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Cleaning your hearing aids regularly is very important to ensure they are working well. We usually recommend cleaning them quarterly, but some patients may need to have them cleaned more often. This is dependent on wax buildup and exposure to other elements like dust and debris.
Not cleaning them regularly decreases their effectiveness and could possibly irritate your ear canals, causing redness, pain, and even infections. If you want to know how to effectively clean hearing aids, here is what you need to do:
Get Scheduled for a Cleaning
Audiologists can provide a professional cleaning service for your hearing aids. Depending on where you purchased your hearing devices, this service can be included in the hearing aid package. If not, there may be a small fee to have them cleaned per visit.
Carefully Cleaning Your Hearing Aids
There are several kinds of hearing aids, like behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and completely-in-canal. And while these devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, every type has a wax filter, speaker/receiver, and microphone. Here’s how to clean these parts:
The first thing to do is clean the outer part of your hearing aid. Use your damp cloth to wipe off any earwax. For more stubborn ear wax in hard-to-reach areas, you can use one of your cleaning kit’s brushes.
Next is the speaker/receiver. This is the hole that carries the sound from your hearing aid speakers. The most common reason your hearing aids are not functioning properly is because of ear wax buildup in this part.
There is a wax filter that covers the speaker to protect it from wax getting down into the hearing aid. You can get filter replacements to replace this part regularly to prevent wax from building up and sound from being dampened. Use your wax pick to scoop out any ear wax inside the receiver until it’s all gone.
Lastly, clean the microphone. This is the most sensitive part of your hearing aids due to its multiple components. Avoid directly touching or poking anything into the microphone part, as it can permanently damage it.
Additional Tip
Make it a habit to clean your hearing aids regularly to prevent ear wax from building up in the components of the device.
If you need to have your hearing aid cleaned and repaired professionally, contact us at The Hearing Doctor. Our audiologists are ready to help with your hearing aid maintenance.