A few minutes of care each day can keep your hearing aids sounding the way they did when they were first fitted. A consistent hearing aid cleaning routine prevents the frustration of wax and moisture interfering with sound, and the right tools keep you from making a buildup problem worse.
Audiologist Anne Livingston, Au.D., and licensed hearing instrument specialist Emma Westerberg, HIS, see patients at Hearing Care Professionals’ offices in Lafayette, Monticello, and Crawfordsville, IN. They can demonstrate how to care for your specific devices and explain when they need professional cleaning or maintenance.
What’s a Realistic Schedule for Hearing Aid Cleaning?
A realistic schedule for hearing aid cleaning is a gentle wipe and inspection every day, with a closer look about once a week. Daily care removes surface residue before it builds up around the microphone openings, earpiece, and sound outlet. Choose a consistent time, such as after taking them out at night.
Follow your model’s instructions for the weekly inspection. You may need more frequent attention if you produce a lot of earwax, perspire heavily, or spend time in humid conditions.
Wax filters, domes, and tubing have their own replacement schedules. Check them regularly and replace them as needed or as directed, rather than relying on a single universal calendar.
Professional cleaning should supplement home care, and our hearing care team offers it along with hearing aid repair. Ask Anne Livingston or Emma Westerberg how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
Why Does Your Hearing Aid Style Matter for Cleaning?
Your hearing aid style matters for cleaning because each design routes sound differently and exposes different parts to wax and moisture. Traditional behind-the-ear hearing aids may send sound through hollow plastic tubing to a separate earmold. Some earmolds without electronics can be detached and washed if the manufacturer permits it. Keep the electronic hearing aid body out of water.
Receiver-in-canal hearing aids have a speaker inside the earpiece, connected to the behind-the-ear body by a thin wire. Wipe these components carefully and follow the specific instructions for dome and wax-filter care.
In-the-ear, in-the-canal, and completely-in-canal devices sit partly or entirely inside the ear. Their surfaces, vents, and sound outlets are exposed to wax and skin oils. Small openings require gentle handling and the appropriate cleaning tools.
If you are unsure whether an earpiece contains electronics, ask before detaching or washing it. Similar-looking parts can require different care, and your model’s instructions should guide the process.
What Steps Make Up a Good Daily Hearing Aid Maintenance Routine?
A good daily hearing aid maintenance routine covers six steps: power off, wipe, inspect, brush the microphone openings, check contacts, and dry, store, or charge. Wash and dry your hands, then work over a clean towel on a stable surface. Handle one hearing aid at a time so you can keep track of its parts. Follow these steps:
- Turn the device off using its normal controls.
- Wipe the casing and earpiece with a soft, dry cloth.
- Inspect the dome, earmold, and sound outlet for visible buildup.
- Gently brush across microphone openings, directing debris downward.
- Check charging contacts or accessible battery areas as instructed.
- Follow the recommended drying, storage, or charging routine.
Wax may be easier to brush away after drying overnight. You can complete that step the next morning if needed.
For disposable-battery models, instructions may include opening the battery compartment overnight. Rechargeable aids follow a different routine; do not try to open a sealed battery compartment.
Before wearing the aids again, check that removable earpieces are securely attached and the devices are dry.
What Should a Weekly Hearing Aid Inspection Look For?
A weekly hearing aid inspection should look for blockages and wear that call for a part to be replaced or a professional cleaning. Weekly care gives you a chance to inspect areas that need more attention than a quick wipe. Look for persistent wax, blocked filters, worn domes, and stiff, cracked, or discolored tubing. Damaged parts may need replacement rather than additional cleaning.
Change a wax filter when required, using the exact type specified for your device. Don’t assume every filter needs weekly replacement. Use a vent cleaner or wax loop only in the locations our hearing care team demonstrated at your hearing aid fitting or a later visit.
If washing a detachable earmold is permitted, disconnect it as instructed, use the approved washing method, and let it and any washable tubing dry completely before reconnecting.
Inspect your charger and remove dust or residue according to its instructions. If buildup remains difficult to remove or sound stays weak, arrange professional service.
What Should Lafayette Patients Never Do When Cleaning Hearing Aids?
Lafayette patients should never submerge hearing aid electronics, use harsh chemicals, push sharp tools into openings, or dry devices with heat when cleaning hearing aids. Do not immerse the electronic hearing aid or a speaker-containing earpiece in water. A water-resistance rating does not automatically mean the device can be washed.
Avoid household detergents, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, and other chemicals unless your manufacturer explicitly approves a particular product and method. Even a cleaner marketed for hearing aids may not suit every component. Never spray cleaner directly into openings.
Do not insert needles, pins, or improvised tools into microphone ports or sound outlets. Pushing harder can drive wax inward or damage the parts you are trying to clean.
Keep hearing aids away from hair dryers, microwaves, and other excessive heat sources. Never dismantle the casing for a deeper clean. If a part will not detach easily or you are unsure what it is, stop and ask for guidance.
Schedule Hearing Aid Care in Lafayette, Monticello or Crawfordsville
If cleaning feels fiddly or your hearing aids still sound weak after home care, bring them in. Anne Livingston, Au.D., and Emma Westerberg can review your devices, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use, then show you the cleaning steps for your model.
Reach our Lafayette office at 765-523-4273, our Monticello office at 765-523-4204, or our Crawfordsville office at 765-300-4562. You can also contact Hearing Care Professionals online to schedule a hearing aid care appointment.