Wax, skin oils, and moisture reach every hearing aid sooner or later, and even a small amount in the wrong opening can make your devices sound faint or distorted. A consistent hearing aid cleaning routine helps keep them working well and prevents the frustration of buildup interfering with sound.
At Coastal ENT Hearing Center, part of Coastal Ear, Nose & Throat, audiologist Kim H. Davis, MA, CCC-A, can demonstrate how to care for your specific devices at our Savannah and Pooler offices and explain when they need professional cleaning or maintenance. Using the right tools and methods for daily and weekly care helps maintain comfortable listening and remove buildup without making the problem worse.
How Much Hearing Aid Cleaning Fits Into a Normal Week?
A normal week of hearing aid cleaning includes a gentle wipe and quick inspection every day, plus a more thorough check about once a week. Daily care removes surface residue before it builds up around the microphone openings, earpiece, and sound outlet. Choose a consistent time, such as after taking them out at night.
Follow your model’s instructions for the weekly check. You may need more frequent attention if you produce a lot of earwax, perspire heavily, or spend time in humid conditions.
Wax filters, domes, and tubing have their own replacement schedules. Check them regularly and replace them as needed or as directed, rather than relying on a single universal calendar.
Professional cleaning should supplement home care. Ask Kim Davis how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
How Do BTE, RIC and Custom Styles Change Your Cleaning Routine?
Behind-the-ear (BTE), receiver-in-canal (RIC), and custom styles change your cleaning routine because the tubing, speaker, and openings sit in different places from one design to the next. Traditional behind-the-ear hearing aids may send sound through hollow plastic tubing to a separate earmold. Some earmolds without electronics can be detached and washed if the manufacturer permits it. Keep the electronic hearing aid body out of water.
Receiver-in-canal hearing aids have a speaker inside the earpiece, connected to the behind-the-ear body by a thin wire. Wipe these components carefully and follow the specific instructions for dome and wax-filter care.
In-the-ear, in-the-canal, and completely-in-canal hearing aids sit partly or entirely inside the ear. Their surfaces, vents, and sound outlets are exposed to wax and skin oils. Small openings require gentle handling and the appropriate cleaning tools.
If you are unsure whether an earpiece contains electronics, ask before detaching or washing it. Similar-looking parts can require different care, and your model’s instructions should guide the process.
How Should You Clean Hearing Aids After Taking Them Out at Night?
After taking hearing aids out at night, turn them off, wipe and inspect each one, brush the microphone openings, and then dry, store, or charge them as directed. Wash and dry your hands, then work over a clean towel on a stable surface. Handle one hearing aid at a time so you can keep track of its parts. Follow these steps:
- Turn the device off using its normal controls.
- Wipe the casing and earpiece with a soft, dry cloth.
- Inspect the dome, earmold, and sound outlet for visible buildup.
- Gently brush across microphone openings, directing debris downward.
- Check charging contacts or accessible battery areas as instructed.
- Follow the recommended drying, storage, or charging routine.
Wax may be easier to brush away after drying overnight. You can complete that step the next morning if needed.
For disposable-battery models, instructions may include opening the battery compartment overnight. Rechargeable aids follow a different routine; do not try to open a sealed battery compartment.
Before wearing the aids again, check that removable earpieces are securely attached and the devices are dry.
What Does a Thorough Weekly Hearing Aid Care Session Involve?
A thorough weekly hearing aid care session involves looking for persistent wax, changing a wax filter when it is blocked, and checking domes and tubing for wear. It gives you a chance to inspect areas that need more attention than a quick wipe. Watch for worn domes and stiff, cracked, or discolored tubing. Damaged parts may need replacement rather than additional cleaning.
Change a wax filter when required, using the exact type specified for your device. Don’t assume every filter needs weekly replacement. Use a vent cleaner or wax loop only in the locations Kim Davis has demonstrated.
If washing a detachable earmold is permitted, disconnect it as instructed, use the approved washing method, and let it and any washable tubing dry completely before reconnecting.
Inspect your charger and remove dust or residue according to its instructions. If buildup remains difficult to remove or sound stays weak, arrange professional service.
What Cleaning Errors Do Savannah Hearing Aid Users Need to Avoid?
The cleaning errors hearing aid users need to avoid are soaking the electronics, using unapproved chemicals, pushing tools into openings, and drying devices with heat. Do not immerse the electronic hearing aid or a speaker-containing earpiece in water. A water-resistance rating does not automatically mean the device can be washed.
Avoid household detergents, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, and other chemicals unless your manufacturer explicitly approves a particular product and method. Even a cleaner marketed for hearing aids may not suit every component. Never spray cleaner directly into openings.
Do not insert needles, pins, or improvised tools into microphone ports or sound outlets. Pushing harder can drive wax inward or damage the parts you are trying to clean.
Keep hearing aids away from hair dryers, microwaves, and other excessive heat sources. Never dismantle the casing for a deeper clean. If a part will not detach easily or you are unsure what it is, stop and ask for guidance.
Set Up a Hearing Aid Care Visit in Savannah or Pooler
A one-on-one demonstration can make hearing aid care easier to manage. During an appointment at Coastal Ear, Nose & Throat, Kim Davis can review your devices, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use, then show you the cleaning steps that fit your model.
Call our Savannah office on Commercial Drive at 912-355-2335 or our Pooler office on Blue Moon Crossing at 912-450-2336, or request an appointment online to schedule a hearing aid care visit.