Should you ever want to clean your AirPods Max, you can do it in a few moments. Of course, the case and the housing can be cleaned quickly with a damp cloth, but the earpads are a little different. While most manufacturers rely on plastics, Apple uses fabric. And then, once you have the white AirPods Max, it’s almost impossible to keep them as clean as day one over long periods of use. Pro tip: Maybe get the Space Gray ones.
I’m not a fan of dirty upholstery, so I went to work with liquid detergent. I hope the photos show it well enough, but the pre-condition was such that there was visible discoloration from dirt. I just put a little more than a teaspoonful of liquid detergent in a cup of warm water and got a microfiber cloth.
I moistened the cloth properly and then folded it twice and placed it on a hard surface. I then rubbed the ear pads of the AirPods Max over this cloth. You can do it with pressure.
The sides of the upholstery should also be cleaned, here I found it easier to pick up the cloth and work on the upholstery. After cleaning, however, you should not immediately use the AirPods Max again, but “dry” them with a lint-free cloth and lay them flat for at least a day so that they dry completely.