Tips for Hearing Aid Maintenance

Hearing aids are incredible devices that help you hear all the sounds around you. They’re an investment in your hearing health, and with a little TLC they’ll keep working for many years. Hearing aids are durable, but they do need to be maintained to give you the best sound quality. Learning how to clean and maintain them at home can extend the life of your hearing aids so you’ll enjoy reliable hearing. These are some of our best tips for hearing aid maintenance.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Clean and Dry

One of the most important parts of hearing aid maintenance is to keep your devices clean and dry. You’d never touch your phone if your hands were dirty or oily, so treat your hearing aids in the same way. Make sure your hands are clean and dry before you touch your hearing aids. Always wash your hands before you to handle your hearing aids.

Your hearing aids are electronic devices that don’t mix well with water. You’d never leave your phone out in the rain, or pour water on your computer. Think of your hearing aids in the same way. Your devices have a special coating that protects them from moisture, but they’re not waterproof. You’ll need to do your part to keep your hearing aids dry. Remember to take your hearing aids out before you hop in the shower or go for a swim.

Hearing aids are also sensitive to products like hairspray, sunscreen, or makeup. These products can block the small ports on the hearing aids and distort the sound. Take your hearing aids out when you’re fixing your hair, and make sure they stay clean and dry.

Cleaning Tips

Cleaning your hearing aids is quick and easy, and you should take a few minutes every night to make sure your devices are clean. Get into the habit of cleaning your hearing aids every single night. This will make your hearing aids last a lot longer, and you’ll enjoy great sound quality.

To clean your devices, start by wiping your hearing aids with a soft, dry cloth. This will remove any dirt, dust, or earwax that are stuck on the hearing aids. Next, check the ports for any buildup of earwax. Wipe the earwax away, or use a hearing aid cleaning pick to clear the port.

If you have Behind-the-Ear hearing aids, you can remove the earmolds and small tubes. Because these pieces don’t have any electronic elements, you can clean them with water. We recommend cleaning them with warm soapy water once a week. This removes any buildup of earwax or dirt. Let these pieces air dry overnight, and make sure they’re 100% dry before you reattach them to your hearing aids in the morning.

Overnight Tips

Storing your hearing aids in the bathroom might seem like an obvious choice, but this is actually the worst place you can leave your hearing aids overnight. Bathrooms can have higher humidity than other areas in the home, and your hearing aids will be exposed to a lot of moisture. Instead, place your hearing aids in a safe, dry spot, and open the battery door. This will help your hearing aids dry fully overnight, and extend the life of your hearing aids.

Hearing aids are easily damaged with moisture, so it’s a good idea to invest in a dehumidifier. You can put your hearing aids in the dehumidifier overnight to completely dry your devices. This is great if your home is humid, or if you’re very active. The dehumidifier will dry out any moisture, humidity, sweat, or earwax.

Hearing Aid Repairs

It’s normal that your hearing aids will need some maintenance from time to time. If you’ve noticed any problems with your hearing aids or the sound quality, visit us! We can service most hearing aids in our office.

We’ll start by thoroughly cleaning the devices and making sure there’s nothing blocking the ports. Simple repairs can be done in the office, and you’ll walk out with your hearing aids the same day. For more major maintenance, we may have to send your devices to the manufacturer. When your hearing aids are back, we’ll make sure they’re in great working order, and that you’re hearing clearly.