It probably feels like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. After all, you were most likely given a set of care instructions when you first purchased your devices. In regard to regular hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. But it’s very likely that you may forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning routine look like? What about my service schedule? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
These five, easy-to-follow tips can help provide some answers, as well as easy ways to help in taking care of your hearing aids so they work better longer.
Tip #1: Try not to allow your hearing aids to get wet
Electronics typically don’t do well with wetness. While your hearing aids may provide a certain amount of water resistance, you generally want to keep them dry. Beyond the obvious, this means you should do things like the following:
- When you’re wearing your hearing aids, don’t use hair care products. That is, remove your hearing aids before using a lot of hair spray or hair gel. These kinds of products can really gunk up your devices.
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. Even inside, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more damp more frequently. And the fragile electronics inside of your device can be compromised. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as you can, get that dehumidifier running!
- Store your hearing aids somewhere dry and cool. Many people question what the best way to store hearing aids is. Well, don’t, for example, store them in your bathroom (which gets really steamy at least once every day). It also helps to store them in the same spot every day so you aren’t wondering where you put them. In the same way, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs like to eat them and cats love to play with them!
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
Earwax production is a healthy and normal thing for the human body to do. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. Most contemporary hearing aids include features that are designed to manage a moderate earwax production.
Your task is to make sure your hearing aids don’t become inundated with ear wax. This means checking and swapping the wax guards when necessary (and making that part of your hearing aid cleaning schedule). You can invest in and utilize specialized cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for guidance here).
What is the replacement schedule for earwax guards? Well, for most models, it will be about once every month or so.
Tip #3: Take care of the batteries
Your Hearing aids depend on your batteries for power. Your hearing aid will last a lot longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are a few 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. As with most electronics, moisture will lead to a bad time here.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, don’t forget to switch the power off. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. Because of this, when you most need your hearing aids, they may not be charged enough to work.
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable hearing aid: That way, you won’t be chucking batteries (and money) away again and again .
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. You use your fingers to put your hearing aids in, and those fingers could contain all sorts of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). By design, hearing aids are very sensitive and likely won’t do well with things like crumbs.
Generally, you should only handle your hearing aids with clean 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
It may feel like, once you have your hearing aids, you can leave your hearing specialist in the dust. But… this is not usually true. Most people with hearing loss will want to set up regular appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To help make sure your devices fit well.
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
- Keep an eye on the status of your hearing loss (making certain it’s not advancing faster than expected).
What should you do when something breaks?
Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). When this takes place, you should contact us as quickly as possible.
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? Make an appointment today!