How to maintain your hearing aids

Hearing aids can be an expensive piece of kit and getting the most out of them is important. Taking good care of your hearing aids can prolong their life and keep them working at their best so you can keep hearing better. Poor maintenance means they won’t last as long and will function poorly and means you’ll have to shell out for them more often if they’re not properly maintained.

Keep in mind that hearing aids today can be very advanced pieces of kit. All of that electronics packed into a tiny shell can be quite vulnerable considering they spend most of their lives somewhere that is warm and moist. The simplest thing to remember of course is to handle your hearing aids with care. Store them in a place that is dry and cool. If they came with a case to keep them in, it would be best to leave them in there when not in use. Hearing aids are of course prone to getting dirty the main culprit of course being wax. Your hearing aids will have come with a cloth or brush or if you’re lucky, a multi-tool. These are handy little tools that encompass a brush, a magnet, a wire loop/hook and a self-containing cover all in one. Do keep in mind that the two below are very broad categories of hearing aids and that there are variations within them and that you should make sure of which one you have before attempting to clean them yourself.

Behind the ear hearing aids (BTE)                  

The ear mould should be cleaned everyday using a soft cloth. The multi-tool can be used to clean the opening and the tube in the mould can also be cleaned with soapy water. You can always use a blow dryer to force the water out then put it somewhere warm and dry to dry out overnight. However, once the tube becomes especially yellow or stiff, it should be replaced. If you have an ear mould with a hook, this can be removed and cleaned using soapy water. If on the other hand you have a receiver in the ear (RITE) hearing aids, then these should not be washed using any cleaning liquids whether water, solvents or anything else.

In the ear hearing aids (ITE)

The shell of the device can be cleaned using a simple soft cloth every day. Hearing aids are prone to becoming blocked up with wax and care should be taken to clean them properly. Look out for the openings in the hearing aid. These will include the sound outlet, the vent and the microphone and this is where the multi-tool comes in especially handy. Use the brush to clean out these holes being sure to hold the hearing aid so that the wax falls out instead of being pushed further in. The pick and hook on the multi-tool can be used to dislodge any wax that is especially hard to remove.

Having said all of the above, hearing aids should be cleaned professionally once or twice a year and you can always get in touch with Veritas if you want that service. If you’re just looking to keep yours in shape, drop us an email or give us a call.