It most likely seems like a simple thing to care for your hearing aids. After all, you were most likely given a set of care guidelines when you first purchased your devices. With regard to routine hearing aid maintenance, most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. But it’s quite likely that you might forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning schedule look like? Or, how frequently should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as possible?
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
Electronics typically don’t like moisture. Hearing aids are somewhat water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they should be kept as dry as possible. Here are several ways to do just that:
- When it’s humid outside, run a dehumidifier. Even indoors, high humidity means your hearing aids may be more moist more frequently. And that dampness can compromise the delicate electronics inside. If you want to get the most life out of your hearing aid as possible, get that dehumidifier running!
- Store your hearing aids someplace cool and dry. Understanding the best way to store your hearing aids can be somewhat of a challenge for lots of people. Well, don’t, for instance, store them in your bathroom (which gets nice and steamy at least once every day). It also helps to store them in the same spot every day so you aren’t trying to figure out where you put them. By the same token, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying about, dogs like to eat them and cats love to play with them!
- When you have your hearing aids in your ears, don’t use hair care products. That is, remove your hearing aids before utilizing a lot of hair spray or hair gel. These types of products can really gunk up your devices.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body normally produces earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. The majority of modern hearing aids incorporate features that are created to deal with a modest earwax production.
Your task is to be certain your hearing aids don’t become overloaded with ear wax. This means inspecting and replacing the wax guards when needed (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning routine). You can buy and utilize special cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for guidance here).
How frequently should wax guards be replaced? You will swap these wax guards around once every month on the majority of models.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your Hearing aids count on your batteries for power. Your hearing aid will last a lot longer if you keep your batteries fresh. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Be sure all of the battery contacts and components are dry. If they are dirty or wet, you can use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them. This is yet another place in your device where moisture is the enemy.
- Invest in a rechargeable hearing aid or a battery charger: That way, you won’t be chucking batteries (and money) away again and again .
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, don’t forget to switch the power off. This just kills the battery for, well, no good reason. Consequently, when you need your hearing aids the most, they may not be charged enough to function.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
Your hearing aids are going to be in your ears most of the time. But they don’t get there on their own. You use your hands to put your hearing aids in, and those hands could contain all sorts of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). By design, hearing aids are really sensitive and likely won’t do well with things like crumbs.
It’s essential that you don’t touch your hearing aids with dirty hands. So give your hands a quick clean before you have to take them out and handle them.
Tip #5 Keep us in the loop
You might presume that you won’t require any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. Generally, though, this is not the situation. Here are a number of very good reasons why scheduling routine appointments with us is still important.:
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
- To help you calibrate your fit.
- To track and monitor the progression of your hearing loss.
What should you do when something breaks?
Occasionally, in spite of your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). When this takes place, you should get in touch with us as quickly as possible.
If your hearing aid requires any repairs, or you need a new one, we can help with that.
Want to talk to us about your next set of hearing aids? Make an appointment today!
