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      Water Usage Guidance

      Salt water can affect Milo like any other electronic device. To keep your Milo and Milo gear (USB-C cable, USB-C cable plug, Milo clips) working as expected, follow the steps in this article.

      Please follow these steps to ensure an optimal Milo experience on the water:

      Before use

      • When charging, use only the USB-C cable that was included with Milo in the box when purchased. Make sure that both ends of the cable are clean, dry and don't contain any sand, salt or other debris or hardened residue.

        • If either end of the USB-C charging cable shows signs of any of these, please soak those ends in warm tap water for 15 minutes and allow them to dry completely before use.

          If needed, you can use a cloth or soft brush to lightly scrub off any debris that doesn’t come off by soaking in warm water.

      • Make sure you have the most recent Milo firmware installed on all Milos in the group.
        • You can check this by opening the Milo Link and pairing all your Milos. If an update is available, you'll see a notification in the app.
      • Insert one of the 3 included dust/water rubber plugs into the USB-C port. This is good practice especially when you're around salt water.

        • Make sure that both the Milo USB-C port and the Milo USB-C cable plug are dry, clean and doesn’t have any sand, salt, or other hardened debris before inserting the plug into the port.

          • If either component has sand, salt residue, or any other debris on them, please soak those items in warm tap water for 15 minutes and allow them to dry fully before use. 

            If needed, you can use a cloth or soft brush type device to lightly scrub off any debris that doesn’t come off with soaking in warm water

      During use

      • For Milo, as for any radio, location matters. Find a place to attach Milo that is maximally high above the water surface, unobstructed, secure, close to your mouth, and placed such that the distance from your mouth is as consistent as possible without interfering with your activity.
        • With all that in mind, try to attach the Milo in the highest sensible location for your activity. If you use the armband, keep the Milo high up and facing towards the front. This will help both with range and audio quality. If you wear a helmet while kitesurfing, using the action clip to attach to the helmet can be even better - again for both range and audio.
        • When used near water and dealing with frequent splashes, you can also try mounting Milo with the speaker grill facing downwards. This decreases the amount of water that can collect in the speaker cavity.
      • Use earbuds (when possible and safe) for better audio in noisy conditions.
        • For best performance, we suggest using Bluetooth connected headphones/earbuds. 
      • Use one of the included short wrist straps for extra safety in the event that Milo pops out of its clip.
      • Although Milo is completely waterproof and has an IP67 rating, meaning it can be submerged in up to 1m (3 ft) of water for a half an hour without harm, Milo is not designed to operate under water, one reason being that water collects in the speaker cavity. It's normal for water to collect in the cavity, but the speaker won’t work as well if water remains. After being submerged, please follow these steps:
        1. Remove from clip or armband.
        2. Hold Milo with the speaker grill facing down to clear water out of the speaker cavity.
        3. Give the device a good shake or two to ensure all water is removed.
        4. Reattach to clip (and wrist strap if it was removed).
      • Milo also has a Water Clearing mode (first added as a Preview Feature in version 8.0.0; Standard feature starting in version 9.0.0). Read more here Water Clearing

      After use

      After a session of using Milo around water - especially around saltwater - it's important to rinse Milo with clean water and let it dry completely before charging or storing. Make sure to remove the USB-C port plug before soaking and rinsing Milo, so you can soak, rinse and dry the plug separately

      After every water use and before you charge Milo again, clean and dry the Milo and Milo gear (USB-C cable and plug, Milo clips) with a soft cloth.

      After every salt water use and before you charge Milo again, you also need to soak Milo and Milo gear (USB-C cable and plug, Milo clips) for 15 minutes in clean fresh (tap) water, then rinse under clean fresh running water before drying.

      1. Remove the rubber plug from the USB-C connector. Rinse it with tap water for 30 seconds, let dry.
      2. Soak Milo and Milo gear for 15 minutes in clean fresh warm (tap) water.
      3. Remove any remaining water: Turn Milo upside down (speaker grill facing downwards) and give it a good shake to let any remaining water drain out through the speaker grid.

      4. Rinse Milo thoroughly with tap water
        1. Rinse the outer surface (30s or longer) Move the Milo around under running water, rubbing to remove any salt and allowing water to run directly into the speaker cavity.
        2. Rinse the USB-C connector (30s or longer) Place Milo directly under the tap, allowing the water to stream directly into the connector cavity. Hold there, while adjusting the angle slightly to ensure all salt gets removed.
        3. While tap water is fine, it's also a good idea to end with a rinse in distilled water, especially If your tap water is hard or heavily chlorinated.
      5. Again, remove any remaining water.
      6. Dry Milo. 
        1. Dry off Milo with a clean, soft cloth
        2. Tap Milo against the cloth to remove water from the USB-C area and the grill cavity.
        3. Leave Milo to dry thoroughly in a dry, well-ventilated location for 24 hours to ensure the USB-C port, speaker vents, microphone holes, and air vents are clean and dry before storing or charging.


          Do not use a hair dryer or similar device to blow heated air into the USB-C port, speaker vents, or microphone holes as this can damage the internal components and impact Milo functionality.

      7. Store Milo for next time
        1. Store the rubber plug separately, without inserting it into the Milo

      Watch this video for more: How to care for Milo after water use

      Even though Milo has very few moving parts other than a few sealed buttons, it's important to take good care of it as you would with any electronics, like an action camera.

      Failure to properly clean and dry the Milo and Milo Gear may result in damage to the Milo Communicator

      Please contact us if you have additional questions.