The Ultimate Hearing Aid Cleaning and Care Guide
Your hearing aid is a faithful companion, providing you with clear hearing on a daily basis. At the same time, it is exposed to various stresses and environmental influences. These include dust and moisture. But also sweat and cerumen (earwax) can affect the small everyday helper and lead to clogging of the microphones or the sticking of the volume control.
To ensure that you do not experience a reduction in the performance of the device, it must be regularly and thoroughly cleaned and then dried. It is especially important to do this correctly to promote a long life of the hearing aid.
In this cleaning and care guide, you will learn step-by-step how to properly handle your hearing aid. In addition, we provide you with 9 golden rules that you should definitely follow.
8 rules for optimal cleaning of hearing aids
- Clean your hearing aid preferably daily.
- Incorporate cleaning as a natural step in your evening routine.
- When cleaning, remember never to let too much moisture get to your hearing aid. Never place your hearing aid in water.
- Use only professional accessories for your hearing aid to prevent damage.
- Remember to dry properly following the cleaning.
- Change your domes every 1-2 months.
- Change your filter every 2-4 weeks or when it gets more dirty.
- If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email or phone.
Cleaning the hearing aids
The cleaning of hearing aidsis done with a few simple steps at home. In general, it should be noted that hearing aids should never be cleaned too wet and in no case should they be placed in water.
How often should my hearing aids be cleaned?
Generally, the more sweat or earwax you produce, the more often your hearing aid will need to be cleaned. In the best case scenario, however, you should clean daily to remove gross debris and ensure optimal functional retention. Simply build cleaning into your evening routine. This way, performing it - much like brushing your teeth - will quickly become a habit.
What do I need to clean my hearing aids?
The following accessories are required for cleaning:
- Cleaning cloths, which are already moistened
- Alternatively detergent/disinfectant to moisten a gentle cleaning cloth
- Brushes
- loops
- Drying accessories
It is important not to use aggressive cleaning agents or detergents. You can purchase suitable cleaning accessories and products in our shop.
Cleaning your in-the-ear hearing aid
Cleaning an in-the-ear hearing aid is simple and quick to perform.
- Have a already-moistened cloth on hand or dampen a cloth with cleaning spray. Wipe your hearing aid thoroughly all around.
- Use a small brush to remove dust and dirt from the microphones. Do this also open the battery door to clean in it.
- Use the loops to clean additional holes / ventilation holes. To do this, simply pierce through the holes.
- Last, check the condition of your filter. Replace it if necessary.
Cleaning your behind-the-ear hearing aid with receiver
- First, take an already moistened cloth to hand or dampen a suitable cloth with cleaning spray. Thoroughly wipe the hearing aid case to remove any coarse dirt
- Remove dirt from the microphones using a brush. Cleaning the microphones will reduce noise, for example.
- If present, pull the support off to the front and wipe it down as well. Be sure to clean the supports one after the other so that you do not mix up the sides.
- Cleaning the receiver is done in the same way.
- If you have an earmold instead of domes, then this is also wiped. The vent holes are cleaned of debris by piercing them with the loop.
- Finally, the filters are checked and replaced if necessary.
Clean the hearing aid domes
The domes are removed and also wiped with a cloth. Remember to replace the domes every 1-2 months.
Cleaning your behind-the-ear hearing aid with sound tube
- First, take a moistened cloth to hand or specifically dampen a cloth with cleaning spray. Thoroughly wipe the case of the hearing aid to remove the grossest dirt.
- Place the earmold on the strainer of a cleaning box in which you have previously dissolved a cleaning tablet in water. Soak the earmold in the solution for min 30 minutes with the lid closed. For in between, cleaning the earmold with a damp cloth is possible.
- Free the earmold from the water and cleaning solution with a dry blower. To do this, attach to the sound tube and blow through it thoroughly. The ventilation holes can also be freed from moisture with the help of the dry blower.
- To remove remaining dirt on the earmold, brushes and loops are also used.
Drying hearing aids
Drying your hearing aids is at least as important as cleaning them. In everyday use, your hearing aid is exposed to a lot of moisture - from sweating, rain or high humidity. Therefore, to reduce damage, it is very important to ensure proper and regular drying. The best way to do this is to bed your hearing aid in one of the following drying options each night.
Drying options for in-the-ear hearing aids
- Insert a dry capsule into the dry container.
- Open the battery compartment of your hearing aid. Remove the batteries. Then place the device in the container with the battery door open.
- Close the container and let your hearing aid dry overnight
Tip: The capsules should be replaced as soon as they turn white.
Optionally, electronic drying can also be performed. You can find the right product for this here.
Electric drying offers the advantage of being more effective and faster due to additional heat. Electric dry-boxes turn off automatically after a drying process. There are also drying boxes that demonstrate an antibacterial effect through UV light.
Drying behind-the-ear hearing aids with receiver
For rechargeable devices - dry cap (Or optionally a charging station with dry function, such as Phonak Charge and Care or Signia Dry&Clean):
- Place your hearing aid under the drying cap.
- Turn on the drying cap and allow the hearing aid to dry overnight.
For battery-powered devices - drying container:
- Use a drying container. Insert a dry capsule into this.
- Remove the batteries from your device and place it in the container with the battery compartment open.
- Let the hearing aid dry overnight in the sealed container.
Tip: It is necessary to change the drying capsule as soon as it is white.
Also here, an electronic drying can be carried out alternatively.
Drying behind-the-ear devices with sound tube
Air blower:
- Use the air blower to attach to the sound hose and blow through the hose to remove moisture from it.
- Also blow the vent holes clear with the air blower.
- Equip your drying container with a drying capsule.
- Insert your hearing aid into the container. When doing so, make sure the batteries are removed and the battery compartment is open.
- Close the container and leave them overnight.
Also, an electronic drying can be done here as an alternative.
You have further questions?
Let our hearing consultants assist you with this.
If you are interested, please contact us here or reach us by phone at 1 844-509-0324!!