Hearing aids are an investment that you make to better your life. An important part of keeping your investment working for many years is to properly ensure that they are well taken care of. How do you take care of hearing aids? By making sure they are cleaned carefully and properly. You may be new to using hearing aids or want a few tips on how to clean them correctly. Look no further as we dive into cleaning practices for various types of hearing aids.
First of all, you need to buy the right cleaning supplies and tools. A wax pick and brush are important tools to have on hand. Wax buildup on the opening at the end of your hearing aid is a common problem that needs corrected often. Without properly cleaning this opening, you may have trouble hearing sounds and may experience some whistling feedback from your hearing aid. The wax pick and brush will gently clear away that wax buildup. In addition to the right cleaning tools, you’ll also need to remember to take your hearing aids out when you shower and wash your face. Hygiene products such as soap can cause damage to hearing aids. Another product to avoid contact with your hearing aids are hair gels and sprays. Always remember to clean your hearing aids at the end of the day because they can sit out after a cleaning and air out before you put them on again in the morning.
Now let’s move on to how to clean various types of hearing aid devices. In the ear hearing aids (ITE) are best cleaned by using a brush to clear off any earwax or particles at the openings, including the microphone ports. Use a wax pick to chip out any wax or particles that did not come out from the brush cleaning. Use a clean and dry soft cloth or tissue to end the cleaning process, and wipe away any remaining material.
Cleaning a behind the ear hearing aid (BTE) is similar, but a little more complex than in the ear hearing aids. Look for any debris and remove the debris with a soft cloth or wax brush. Then you remove the earmold from the back of the device to clean it. Earmolds come in different types of material, and some are made from soft materials. These softer materials can become more easily discolored than others and may stain as time goes on. To prevent this, you should wipe them on a daily routine and soak them in warm water at least once a week to prevent staining. Be sure to let the earmolds air dry completely overnight before you use them again. Also, do not use any rubbing alcohol or cleaning chemicals on these hearing devices as that will harm them. Lastly, use a bulb blower to get water out of the tubing. This will also need to dry overnight. Do not insert anything besides the right hearing aid cleaning products into the openings, as these may damage your device.
A MultiTool, as seen below, is a helpful cleaning tool that your healthcare provider should provide to you for cleaning your hearing aids. Please contact them if you need assistance in receiving one.
Other cleaning and care tips you should consider are caring for the batteries in your hearing aids. At night be sure to remove the batteries and let the battery compartment dry out after you clean it. If you have a hearing aid device with rechargeable batteries, then consult the manual that you received in how to store and maintain battery life. Also, your earmolds in behind the ear hearing aids may give off an odor over time and use, but any strong odor you experience might mean you have an ear infection. Please seek help if you experience that.
Keeping your hearing aids clean is an important part of having these devices. Hearing aid cleaning should be a part of your daily routine. If you keep up with the care and keeping of your devices, then they will work well for you. Clean hearing aids means a happy and healthy you!
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