Your MDHearing behind-the-ear hearing aid can be easily cleaned by you at home—eliminating the need to make costly appointments and trips to a hearing clinic. Regular cleaning and maintenance are imperative to keep your hearing aids sounding and feeling like new.
In this article, we'll discuss:
- Tools for cleaning
- Cleaning the hearing aid body
- Cleaning the microphones
- Cleaning the tip
- Cleaning the tubing
- How often you need to clean your hearing aids
Tools
- Cleaning tool with the cleaning brush & wire
- The hearing aid
- A tissue or microfiber cloth
- Important note: Do not use water, alcohol, or another liquid agent, as it may damage your hearing aids.
Cleaning the hearing aid
1. Wipe down the hearing aid.
Start by wiping down the body of the hearing aid with a tissue or microfiber cloth.
The hearing aid is in contact with your skin all day—which produces sweat and oils that will accumulate over time.
2. Clean the microphones.
The microphone is what picks up sounds to amplify, so any blockage of the microphone will have an impact on the sound that reaches your ear. It is absolutely essential to keep the microphones clean and free of debris.
Identify the microphones and gently brush them with your cleaning brush to remove any dust, earwax, or other debris.
- If your hearing aid has a single microphone, it is likely located close to where the hearing aid connects to the tubing. The microphone may look like a little black circle or small hole.
- If your hearing aid has any additional microphones, they likely can be found on the spine of the hearing aid, near the controls. If you see a small hole, or a couple of holes, these indicate the location of your additional microphones.
3. Clean the tips.
To clean your ComfortTIP or dome, use the brush end of your cleaning tool to gently brush the outside of the tip. This will remove any dust, earwax, or other debris that could stop you from hearing.
You can also use a tissue or a microfiber cloth to wipe off the end of the outside of the tip.
4. Clean the tubing.
- Before you clean the tubing, you must remove the tubing from the hearing aid body.
- Then, thread the wire through the base of the tubing. Push it all the way through the tubing and out of the tip to remove any debris, ear wax, or other blockages that could stop you from hearing.
- Once the wire pops out of the tip, wipe off the end of the cleaning wire with a tissue or a microfiber cloth to remove the debris.
- Pull the cleaning tool wire back out through the tubing and repeat this process—running the wire through the tubing, wiping off the end of the wire, then pulling it back through—a few more times to ensure the tubing is completely clear.
Important note: Keep in mind that any ear wax, debris, or blockage is going to be closest to the tip, as it is comes in contact with your ear canal. It’s important to insert the wire at the base of the tubing first (rather than the tip) so the wire pushes the blockage out of the tip. If you start at the tip, then you push these blockages further into the tubing.
How often should you clean your hearing aids?
We recommended cleaning your hearing aids every day. Your hearing aids are in contact with skin and ear canal all day, which can leave oils and earwax behind. Establishing a consistent cleaning routine is the easiest way to get the most out of your hearing aid and extend its life.