Caring for your hearing aids probably seems simple enough. When you initially obtained your hearing aids, you probably got a set of care guidelines, after all. With regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting all of that information at once means you probably didn’t retain some of it. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning routine 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 tip-top working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to allow your hearing aids to get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really get along that well. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as free from moisture as possible. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Find a cool and dry spot to keep your hearing aids when you’re not using them. Understanding the best way to store your hearing aids can be somewhat of a challenge for lots of people. So the steamy bathroom isn’t going to be a very good place to store your hearing aids. It also helps to store them in the same place every day so you aren’t wondering where you put them. Also, cats love to play with hearing aids and dogs will occasionally try to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying about.
- When you’re wearing your hearing aids, avoid using hair care products. When you’re going to use hair spray or gel, remove your hearing aids. Your hearing aid can really get gunked up from these kinds of products.
- Keep a dehumidifier going during those more humid months. When it’s extremely humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even inside. And the delicate electronics inside of your device will be compromised. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier going.
Tip #2: Check (and clean) those earwax filters
Earwax production is a healthy and normal thing for the human body to do. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. The majority of modern hearing aids incorporate features that are designed to deal with a modest earwax production.
Your job is to be certain your hearing aids don’t become overwhelmed with ear wax. This means inspecting and replacing the wax guards when necessary (and making that part of your hearing aid cleaning schedule). You can invest in and utilize special cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for recommendations here).
How frequently should wax guards be swapped? You will swap these wax guards about once every month on most models.
Tip #3: Take care of the batteries
Your Hearing aids count on your batteries for power. The healthier your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your hearing aid will last. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Make certain all of the battery contacts and components are dry. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. This is yet another part of your device where moisture is the enemy.
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, don’t forget to turn them off. Otherwise, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids could stop working when you really need them.
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: This will save you lots of money on wasted batteries.
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. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all kinds of offending substances. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly great for them.
It’s important that you don’t touch your hearing aids with dirty 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
It may feel like, once you have your hearing aids, you can leave your hearing specialist in the dust. But… this is not typically true. Most individuals who have hearing loss will want to schedule routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To track and monitor the development of your hearing loss.
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
- To help make sure your devices fit well.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Sometimes, something could go wrong (maybe you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. When this takes place, you should get in touch with us as quickly as you can.
We will be able to help you repair your devices, or get new ones if needed.
Want to talk to us about your next pair of hearing aids? Set up an appointment today!