Taking care of your hearing aids probably seems easy enough. After all, you were most likely given a set of care guidelines when you originally bought 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 may forget some of that information that you got all at once. So you may still have questions like, how frequently should I clean my hearing aid? Or, how frequently 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 allow your hearing aids to get wet
Moisture and electronics don’t really get along that well. Hearing aids are slightly water resistant but are by no means waterproof, so they need to be kept as free from moisture as possible. Here are several ways to do just that:
- Find a dry and cool place to keep your hearing aids when you aren’t using them. Many people wonder what the best way to store hearing aids is. So the steamy bathroom won’t be a great place to keep your hearing aids. And in order to keep track of your hearing aids, keep them in the same place every day. Also, cats love to play with hearing aids and dogs will sometimes try to eat them, so don’t just leave them lying around.
- Keep a dehumidifier running during those more humid months. When it’s very humid, your hearing aids can have more moisture than you would want even indoors. And the delicate electronics inside of your device will be compromised. Prolonging hearing aid life might mean keeping that dehumidifier going.
- Avoid using hair products while you’re wearing your hearing aids. That is, remove your hearing aids before utilizing a lot of hair spray or hair gel. Your hearing aid can really become gunked up from these kinds of products.
Tip #2: Keep the earwax filters nice and clean
The human body normally generates earwax in a healthy way. It’s also something that hearing aid makers recognize is going to take place. The majority of contemporary hearing aids incorporate features that are designed to cope with a moderate earwax production.
It’s up to you to make sure there’s not too much earwax on your hearing aids. So make changing out your wax guard, when necessary, a routine part of your cleaning routine. Depending on what model hearing aid you have, you can get specialized little tools for this and we can help you with that.
How frequently should wax guards be replaced? You will swap these wax guards about 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 much longer if you keep your batteries fresh. The following are a few tips for battery care:
- Invest in a rechargeable hearing aid or a battery charger: This will save you lots of money on wasted batteries.
- Make certain all of the battery contacts and components are dry. You can wipe them down with a clean cloth if they aren’t. This is yet another part of your device where moisture is the enemy.
- When you’re not wearing your hearing aids, remember to turn them off. This just drains the battery for, well, no good reason. And that means your hearing aids may quit working when you least want them to.
Tip #4: Clean your hands before handling your hearing aids
Your hearing aids are going to spend most of their time in your ears. But they don’t get there on their own. Your hands (which you need to handle your hearing aids) could be covered in all sorts of offending substances. By design, hearing aids are very delicate and likely won’t do well with things like crumbs.
It’s essential that you don’t handle 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 might assume that you won’t need any assistance from us once you’ve purchased your hearing aids. But… this isn’t typically correct. Here are several very good reasons why scheduling routine appointments with us is still important.:
- Check the status of your hearing loss (making certain it isn’t advancing quicker than expected).
- To help make sure your devices fit well.
- Cleaning and maintenance.
When something breaks, what should you do?
Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, something goes wrong with your hearing aids (maybe you accidentally step on them). You should contact us as soon as you can in situations like this.
We will be able to help you fix your devices, or get a new set if needed.
Want to talk to us about your next pair of hearing aids? Set up an appointment today!