How to Clean Your Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are an important investment to your overall wellbeing, so you should learn how to clean and maintain yours. Modern hearing aids have to work in conditions that are far from ideal, where they are subjected to earwax and moisture. The regular cleaning that you can do yourself combined with routine maintenance provided by your audiologist will keep your hearing aids in good working order. 

Care tips for hearing aids

• Get the proper tools. A wax pick and brush are good tools for hearing aid cleaning. Earwax can gather at the opening at the end of a hearing aid where the sound comes out, which muffles the sound or causes feedback. If you leave earwax, it can damage the receiver. Use the pick and brush to clear any wax away gently.
• Have good habits. Always wash your hands before handling your hearing aids. Take your hearing aids out before you shower, wash your face or hair, or apply hair products like sprays or gels.
• Clean your device at the end of the day. Cleaning your hearing aids at bedtime gives them a few hours to air out before you need to put them in again. Don’t use wipes with chemicals or alcohol to clean your hearing aids as they could cause damage.
• Avoid extreme heat or cold. If the temperature drops below freezing and you take your hearing aids out, leave them inside the house instead of putting them in your pocket. If you take your hearing aids out on the hottest day of the summer, take them inside the house instead of leaving them on a poolside table. 

Steps to clean in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids

1. Clean the openings in the device, including the microphone ports using a soft-bristle toothbrush or a brush provided by your audiologist to clear away any wax. Hold the hearing aid with the opening you are cleaning facing down so any loose particles can fall out of the hearing aid instead of staying inside.
2. Use a wax pick or hook to clear anything out of the holes that didn’t come out with the brush.
3. Wipe the whole device with a clean, dry cloth or tissue. This will clear any debris from the case of the hearing aid.

Steps to clean behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids

1. Examine your hearing aid for debris and remove it with a soft brush or a dry cloth.
2. Remove the earmold from the hook to clean it. Some earmolds, especially ones made from soft materials, can become discolored and get stained over time. Wiping them clean every day and soaking them in warm, soapy water once a week should help. Allow the molds to completely dry overnight before you use them again, and never use alcohol or other chemicals on them. Your earmolds might develop a little odor over time, but a strong odor could mean that you have an ear infection, so talk to your audiologist if you notice a strong smell.
3. Use a bulb blower to force water out of the tubing and then allow it to dry completely overnight.