Hearing Aid Cleaners: Essential Hygiene And Maintenance

Like anything else you might wear your personal hearing aid must also be cleaned. It is an important part of the maintenance of your aid. If you take proper care of your hearing aid it will last as long as it should. They are fragile and are not cheap items. It is in your interest to keep them in good condition. It is of course, also a mater of personal hygiene. Earwax does collect on the earpiece. This can be the cause of irritation or even infection. All hearing aids are sensitive to water. It is imperative that you do not get these costly pieces of technology wet. Your hand must be dry when handling the aid. When cleaning, remember to handle with great care because a hearing aid is a delicate piece of equipment. How you go about cleaning depends on the model of hearing aid you have.

The ear mold and the tube of the BTE (behind the ear aid) should be cleaned every night in warm soapy water. Do not wash the piece that connects the tube to the hearing aid. If you do it will be damaged irrevocably. In any case, ensure they are completely dry before using them again. The unit must be cleaned each day with a tissue or dry, soft cloth. If daily is too much trouble you should not clean them less than once a week. A good time to clean them is at night when you may not need your aid as much.

An ITE (in the ear hearing aid) – should be wiped over with a tissue or soft cloth every time you take it out and also when you put back in. Audio wipes, used to clean speakers and electronic equipment can also be used. Most of these aids have a ‘wax loop’ which stops earwax collecting inside the sound bore. If your model does not then you can buy a similar accessory with the same function. This can be found at many hearing aid outlets. It can reduce the time needed for cleaning. Wax picks are handy and can be found at the same outlets. It is a good little tool to help remove wax fragments from your expensive hearing aid.

Although there are no special products for cleaning your hearing aid there are products to keep your ears clean. This is a help. There are germicidal sprays and ear creams that can soothe the irritation experienced when you first wear a hearing aid. It may be a good idea to keep it at hand for the preliminary period. Dri-Aid acts like a dehumidifier. Earwax contains moisture and keeping the ear canal dry helps cut down on build up. There is also a selection of tools you can use. Apart from the wax picks and wax loops already mentioned, an ear brush also keeps ears clean. All three are available as a special kit.