Your hearing aids are an investment and should be taken care of on a daily basis. Although most cleaning can be performed at home, there may be times where you should bring your hearing aids in to us to be cleaned.
Ear Wax
Ear wax is completely normal but it is often your hearing aid's worst enemy. The wax can often clog the tubes and vents on a hearing aid. Although normal cleaning my be fine, if the wax is pushed too far into the hearing aid where it becomes hard, mechanical problems may occur causing your hearing aid to fail. Starkey Hearing Technologies estimates that 60 percent of hearing aid repairs are due to wax or a foreign material getting into the internal components of a hearing aid.
Here's what we suggest.
- Clean your hearing aids every morning: Mornings are best since the wax often dries overnight. It is important to wipe off the hearing aid each morning. Never use tissues that contain aloe or lotions.
- Avoid the microphone ports: Be careful to not wipe debris onto the microphone ports from another part of the aid.
- Don't forget your hearing aid tubing: Clean the tubes with the tool provided. Once again you are trying to prevent a wax build up.
Water, Humidity, Sweat and Dirt
Most of our hearing aids use Surface™ Nanoshield moisture and wax repellent to help repel water, oils and debris. However, this does not mean your hearing aids are 100 percent safe. Water, humidity, condensation, lotions, hairspray, sweat and dirt can cause serious damage to your hearing aid. We understand that accidents happen but If your hearing aid dropped in water or if you are having trouble cleaning it, your best option is to bring it into us for a cleaning.
- Avoid exposure to water: store your hearing aids somewhere safe. It's highly suggested to use a dry container that isn't exposed to heat or humidity.
- Plan carefully: Consider leaving your hearing aids in the same place. Avoid bathrooms and kitchens. If you are participating in an activity that requires removing your hearing aids, consider putting them in a purse, backpack until you can enjoy wearing them again.
- Remove condensation in tubing: If you notice moisture in your tubing use a tube blower to force the moisture out. You can also try a dehumidifying container. If you are still noticing a moisture problem or you are unsure how to remove the moisture, please contact one of our locations.
- Open battery doors at night: At night, hearing aid battery doors should be left open to allow air to flow through the device; this has the added benefit of preserving battery life. Ideally, hearing aids should be stored in a dehumidifying container. NOTE: follow proper use and maintenance instructions of dehumidifying devices as some may require reactivation or replacement parts after a certain amount of usage.
Avoid Damage
To prevent damage, hearing aids should be stored in a consistent, safe manner whenever they’re not in use. Keep hearing aids (and their batteries) out of the reach of small children and pets. Animals tend to be drawn to the devices due to the lingering human scent.
When damage occurs, gather all components of the hearing device and schedule an appointment with your professional as soon as possible.
If there is damage to the casing, the devices should not be worn as sharp edges may cause irritation or abrasion to the ear and surrounding areas.
Damage to the tubing, either tears or pinches, should be addressed as soon as possible as such damages can have severe effects on the sound quality of the hearing device.