Caring for your hearing aids likely feels easy enough. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care instructions, after all. The majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to when it comes to routine hearing aid maintenance. Still, getting all of that information at once means you most likely didn’t remember some of it. So you still may be wondering, what should my cleaning schedule look like? What about my service schedule? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as I can?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in good working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to let your hearing aids get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as dry as possible. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Store your hearing aids somewhere dry and cool. Many people wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom won’t be a great place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to store them in the same spot every day so you’re not trying to figure out where you put them. In the same way, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs love to eat them and cats love to play with them!
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. When it’s really humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even indoors. And that dampness can compromise the delicate electronics inside. If you want to get the most life out of your hearing aid as possible, get that dehumidifier going!
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, don’t use hair care products. That is, take your hearing aids out before using a lot of hair spray or hair gel. These kinds of products can really gunk up your devices.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
Earwax production is a normal and healthy thing for the human body to do. Hearing aid makers are well aware of this. Consequently, 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 needed (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning routine). You can invest in and utilize specialized cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for recommendations here).
What is the replacement schedule for earwax guards? 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 going. Your hearing aid will last a lot longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Keep all of the contact points on the battery dry and clean. If they are dirty or wet, you can make use of a clean, dry cloth to wipe them. This is yet another part of your device where moisture is the enemy.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, don’t forget to turn them off. This just kills the battery for, well, no good reason. Because of this, when you most need your hearing aids, they might not be charged enough to function.
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away again and again .
Tip #4: Only use clean hands to handle your devices
Most of the time, your hearing aids should be in your ears. But they depend on you to put them in. You use your hands to put in your hearing aids, and those fingers could contain all sorts of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t really very good for them.
In general, you should only touch your hearing aids with clean hands. So give your hands a quick clean before you need to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Keep us in the loop
You may presume that you won’t need any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. Generally, though, this isn’t the situation. Here are a few very good reasons why scheduling regular appointments with us is still relevant.:
- Keep track of the status of your hearing loss (making sure it’s not progressing faster than expected).
- To help you adjust your fit.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, in spite of your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). When this occurs, you should contact us as quickly as you can.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get a new set if necessary.
Schedule an appointment with us today to discuss your current or next set of hearing aids.