Chocolate.
Now laugh.

I don't want to get inside the hardware because I may break something else too.
I highly doubt that the isopropyl alcohol will do something to this shell too.

 

From Shure:
We recommend keeping an inventory of spares instead of cleaning the grille and windscreen whenever possible. If you have spares, there will always be a clean replacement ready to swap in while the other gets cleaned and dries out.

1. Carefully unscrew the grille from the microphone.
2. Remove the foam windscreen pop-filter inside the grille (note that the windscreen may be glued in place. If the pop filter does not come out with gentle pulling, we recommend cleaning the entire grille with the pop filter in place).
3. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, clean the grille with water or Isopropyl alcohol. If the internal pop filter is removable, the grille can alternatively be cleaned with mild soapy water. Suds tend to collect in the windscreen, which may affect the performance of the microphone, so this method is not recommended for filters that cannot be separated from the grille.
4. Rinse the foam windscreen pop filter with water or Isopropyl alcohol only (NOTE: this applies only to removable foam windscreen pop filters inside the grille; see the next step for cleaning external windscreens.
5. Only warm water or hydrogen peroxide should be used to clean external foam windscreens. Since they tend to act like a sponge, soap, or liquid detergents will be impossible to rinse fully. Isopropyl alcohol and Lysol disinfectant spray will cause color to leech from the windscreen. Clean replacements are the best solution!
6. Remove excess water from the grille and windscreen and allow them to dry fully before reinstalling on the microphone

Note: If the microphone output seems low or quieter than normal, it’s possible the microphone element got wet and hasn’t fully dried yet. Unplug the microphone and allow it to dry out completely before using it.
From Google:
H2 teardown video:

 

Avoid water, that's sure.

 

Open it up. Clean it (water/soap, toothbrush, microfiber cloth, etc). Put it back together.

H2n is one sucky recorder though. The handling noise is unbearable and there is no width in the "stereo" mic setup. Works as a simple dictaphone though.

 

Last edited: May 28, 2024

Too compare the H2n to a dictaphone is just laughable. For the price it has excellent sound

 

Recording "quality" is good, but man...
They put good stuff into a plastic'y toy. That's for sure.
Sorry for the sidetracking, but this all brings back bad memories.

 

Last edited: May 28, 2024

I think most you you are missing the bigger picture here.
The OP has been interviewing chocolate bars. WTF is that about???

 

is the chocolate inside the device or only on the outside?

if its outside chocolate is water soluble, but contains a lot of fat, so a water alcohol solution on a q-tip would remove it.
if its inside, place the device upside down so gravity can do its thing and use warm - not hot, air to melt the chocolate and get it to drip out.

chocolate melts around body temperature, so 110 degrees would be plenty warm. probably hang it upside down over a paper plate near an sunny window would be warm enough to get out the majority. a follow up with a light spritz of alcohol/water/soap mix might be needed again upside down to carry off the debris.

Think you probably need a foam windscreen to keep this from happening again.

make sure the device is powered down and batteries removed when adding liquids, allow the device to dry thorooughly........
before powering up again.

 

it has an external port for a wired remote control so you don't get handling noise. It is much more than a dictaphone,.it has 2 xlr jacks and can record instrument or line level.
its great for recording radio or internet radio to sd card, since it has an audio in.
its how i made most of my bbc4 recordings until they changed the encoder and my internet radio can't pick up the programming anymore.
so easy to record 24 or 48 hrs of audio. its the cataloging afterward thats the work..

 

I would dip the H2n with its microphone grille flat side down into a flat bowl with very little milk, just enough to cover the chocolate that got stuck into it.
Keep the milk at a temperature just high enough to melt the chocolate (yes, body temp. sounds like a good idea) and very slowly move the H2n sideways, and make sure that only the grille is covered with milk.
It works because milk is a mixture of water, fat and emulgators that will help dissolve the chocolate at the right temperature.
Don't make it too hot or the chocolate will stick even harder.
After that first rinse, dip it into a warm water & soap solution or kitchen cleaner liquid to clean the grille from the milk. Any remainings can be cleaned with a toothbrush using the same solution but be sure to still keep the grille upside down and don't brush over it but rather plunge it in slowly several times.

OMG, this reads like .... nevermind