Regularly cleaning and caring for your hearing aids will help you get the best sound quality from your devices and ensure that you aren’t damaging them. Proper care and maintenance will extend the lifespan of your hearing aids and ensure you are able to wear them for as long as possible.
It is always essential to ask your hearing instrument specialist about how to correctly care for the hearing aids you are using and any specific directions from the manufacturer to ensure you don’t accidentally cause damage. Luckily, there are a number of easy care tips and tricks you can follow to keep your devices in optimal shape.
Review the Instructions
Taking the time to review the guidance offered by your hearing instrument specialist regarding the care of your hearing aids is of utmost importance. The information they provide is tailored to your specific devices and can greatly influence their performance and longevity. Equally crucial is referring to the manufacturer’s instructions that accompany your devices. These instructions offer insights into proper cleaning methods, storage, and maintenance routines, ensuring that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for optimal functioning.
By combining the specialist’s insights with the manufacturer’s instructions, you’ll be equipped with a comprehensive understanding of how to best care for your hearing aids and ensure their continued effectiveness.
Wash Your Hands
Before handling your hearing aids, you want to ensure you have clean hands. Always wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before inserting them or removing your hearing aids. This will avoid any transfer from your hands to the hearing aids and then into the ear. The last thing you want is poor sound quality due to dirt build-up from touching the devices.
Use The Correct Cleaning Tools
You must have the right cleaning kit for your hearing aids. It isn’t enough to keep them dry; you need to clean them too, using tools and solutions safe for hearing aids use.
The most common hearing aid cleaning tools include:
- A soft dry cloth
- Earwax removal brush
- Wire pick/loop
- Vent cleaner
You can also use disinfectant wipes or alcohol cleaning solutions designed for hearing aids to help you achieve a better clean too.
Follow a Cleaning Routine
Every day when you remove your hearing aids, make it a habit to clean them. This will remove any build of dirt, face creams, hair products, sweat, and ear wax, for example, from building up.
Use a soft dry cloth to wipe over the devices; if you are wearing behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, you should disconnect the tube and wash it in warm soapy water, leaving it to dry overnight. Make sure to brush down the microphone cover to remove dirt and dust from the day.
At least once per week, you should use a pick to remove any stubborn dirt or dislodge earwax from the device. Never use the pick around the receiver or microphone to avoid damage.
Keep Your Devices Dry
Your hearing aids are made up of many small parts and electrical components; as such, they must be kept dry to ensure they are in good working order. While hearing aids are water resistant, they aren’t fully waterproof, so you should never submerge your hearing aid in water or wear them to go swimming, for example.
If your hearing aids get wet, you should dry them off immediately and let them air dry to help reduce any risk of damage. When not in use, your hearing aids should be kept in a safe, dry place; the storage case they came with is the best way to store hearing aids to avoid them getting wet. If your hearing aid does get wet, talk to your hearing instrument specialist to find out how best to dry it out and check if it has sustained any damage.
Battery Care
When you aren’t wearing your hearing aids, you should always remove the batteries to avoid them leaking and damaging the devices when being stored. Keep the battery compartment open when it is removed to help keep it dry and clean, so you know you need to reinsert it before your next use. This is especially important if you don’t wear your hearing aids daily. You should also make sure you aren’t letting batteries run down entirely and leaving dead batteries in the hearing aids, as this, too, can cause extra damage.
Caring for your hearing aids correctly can help you ensure they stay in the best condition possible. If you are unsure of how best to care for your hearing aids or you want to discuss anything concerning your hearing or hearing aids in general, call the Hearing Center of Columbia this phone number: (931) 548-1166 today.
