Hearing aids can do so much to improve your quality of life. However, if you do not properly clean, care for, and maintain your hearing aids, their effectiveness may wane or they may stop working altogether.
This is a general overview of hearing aid care and maintenance. In this article, we’ll discuss:
- Cleaning your hearing aids
- Replacing parts on your hearing aids
- Other maintenance options
- General care tips
Cleaning Your Hearing Aids
Your hearing aids are in contact with your skin and ear canal all day, which can leave oils, debris, and earwax behind. You'll want to remove this debris in order to keep your hearing aids sounding and feeling like new.
We recommend using the cleaning tool (included with your MDHearing hearing aids) every day to clean your hearing aids and their parts. Do not use water, alcohol, or another liquid agent, as it may damage your hearing aids.
- For behind-the-ear (BTE) devices, the cleaning tool has a brush on one end and a wire on the other.
- For in-the-ear (ITE) devices, the cleaning tool has a brush on one end and a wire loop on the other.
To learn how to clean your hearing aids, click one of the links below:
Replacing Hearing Aid Parts
Like a car, there are several working parts that make a hearing aid function, and practicing good hearing aid maintenance will keep your aids running at optimum performance.
In addition to cleaning your hearing aids, it's also important to periodically replace the tips, tubing, and/or wax guards. How often you replace these parts depends on the type of part. Below are our recommendations, but it never hurts to replace them sooner if you feel they are wearing out quicker. Everyone is different.
- Replace tubing every 3 months
- Replace ComfortTIPs every 3 months
- Replace domes once a month
- Replace wax guards once a month
To learn how to replace the parts on your hearing aids, click one of the links below:
- How do I change the tubing on a BTE hearing aid?
- How do I change the tip on a BTE hearing aid?
- How do I change the dome on an ITE hearing aid?
- How do I change the wax guards on an ITE hearing aid?
Other Maintenance
One of the leading threats to your hearing aids is moisture and humidity, as it can potentially damage your hearing aids. There are a few easy-to-use options for removing that moisture to improve sound quality and prevent costly repairs.
Dehumidifiers
There are various hearing aid dehumidifiers specially designed to help you keep your hearing aids in good working order.
- Dehumidifier Jar: This is a small container with a desiccant (drying agent) lining that absorbs moisture and prevents harm to sensitive electronic parts. This container requires no batteries or electricity. Simply place your hearing aids in the dehumidifier jar before bed.
- UV-Clean & Dry Box: This is a compact device that uses gentle, dry heat to remove moisture, sweat, and condensation. It also has a sanitization feature that uses ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill harmful germs, bacteria, and viruses without harsh chemicals or expensive cleansers.
Tubing Air Blower
A tubing blower is a special bulb designed to remove moisture and debris from your BTE hearing aid tubing. It creates pressure through the tubing to dislodge any moisture or debris that can get trapped in the hearing aid tubing. Click here to learn how to use the tubing air blower.
Protection Plans
MDHearing also offers the option to purchase a protection plan to safeguard your investment. The MDShield Protection Plan subscription provides coverage for all types of accidental damage, including water damage and corrosion. If your hearing aids can’t be fixed, then MDHearing will replace them.
General Care Tips
Here are some dos and don’ts for protecting your hearing aids:
- DO store in a cool, dry place, such as a hearing aid dehumidifier.
- DO avoid physical shock to your hearing aid, such as dropping it or stepping on it.
- DO charge the hearing aid until it is fully charged with each charge.
- DO remove your battery (if battery-operated) when you are not using your hearing aid for a long period of time in order to prevent corrosion.
- DO NOT store the hearing aid or charging case for over a month without charging in order to extend the overall life of your battery
- DO NOT expose your hearing aids to excess moisture.
- DO NOT use your hearing aids in the rain.
- DO NOT wash your hearing aids with water.
- DO NOT swim with your hearing aids on.
- DO NOT use your hearing aids while in the shower.
- DO NOT use hair spray while wearing your hearing aids
- DO NOT expose your hearing aids to excess heat.
- DO NOT use a hair dryer while wearing your hearing aids.
- DO NOT let your hearing aids go through the dryer.
- DO NOT leave your hearing aids out in the sunlight for long periods.