How to clean a hearing aid?

Your trusty little gadget can open a whole new world of possibilities for you, especially as modern hearing aids offer greater reliability and added capabilities, including Bluetooth streaming of audio input.

However, they will only take care of you if you take care of them.

If you wear your hearing aid a lot, it will be exposed to all manner of substances, including dust, hair, cosmetics, dry skin flakes and moisture.

And let’s be honest here, as they are designed to function in your ear, they will also be picking up debris from there too. Apart from the hygiene considerations, when earwax builds up on your hearing aid it starts to distort sound.

What you need to clean a hearing aid

These marvels of modern medicine and engineering need be treated with respect, and that includes using the right tools to clean them. A quick rub on your clothing is most definitely not enough.

There are small picks and brushes which are specially designed to assist you in gently extracting debris from the model you own. The picks enable you to “hook” or guide materials out of the more sturdy components, while the brush is a gentler way to brush debris for delicate elements such as the microphone port.

Check all around your hearing aid to see where dirt is likely to lurk – including ear moulds and holes.

When you gently brush or channel materials out of the hearing aid, use a hand motion that takes substances away. You would be surprised how many people use circular motions that simply re-distribute the debris.

Once you have used the brush and pick, wipe the device with a clean, soft cloth.

Be careful what you expose it to

Prevention is better than cure. Try to avoid exposing your hearing aid to situations in which contaminates will go on it – or into it – such as hair products. Also, don’t wear it when you shower or even when you are washing your face, and splashing soap and water around.

When to clean a hearing aid

Cleaning your hearing aid should be part of your daily routine. Some of the contaminates on it will not be obvious, so it’s best to give it some TLC every day.

The best time to carry it out is just before you go to bed. It enables you to take the batteries out and leave it for a while to get rid of any moisture that has built up. Then your hearing aid is fresh and ready for the next day.

Important advice on cleaning hearing aids

Don’t forget to clean inside the battery case too, and inside the container you use to store your hearing aid.

No matter how thorough you are, and how well you adhere to a daily routine, hearing aids should be professionally cleaned on a regular basis.