A Step by Step Guide To Cleaning a Hearing Aid

Hearing aids benefit significant portions of the population, allowing individuals to maintain their relationship with the world. Without routine cleaning, though, hearing aids are far less effective.

Cleaning a hearing aid can extend its lifespan, improve performance, and save you money. It seems like doing a cleaning would be complex, but it’s a lot simpler than you might think.

All you need is a few household tools, time, and the motivation to get it done. We’ll discuss how to clean your hearing aid, giving you insight that could help your hearing and save you a few trips to the doctor.

Let’s jump right in!

 

The Process of Cleaning a Hearing Aid

The first thing you need to do is grab a wet wipe or a damp cloth to wipe down your hearing aid.  Wipe

thoroughly and be sure to access the crevices. Audio wipes are a good option to use for this, but you can get a lot done with a light disinfectant wipe or even a wet cloth. If you’re unsure about using the wipes in your home, it’s always worth running out and buying a set of wipes that are made for audio equipment.

 

Brushing Debris

Next, you’ll need a small brush with dense bristles. An unused toothbrush might do the trick, but something with firmer bristles might be better for this job.

Hold your hearing aid and identify all of the holes. These are most likely your microphones, and they’re the items that pick up the most ear wax and debris. Situate each hole so that it’s upside-down before you begin to scrub.

Scrub each hole so that all debris falls out. After this, scrub the rest of the device including all surfaces, cords, and curves.

It’s possible for debris to stick onto every part of a device even if you can’t see it. So, scrub every surface once or twice to ensure you pick everything up.

 

Remove and Replace Wax Guards

If your device has a wax guard, now is the time to swap it out for a new one. Most hearing aid maintenance kits come with additional wax guards or at least instructions on how to change them.

If you’re not sure what a wax guard is, it is a preventative measure that helps block out ear wax, dust, and debris, so that the hearing aid user can remove the device without damaging it. The wax guard is positioned in the area closest to your inner ear. It’s at the tip of the speaker that dips the furthest in. In most cases, it’s a very small circular piece.

Your hearing aid unit might come with a specialized tool to pluck out the wax guard and insert a new one.

 

Unit-Specific Maintenance

Take a look at your user manual or instruction sheet for the device. This should give you any other insights you may need.

Some hearing aids are more or less complex, so there could be another step or two that your device requires. But after you’ve run through those steps, you’ve got a clean hearing aid!

 

Have Hearing Aid Problems?

Hopefully, cleaning a hearing aid effectively doesn’t seem as tough to you after reading the information above. There’s more to learn about hearing aid maintenance and hearing loss prevention, though. We’ve got more information that could help you improve your situation.

AudioCardio is a technology company focused on hearing health and wellness. Learn how AudioCardio can help maintain and strengthen your hearing with your favorite headphones or hearing aids at www.audiocardio.com.