Hearing aids are a day-to-day essential for those who have hearing loss, so it’s good practice for wearers to learn how to clean and maintain them at home. Here are some of the best ways to look after modern hearing aids and prevent some of the most common repairs.
Clean Them Daily
As hearing aids have to operate inside of a person’s ear canals, they’re subjected to earwax and moisture daily. This can lead to muffled sound or feedback in the form of whistling, and left long enough this can cause damage. Because of this, regular cleaning is essential and should become part of any hearing aid wearer’s daily routine.
Proper tools such as a wax pick and brush can make the job quicker and easier- the focus should be on cleaning on the openings in the device including the microphone ports. As a hearing health professional, you could recommend people clean their hearing aids before going to bed, since this then gives them several hours to air out before they will be worn again. Avoid wipes with chemicals or alcohol when cleaning hearing aids as they could damage the devices
Avoid Moisture and Humidity
From getting caught in the rain to being stuck on a humid subway, there will always be occasions when hearing aid wearers find their devices getting wetter than normal even if they’re careful. Drying them out once they get wet will prolong the life of hearing aids and prevent the need for excessive hearing aid repairs over time. It’s often not the water itself that harms the electronic device but the microscopic impurities and ions in the water.
These ions can form a chain that creates a connection between two contact points in the electronic device, and then when the device is turned on the ion chain leads the electricity somewhere it isn’t supposed to. From there, a power shortage is created and a hearing aid repair will need to take place. While hearing aids are designed to withstand some water, they’re not designed to be over wet or submerged. Hearing aid dehumidifiers are useful as they can draw out moisture and dry them out if they do become wet.
Keep Them Away from Chemicals and Detergents
As with the impurities in water which can damage hearing aids, so can the chemicals and detergents that people come in contact with in their daily lives. For this reason, it’s important to leave hearing aids out during bathing and showering and keep them away from soap, shampoo, hairspray and styling products. All of these can accumulate and cause damage to hearing aids either by clogging the openings or causing power shortages.
Avoid Extreme Heat or Cold
If a hearing aid wearer is outside in very cold weather and needs to remove their devices for any reason, it’s wise to keep them indoors rather than inside a coat pocket for example. The same applies to hot days when relaxing by the pool or on the beach – if they take their hearing aids out to go in the water then it’s worth leaving them indoors rather than in a pool bag or sun lounger.
Take Care of the Batteries
As well as looking after the devices themselves, the batteries should be considered and maintained. To do this, the batteries can be removed and the battery compartment left open to dry overnight – brush the battery compartment with a brush to remove any debris. If they’re rechargeable, they can be docked according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
If you need a further inspection of your hearing aids for repairs or malfunctions, call Galco Hearing Aid Services today.
- Seabrook: (281) 245-0520
- Galveston: (409) 539-3647
