It most likely seems like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you most likely got a set of care instructions, after all. With regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting all of that information at once means you probably didn’t remember some of it. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning routine look like? Or, how frequently should I get my hearing aid serviced? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but aren’t at all waterproof, so they should be kept as free from moisture as possible. Beyond the obvious, this means you should do things like the following:
- Store your hearing aids someplace dry and cool. Many individuals wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. Well, don’t, for example, keep them in your bathroom (which gets really steamy at least once every day). And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, keep them in the same spot every day. Also, cats like to play with hearing aids and dogs will occasionally attempt to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying around.
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. When it’s really humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even inside. And that moisture can compromise the sensitive electronics inside. If you want to get the most life out of your hearing aid as you can, get that dehumidifier going!
- When you’re wearing your hearing aids, don’t use hair care products. That is, remove your hearing aids before utilizing a lot of hair spray or hair gel. These types of products can really gunk up your devices.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body normally generates earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid manufacturers are well aware of this. As a result, most hearing aids are designed to deal with a modest amount of earwax.
It’s up to you to be sure there isn’t too much earwax on your hearing aids. This means examining and replacing the wax guards when necessary (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning program). You can buy and use special cleaning tools for this, depending on your hearing aid model (ask us for guidance here).
How frequently should wax guards be replaced? You will swap these wax guards around once every month on the majority of models.
Tip #3: Take care of the batteries
Your batteries keep your hearing aids working. The better your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your device will last. The following are some tips for battery care:
- Invest in a rechargeable hearing aid or a battery charger: This will save you lots of money on wasted batteries.
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery dry and clean. If they are dirty or wet, you can use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them. This is yet another place in your device where moisture is the enemy.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, remember to turn them off. This just kills the battery for, well, no good reason. And that means your hearing aids could stop working when you least want them to.
Tip #4: Only use clean hands to handle your devices
Your hearing aids are going to be in your ears most of the time. But they don’t get there on their own. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all sorts of offending substances. Your hearing aids are delicate devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly great for them.
It’s essential that you don’t handle your hearing aids with dirty hands. So before you put in or take out your hearing aids, give your hands a quick wash.
Tip #5 Keep up with your hearing specialist
You might assume that you won’t need any assistance from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. Generally, though, this is not the case. Most people with hearing loss will want to set up routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- Check the status of your hearing loss (making sure it isn’t progressing faster than expected).
- To help you fine-tune your fit.
What should you do when something breaks?
Sometimes, something could go wrong (maybe you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. You should get in touch with us as soon as possible in cases such as this.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get new ones if necessary.
Want to speak with us about your next pair of hearing aids? Schedule an appointment today!