Taking care of your hearing aids likely seems simple enough. After all, you were likely given a set of care instructions when you initially purchased your devices. With regard to regular hearing aid maintenance, the majority of hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial. Still, getting all of that information at once means you most likely didn’t retain some of it. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning routine look like? Or, how often should I get my hearing aid serviced? How can I get the most life out of my hearing aids?
If you want to keep your hearing aids in tip-top working order, check out the following tips.
Tip #1: Try not to let your hearing aids get wet
Electronics usually don’t do well with moisture. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but aren’t at all waterproof, so they need to be kept as free from moisture as possible. Here are a few ways to do just that:
- Don’t use hair products while your hearing aids are in. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, remove your hearing aids. Your hearing aid can really become 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 dampness than you would want even indoors. And that dampness can compromise the delicate electronics inside. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier running.
- Store your hearing aids somewhere dry and cool. Many people wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. Well, don’t, for instance, keep them in your bathroom (which gets really steamy at least once a day). It also helps to keep them in the same place every day so you aren’t trying to figure out where they went. In the same way, don’t leave your hearing aids just lying around, dogs love to eat them and cats like to play with them!
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
Earwax production is a normal and healthy thing for the human body to do. It’s also something that hearing aid makers understand is going to occur. Most modern hearing aids incorporate features that are created to cope with a moderate earwax production.
It’s up to you to be sure there isn’t too much earwax on your hearing aids. This means inspecting and swapping the wax guards when needed (and making that an element of your hearing aid cleaning routine). Depending on which model hearing aid you have, you can invest in specialized little tools for this and we can help you with that.
What is the replacement schedule for earwax guards? You will change these wax guards approximately once every month on most models.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your batteries keep your hearing aids working. The better your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your hearing aid will last. The following are some tips for battery care:
- 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.
- When you’re not using your hearing aids, remember to turn them off. Or else, your battery will just sit there and drain. And that means your hearing aids may quit working when you really need them.
- Get a battery charger or a rechargeable device: That way, you won’t be throwing batteries (and money) away over and over again.
Tip #4: Only use clean hands to handle your hearing aids
Your hearing aids are going to spend most of their time in your ears. But they depend on you to put them in. Your hands (which are required in order to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all kinds of offending materials. Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t exactly very good for them.
It’s essential that you don’t handle 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
You might think that you won’t need any help from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this is not normally correct. Here are a few very good reasons why scheduling regular appointments with us is still important.:
- To track and monitor the development of your hearing loss.
- To clean and maintain your hearing aids.
- To help you calibrate your fit.
What should you do when something breaks?
Occasionally, something could go wrong (perhaps you accidentally step on them) despite your best effort. When this happens, you should contact us as quickly as possible.
If your hearing aid requires any repairs, or you need to get a new one, we can help with that.
Make an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next pair of hearing aids.