Posted on , by Center for Audiology Services // Posted in Hearing Aid Maintenance, Hearing Aids, Tips & Tricks

 

It’s that time of year!  You may be cleaning up around the house, so why not give your hearing aids some priority, too?  The steps below are ways in which you can keep your hearing aids extra clean (if you are able to!)

 

General cleaning tips:

  • Always wash your hands before cleaning the hearing aids
  • Examine the hearing aid for debris and clean the hearing aid with a dry cloth or brush
    • Avoid liquid and harsh chemicals
    • The most important parts to clean are the small, dark holes on the hearing aid (microphones) and the piece that goes into the ear (dome or earmold)
  • Avoid extreme weather and water
    • You might want to take your hearing aids out when shoveling snow or taking a dip in the pool on a hot summer day

Let’s get a little more specific with cleaning

Receiver in the ear (RIC):

  • This hearing aid sits behind the ear and has a skinny wire that goes down into the ear
  • Clean the hearing aid with a dry cloth or brush to remove any debris
  • Change the dome
    • The dome is the soft, flexible, squishy piece on the end of the wire that goes into the ear
    • Ear wax can easily build up on this part and alter sound quality or decrease volume
    • Before you put the dome back on, follow the next step to change the filter!
    • If your RIC hearing aid has a custom earmold at the end of it, there is no dome to remove
  • Change the wax filter
    • The filter is a small, white dot that collects earwax to prevent it from getting further into the hearing aid and causing damage
    • Just like the dome, it can alter sound quality if too much wax builds up
  • Watch this video to review how to change the dome and wax filter

Behind the ear (BTE):

  • This hearing aid sits behind the ear and has a thick tube that goes down into the ear with a custom mold at end of it
  • Clean the hearing aid and earmold with a dry cloth or brush to remove any debris
  • See your Audiologist at least every 6 months for a tubing change!

In the ear (ITE):

  • This hearing aid has no part that goes behind the ear, but is custom made to sit in the ear canal
  • Clean the hearing aid with a dry cloth or brush to remove any debris
  • Change the wax filter
    • The filter is a small, white dot that collects earwax to prevent it from getting further into the hearing aid and causing damage

The steps listed above can sometimes be difficult to visualize and manipulate because of how small the parts are. At the Center for Audiology Services, our Doctors of Audiology and Audiology Assistant are happy to take a look at your hearing aids to make sure they are free of ear wax and debris, and functioning at their highest ability!