How to Clean Hearing Aids at Home?

Your hearing aids will require cleaning like anything else you use regularly. Quality hearing aid cleaning will provide years of reliable and better hearing.
Hearing aids are a significant investment, so it’s in your best interest to take good care of them. Learning how to clean and maintain them at home will help to ensure they last longer and continue to work well. Given the fact that they’re worn around or in your ear, they’re subject to earwax and moisture. Consistent and thorough cleaning you can do at home combined with routine maintenance provided by your audiologist will help to ensure you can hear clearly.
Care tips for your hearing aids
To clean hearing aids at home, you’re going to want to gather the right tools. A few indispensable items you’ll want to have handy are a wax pick and brush. There’s also a multi-tool you can get that contains both a brush and a wax loop for thorough cleaning. Earwax that accumulates and isn’t cleaned off can damage the receiver over time. Always wash your hands before handling or cleaning your hearing aids. Establish good habits such as putting your hearing aids in after your morning hygiene routine and putting in hair sprays or gels.
Experts recommend that you clean your hearing aids before bedtime. Cleaning them at the end of the day will give them ample time to air out before you put them in again. Chemical wipes and alcohol can damage your hearing aids. Also, take good care of them by avoiding extreme temperatures. For example, avoid having them in your pocket in the cold winter weather or setting them on a table outside in the heat.
Cleaning instructions
A hearing aid consists of several parts, which should be cleaned and maintained regularly. There are different methods or instructions for cleaning in the ear hearing aids versus behind the ear hearing aids. See below for more details.
How to clean in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids
When cleaning an ITE model, follow these steps:
Focus your cleaning on the openings in the device including the microphone ports using a soft-bristle toothbrush or a brush provided by your audiologist to clear away built-up wax. Hold the device with the opening you are cleaning facing downward so any loose particles will fall out of the hearing aid instead of staying lodged inside.
Next, use a wax pick or hook to clear anything out of the holes that didn’t come out with the brush.
Finish by wiping the entire device with a clean, dry cloth or tissue. This will remove debris from the case of the hearing aid.
How to clean behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
To clean a BTE hearing aid, follow these steps:
Examine the device for debris and remove it with a soft brush or a dry cloth.
Remove the earmold from the hook to clean it. Some earmolds, especially those made from soft materials, can become discolored and stain over time. Wiping them clean daily and soaking them in warm, soapy water once each week will help. Allow the molds to dry completely overnight before use, and do not use alcohol or other chemicals on them. Your earmolds may develop a slight odor over time, but a strong odor could indicate you have an ear infection, so consult your audiologist if you notice it.
Use a bulb blower to force water out of the tubing and then allow it to dry completely overnight.
Additional tips
Regardless of the type of hearing aid you own, remove the batteries and keep the battery compartment open to dry overnight. If they’re rechargeable batteries, then it’s a good time to dock and charge them. Also, brush the battery compartment with the cleaning brush as part of your nightly routine. If you live in a humid climate, it may be necessary to use a hearing aid dehumidifier that will draw out moisture overnight.
Consulting with a professional
It’s important to note that hearing aids should also be cleaned by a professional regularly. Speak to your audiologist about how often they recommend you have them cleaned by a professional. They have intricate tools and processes that will allow for a deep clean of all the parts.
Are you looking to consult with an audiologist regarding your hearing aids or do you need help cleaning your hearing aids? If so, then take the time to learn more about Adirondack Audiology and reach out with questions or to schedule an appointment call us today at +1 (802) 922-9545.
Trending Blogs
When it comes to your hearing, you will know that doing what you can to look after it is more important than anything else. You would take care of your eyes by seeing an optician and you would get your feet remeasured if you needed new shoes.
The thought of wearing hearing aids can be a scary prospect, especially if you’re younger than the average hearing aids wearer. However, the prospect of not being able to hear things clearly or interact with friends and family without major issues is far worse.
Health should be a priority for all of us. If you hurt your leg or you kept having headaches, you probably wouldn’t think twice about seeing your doctor, but for some reason, many of us tend to ignore problems with our hearing. We may assume that hearing loss is part and parcel of aging or presume that issues will pass with time.
Hearing is perhaps the most valuable sensation as it is the one that helps us communicate with the people around us, our family and friends, and generally perceive the sounds from our environment. Whilst we associate hearing loss with age, it can also affect the younger generations for a number of reasons.
Choosing the right audiologist is key for to maintaining the health of your auditory system. An audiologist is a professional who can evaluate your hearing ability, provide a treatment plan and recommend the hearing aids that will be best for your particular needs.
Smartphones and even tablets are now more popular than ever before. The apps that can be downloaded are in abundance, not to mention that some of them can even help with your hearing. If you want to find out more about this then look below.
Hearing protection is something that deserves more attention. Most people that see an audiologist with hearing issues will find out that loud noises caused their problems. If you’re consistently exposed to loud sounds, you could damage your hearing.
Some people are notoriously stubborn when it comes to their overall health. Some people do not want to put a burden on other people, and some are concerned about the lifestyle changes that they may have to make as the result of their new diagnosis. If you know that a loved one probably needs a hearing aid, but they are just being stubborn about it, then there are a few ways that you can try and nudge them in the right direction.
For one reason or another, hearing aids have had a stigma attached to them as years have gone by. Many people equate having hearing aids to getting older or being elderly, but this can have a huge impact on the health and quality of life of people who require hearing aids on a day-to-day basis.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with hearing loss, your audiologist likely recommended buying hearing aids to help you communicate better. Your audiologist will work with you to find the best possible solution for your specific needs, whether you want something small and discreet, or something large and feature filled.
With over 36 million Americans experiencing some form of hearing loss, this is the third most prominent chronic health condition. As such, it is crucial to seek help and advice. With one-third of Americans between the age of 65-74, as well as almost half of those over 75 experiencing hearing loss, it appears to correlate with getting older.
According to the Center for Hearing and Communication, 48 million Americans have significant hearing loss. Among Americans over 65, one in three people have lost at least a degree of their hearing, whereas over 75, that number goes up to two out of three people.
Hearing aids are incredibly common and offer the wearer an even better quality of life. Hearing issues are also very common; millions of people each year are diagnosed with hearing loss. That is why hearing aids can provide numerous benefits.
Your audiologist will be able to speak to you relating to the types of hearing aids available and how they can enhance your hearing, so that you can lead the best life possible. This is particularly important for people at work or who have many social interactions. Hearing is important! So, let’s look at some of the benefits and costs that are associated with hearing aids.
Hearing aids can easily be damaged. Not only are they fragile and easily broken due to their size, but they could be mistreated and covered in dirt, grime or even earwax. Hearing aid repairs are common and most hearing specialists are perfectly capable of fixing most issues. However, if you’ve spoken to your hearing care provider multiple times regarding your hearing aid repairs, then they might actually suggest replacing them instead of fixing them.
Pretending to hear. Have you ever done it in a social situation? You wouldn't be alone in it, but it's not something that's going to help you. When you can't keep up with a conversation due to hearing loss, you may choose to pretend to hear what another person is saying instead of being honest: it can be embarrassing to some to admit that they can't hear, so they simply don't admit it.
Our experts at Adirondack Audiology guide us on how to know if the ears need cleaning. Learn the signs of earwax buildup, safe cleaning methods, and when to seek professional help.
Did you know that the one thing that separates us from all other living creatures on earth is the human ability to communicate through language? Our senses of speech and hearing are critical to our communication process.
Do you find yourself asking people to repeat what they’ve just said to you? It might be a sign that you are experiencing hearing loss. There are some telltale signs if you are worried about your ear health.
Typically, finding yourself missing out on a conversation in a noisy room or missing your parcel delivery because you didn’t hear the knock at the door are strong indications that your hearing health might be degrading. However, there could be a variety of explanations for any of these situations that don’t relate to hearing loss. When you are lost in thoughts, it’s not uncommon to cut yourself off from any surrounding sounds. But it doesn’t mean you are going deaf! Similarly, if you are tired or you’ve got blocked sinuses, it can also affect your hearing without having lasting consequences.
Protect your hearing with custom hearing protection. Explore effective ways to prevent hearing damage caused by excessive noise and ensure long-term ear health.
Explore the best Bluetooth hearing aids and how they provide seamless solutions to hearing challenges. Learn about features, benefits, and top recommendations.
Learn about the signs of tinnitus, its causes, and effective relief options. Explore symptoms, treatments, and when to seek medical help for better management
Learn what to expect during a hearing evaluation. Understand the steps, tests, and tips to prepare for your hearing appointment to ensure the best results.
A lot of people have no idea how to clean their ears. If you think that your ear is filled with wax or clogged up, you might think about reaching for something to get rid of the issue. This could be a small piece of tissue, a pen lid or anything pointy to shovel it out.
The hearing test is one of the most common reasons that patients visit an audiologist. None are better qualified to examine your ears and diagnose any issues regarding hearing and balance. However, if you have never had a hearing test before, you may some questions about it. To help you feel more comfortable and know what to expect, here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the test.
Audiologists might be focused on your ears but they can have a big impact on your overall quality of life. There are a number of ways that an audiologist can help you and they have a range of diagnostic methods to assess your condition and recommend treatments.
Though your hearing is the most likely reason that you feel you need to visit your audiologist, they are also trained to deal with a wide range of other issues including difficulty communicating, trouble with balance, compacted wax and tinnitus.
Our experts at Adirondack Audiology provide essential guidance on the dos and don’ts of ear protection, when to wear it, and how to choose the best option for your needs. Safeguard your hearing with expert advice—book an appointment today!
Hearing loss is far more common than you’d probably think. It’s usually gradual and you might not notice the changes right away. Hearing loss can also be frustrating and sometimes dangerous if you are not able to hear warnings. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to try and help yourself.
A lot of people have no idea how to clean their ears. If you think that your ear is filled with wax or clogged up, you might think about reaching for something to get rid of the issue. This could be a small piece of tissue, a pen lid or anything pointy to shovel it out. It’s not the most attractive idea, and it’s also not the best way to resolve the issue. As well as this, approaching ear cleaning the wrong way could actually damage your ears and be harmful in the long and short-term.
In most situations, hearing loss is caused by damage to the nerves in your inner ear. If these nerves start to weaken, then it’ll negatively affect your ability to hear. In order to protect our ears, we use earmuffs, earplugs and other forms of protection to ensure that we aren’t exposed to loud sounds. However, there are other causes of hearing loss that might not be as obvious or well-known. So, in this post, we’re going to cover some of the more surprising causes of hearing loss.
Like most technology, hearing aids have some problems and malfunctions every now and then. You might find that you need to send your hearing aids off for repairs. It could be something simple, or it might be a little more complicated. Hearing aid repairs cover a range of issues; some issues might have a quick fix and others may take longer. Here are four of the most common issues that could lead to your hearing aids needing to be repaired.