With good hearing, good care is required. Keep your hearing aid clean with these tips!
Hearing loss is a frustrating and often life-changing event, but thankfully science has come a long way in helping us deal with it. The hearing aid is a wonderful invention that continues to improve over time. We can wear them for work or leisure activities, and they allow us to continue living a fairly normal life. They do require care and maintenance, however, and a large part of that is keeping them clean.
Consult the Manual
Read the manual and talk to your hearing aid provider about proper care for your hearing aid. You will need to practice daily and weekly cleaning tasks. However, if you have a lot of ear wax build-up, you may need to schedule more frequent professional cleanings as well.
Have The Right Tools
Before you clean your hearing aide, you need to make sure you have the right tools. While the build-up of dirt, ear wax, or other debris could damage the hearing aid, so can using improper tools to clean it. You will need a soft, clean, dry cloth or wipes that are specially designed for cleaning hearing aids. You will also need a wax cleaning brush (or a soft-bristled child’s toothbrush) and a wax pick and vent cleaner. If you use a cleaner solution, make sure it is alcohol-free and specially made for hearing aids.
Cleaning Tasks
Each day you should gently brush the microphone cover to remove any ear wax or debris. You should wipe down the entire hearing aid as well with your soft cloth. If you do this cleaning at night, leave the battery compartment door open so it can air out. Once per week, spend more time intensively cleaning the hearing aid. Use the pick to remove stubborn deposits or build-up. Don’t ever poke the microphone with the pick. If your model hearing aid has a wax guard, you should also take time once a week to check it and replace it as needed.
Cleaning Tips
Always be careful and gentle when cleaning your hearing aids. You should never prod the microphone or push anything into the receiver ports. Never use water or any liquid cleaner that isn’t specially designed for hearing aids. Turn the openings of the hearing aid down as you clean them so that the debris falls out instead of in. Finally, don’t forget to brush out the battery compartment whenever you change the battery.
Trust the Experts at Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions
Need help with your hearing? Clarity Hearing can help. Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions is an independently-owned and operated clinic that focuses on quality of care and personalized friendly service. Our Doctors of Audiology are highly trained with advanced degrees and take the time to provide the personalized care and attention that you need and deserve. We provide advanced hearing aid options that personally calibrated with cutting-edge digital technology to fit your hearing loss, your unique ear anatomy, and your individual listening needs.
Come in for a walk-in appointment on Tuesdays & Fridays from 10:00am to 11:30am, or contact us to schedule an appointment by calling 410-698-6594 or visiting our contact page. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and LinkedIn for more blog posts, news, and updates!