edges is harder to shift later, and a clean board is easier to check for damage before it goes away.