Hearing Aid Cleaning Tips

The FDA has explicitly stated that people need to take care and clean their hearing aid devices on a regular basis. This will really help with extending the life of the device and prevent malfunctions from happening. For example, too much earwax can be the reason for damage.

You might want to know about the efficient ways to clean different types of hearing aids. In this article, we have discussed it step-by-step.

Daily care

Experts have all suggested cleaning your hearing aid devices every day. It is also recommended that you wipe your hearing aid with some sort of dry tissue after every time you remove it.

The following are a list of tips on hearing aid maintenance and cleaning that has been provided by the experts. Just as an example, every night, users should:

• Make sure that the device has been turned off and that the battery compartment has been kept open.
• Make sure that the hearing aid is stored in a sort of dehumidifier at night. Also, if at some time you do not use it during the day, make sure that it is stored in a dry and cool place.
• Remove all the earwax that has been built up by using a pipe cleaner.

Clean on a Weekly Basis

Experts have also highlighted the importance of a weekly cleaning routine for your hearing aid.

The device can be washed with just warm soapy water. It can then be dried afterwards by using an air blower. This will help with keeping the tubing free from moisture. The device can be left to dry overnight and you can reassemble it the next day when you need to use it.

How to Take Care of Hearing Aids

The Food and Drug Administration has been able to provide some general tips on making sure that our hearing aids are properly clean. They are as follows:

• Make sure that you do not use water, alcohol or any kind of solvents on your device. These can potentially damage the circuits of the device
• Make sure that the hearing aid has been turned off if you are not using it
• Do not use old batteries and make sure that dead batteries are replaced.
• The device has to stay away from heat.
• Do not use hair products when you are wearing your hearing aids.

The type of cleaning method that needs to be used will depend completely on the particular kind of hearing aid that person is using.

BTE Device Cleaning Hacks

These types of behind-the ear aids normally wrap around the user’s ear. These are suited for a wide range of types of loss of hearing.

On top of the things said above, the FDA also recommends this type of hearing aids for children. This is because they are very easy to clean and to also handle. They are also very safe for small ears.

You can do the following if you are trying to clean your BTE hearing aid devices:

• Only clean the tubing with water and make sure the other parts are not exposed to water.
• Make sure that you detach the earmold of the device from its hook
• Make sure that you use a brush in order to clean the molds and also to remove any sort of debris by using a wax pick.
• Make sure that you replace the device’s tubing if it is blocked.

ITE  and ITC Device Cleaning Hacks

These types of In-the-ear aids normally will fill the exterior of the ear. They do not have any sort of external tubes or wires and they are also very lightweight. These devices are recommended for those who have hearing problems ranging from mild to severe.

Hearing aids of the ITC variety are a lot less noticeable than their ITE counterparts. They are also much smaller in size and are very lightweight. They normally come in the normal shape of our ears. These devices are also meant for those whose hearing loss ranges from mild to somewhat severe.

Here are a list of things that you can do in order keep both your ITC and ITE devices clean:

• Make sure that you properly brush the opening of the vent, the tubing, and also the mic port. You should do this in order to keep your device free from both debris and was as well.
• Make use of a wax pick and remove any of the remaining debris
• Make sure that you wipe the exterior of the device using a soft and dry cloth.
• It is also highly recommended that you take your device to a professional audiologist so that they can inspect it and then clean it. This should be done every 6 months.

RIC Device Cleaning Hacks

These types of hearing aids normally come with a sort of open fit. This is important so as to not block the ear canal completely and also allow natural sounds to be able to enter the canals of the ear.

These particular devices are good for those who are experiencing hearing loss in the higher frequencies, and their degree of hearing loss ranges from mild to somewhat severe.

These hearing aids also come in a lot of different types of colors and styles. This is in order to give the consumer options so that they can get the one that is most suitable for them. One thing to note is that these types of hearing aids are not custom-made

In order to clean these types of hearing aids, the following can be done.

• Make sure you brush your device regularly in order to get rid of any debris
• Using your thumbs in order to massage the tip of the dome
• Making sure to wipe your hearing aid with a cloth that is both dry and soft.

All of these things ought to be done in order to make sure that your expensive hearing aid lasts for a long time.