Without your hearing aids, you would be stuck in days of misunderstandings, confusion, and frustration. For this reason, you want to protect your hearing aids from damage. You may realize the importance of regular cleanings but are a bit nervous because you do not want to break the technology that has enabled you to hear with clarity again. As professionals at a hearing aid center in Royal Palm Beach, we can understand this fear, but we’re here to help you feel more at ease in caring for your hearing aids.
Whether you have just started wearing hearing aids or want to brush up on your cleaning skills, you can use this guide to properly clean and care for your hearing aids.
How to Clean ITE Hearing Aids
If you have an in-the-ear hearing aid, you can follow these cleaning steps:
- Using a soft-bristle toothbrush or cleaning brush from your hearing care professional, remove wax from the openings of the device, including the microphone cover, receiver, and vent openings. Make sure to hold the device so that the opening you are cleaning is facing downward. By holding the hearing aid this way, the particles you are cleaning away will fall out of the openings.
- Remove any excess wax or dirt with a wax pick.
- Wipe the whole hearing aid with a dry, clean cloth to remove debris from the casing.
- Finally, remove the batteries and brush the battery compartment with the cleaning brush. Keep the compartment open all night to air out.
How to Clean BTE Hearing Aids
If you have a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, here is the process for cleaning the hearing aid and earmold:
- Remove ear wax and other debris using a soft-bristle cleaning brush.
- Next, remove the earmold from the hook, and wipe it down with a dry, clean cloth. Do this daily. Once a week, soak the earmold in warm, soapy water to prevent discoloration and staining.
- Use a bulb-blower to push water out of the tubing, and then let it dry completely overnight.
- Finally, take the batteries out of the hearing aid. Clean the compartment with the soft-bristle brush, and keep it open all night.
Hearing Aid Cleaning Schedule
Remembering to clean your hearing aids can be challenging, especially when you are still getting used to wearing them. You have a busy life, and the last thing on your mind is maintaining your hearing aids.
To help you remember to clean your hearing aids, we’ve broken down the steps for daily and weekly cleaning:
Tips for Caring for Your Hearing Aid
With the proper care, your hearing aids will be able to function for several years, giving you the ability to enjoy conversations, music, nature, and more! In addition to following the guidelines set by the hearing aid manual and your hearing healthcare provider, use these valuable tips to maintain your hearing aids:
- Wash Your Hands. It’s important to always wash your hands before handling your hearing aids. Even a little bit of dirt or oil from your fingers can block the small openings.
- Avoid Water. Never let water come into contact with the hearing aid. This means you should remove your hearing aid before showering, bathing, or swimming. You should also clean out your ears before putting the hearing aid back in.
- Beware of Hairspray and Makeup. Make sure to remove your hearing aid before applying your makeup or hairspray. These products can clog the microphone and volume control switch.
- Store Hearing Aids Correctly. When you are not using your hearing aids, keep them in their storage case. If you are not going to be using them for an extended period of time, remove the batteries.
- Keep Hearing Aids Away from Pets and Children. Pets and small children may be drawn to your hearing aids when you are not using them. This often leads to broken or missing hearing aids, so keep them where small hands or curious noses cannot reach them.
- Get Repairs from Professionals. Hearing aids are delicate little devices and should only be repaired by hearing care professionals if they break. If you attempt to fix the hearing aid yourself, you may accidentally nick the electronics, causing irreparable damage.
Keeping Your Hearing Aids in Top-Notch Condition
Cleaning and caring for your hearing aids can ensure you’ll have many years of quality hearing. If you would like to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned or repaired, pay us a visit! We offer hearing aid repairs in Clermont, FL, and the surrounding areas. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help keep your hearing aids in top working condition.
That makes sense that washing hands would be necessary when touching hearing aids. My hearing aids need to be seriously cleaned. I can’t hear hardly anything in the state they are in.