Hearing Aid CareWhether you are considering your first hearing aids, or you’re looking into buying a new set, it is important to take good care of your hearing aids from day one. You want to keep your hearing aids working at their peak performance. The following tips and advice will help you do that without too much work or worry.
Remove your hearing aids at night, and clean them in the mornings.
Do not use alcohol or solvents on any hearing aid, as it could break down the hearing aid material.
Keep your hearing aids away from extreme heat and cold. There are many delicate components in your hearing aids that keep a low profile but are essential to their performance. So, do not leave your hearing aids in a hot car or on the heater in your home. And don’t drop them in the snow when you are out shoveling. You understand. It could be tempting at times to place a damp hearing aid in the microwave or oven to dry it out, but don’t. The heat will damage your hearing aids very quickly.
Your hearing aids do not like to get wet. You will not want to wear your hearing aids in the shower or in the swimming pool, the sauna or Jacuzzi tub. Electronic components just do not like that moisture or even a good dunking! If your hearing aid would get wet by accident, open the battery door and allow it to air dry naturally, or hold a hair dryer 18-24 inches from the hearing aid and direct warm (not hot) air to your hearing aid for 5-10 minutes. Special dehumidifiers are available for drying out hearing aids. If you go to the gym to work out, and you have an old set of hearing aids, this would be a perfect use for them, to protect your newer ones from sweat and moisture.
Please avoid dropping your hearing aids. It is not so bad if your hearing aid falls on a soft floor, such as carpet, or upholstered furniture. Hard flooring or countertops are another matter and can damage your hearing components. When you are first learning to put in your hearing aids, use a towel on your counter or maybe a pillow on your lap as a precaution.
Children and pets can wreak havoc with your hearing aids. As much as you love them, your hearing aids may not. Small hearing aids can pose a choking threat to young children, and the batteries can be dangerous to them, too. Dogs and cats love to chew on anything, and your hearing aids are no exception if they can find them. This can be an expensive lesson, so keep your hearing aids high up and out of reach.
Hair products can really clog up your hearing aids. The use of hairsprays, creams, or gels can quickly clog up your hearing aids, so it is best to avoid applying these sticky hair products when you have your hearing aids in. They clog up the microphone and can even break down the plastic casing of your hearing aids over time. Just remember to fix your hair completely BEFORE inserting your hearing aids. Hearing aids are very refined, technologically amazing instruments. If you remember these simple points about how to care for your hearing aids, you will have your hearing aids for a long time. For a step by step presentation of how to clean your hearing aids, please CLICK HERE. We have also covered this in a recent newsletter. |
Wipe them with a soft cloth or tissue. Inspect the part of the hearing aid that fits down into your ear canal. 
You’ll want to remove any ear wax you see, using the little cleaning tool provided by your manufacturer. 
Be careful, and simply brush around and in the plastic tubing to clear out the wax. You can even use an old toothbrush to do this cleaning, which ensures that you will not push the wax deeper into the channel. 
Open the battery door, so your hearing aid has some time to air dry from any moisture accumulated during the day. You also ventilate the interior components this way and you preserve your batteries.
Behind the ear hearing aids are only slightly different to clean than the in the ear types. Since your earmold is made of silicone and is non electronic, you may wash your ear mold with soap and water. Detaching it from the earmold tubing makes cleaning very easy and keeps water out of the tubing. If a bit of water does get trapped in the tube, just blow on the end of the tubing before reattaching it to your hearing aid. NOTE: Your tubing should be replaced every 6 months or so, as it loses flexibility.