It probably seems like a simple thing to take care of your hearing aids. After all, you were probably given a set of care instructions when you first purchased your devices. Most hearing specialists will give you a step-by-step how-to in regard to regular hearing aid maintenance. Still, getting that much information at once means you probably didn’t retain some of it. So you still might be wondering, what should my cleaning schedule look like? Or, how often should I have my hearing aid serviced? How can I make my hearing aids last as long as possible?
These five, simple-to-follow tips can help give you some answers, as well as simple ways to help in taking care of your hearing aids so they function better longer.
Tip #1: Keep your hearing aids dry
Moisture and electronics don’t really jive. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as free from moisture as possible. Beyond the obvious, this means you should do things like the following:
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. When it’s extremely humid, your hearing aids can have more dampness than you would want even inside. And the delicate electronics inside of your device will be damaged. If you want to get the most longevity out of your hearing aid as possible, get that dehumidifier running!
- When you’re wearing your hearing aids, avoid using hair care products. When you’re going to utilize hair spray or gel, take out your hearing aids. These types of products can really gunk up your devices.
- Find a cool and dry place to store your hearing aids when you’re not using them. Knowing the best way to store your hearing aids can be a bit of a challenge for lots of individuals. Well, don’t, for example, 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’re not trying to figure out 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.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body naturally produces earwax in a healthy way. Hearing aid designers are well aware of this. Consequently, most hearing aids are created to deal with a modest amount of earwax.
It’s up to you to be sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make swapping out your wax guard, when necessary, a routine element of your cleaning regimen. You can purchase and utilize special cleaning tools for this, depending on what model you have (ask us for guidance here).
How often should wax guards be replaced? You will change these wax guards about once every month on most models.
Tip #3: Keep your batteries charged and fresh
Your Hearing aids depend on your batteries for power. The better your hearing aid batteries are, the longer your hearing aid will last. So there are several battery-care steps you can take:
- Invest in a rechargeable device or a battery charger: This will save you a lot of money on wasted batteries.
- Be sure all of the battery contacts and components are dry. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. As with electronics in general, moisture will result in a bad outcome here.
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, remember to switch the power off. This just drains the battery for, well, no good reason. For this reason, when you most need your hearing aids, they might not be charged enough to function.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
The majority of the time, you should be wearing your hearing aids. But they depend on you to put them in. You use your fingers to put in your hearing aids, and those fingers could contain all sorts of things (salt, maple syrup, Cheeto dust, and so on). Your hearing aids are sensitive devices by design, so crumbs aren’t really very good for them.
It’s important that you don’t touch your hearing aids with dirty hands. So before you put in or take out your hearing aids, give your hands a quick cleanse.
Tip #5 Keep us in the loop
You may think that you won’t need any assistance from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this is not normally correct. Most individuals with hearing loss will want to set up routine appointments with us for the following reasons:
- To help you calibrate your fit.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
- To keep track of and monitor the progression of your hearing loss.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Occasionally, despite your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). When this occurs, you should contact us as quickly as you can.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get new ones if needed.
Make an appointment with us today to talk about your current or next pair of hearing aids.