A few minutes of hearing aid cleaning each day can be the difference between crisp conversation and a device that sounds weak or cuts out. A consistent routine helps keep your hearing aids working well and prevents the frustration of wax and moisture interfering with sound.
At Broadwater Hearing Care, a full-service audiology practice in St. Petersburg, FL, board-certified audiologist Susan E. Terry, Au.D., F-AAA, can demonstrate how to care for your specific devices 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 Often Should St. Petersburg Patients Clean Hearing Aids?
St. Petersburg patients should clean hearing aids with a gentle inspection and wipe every day, plus a closer 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 inspection. 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 Susan Terry how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
Do BTE, RIC, and In-Ear Styles Each Need Their Own Hearing Aid Care?
Each hearing aid style does need its own care, because the tubing, speaker, and openings sit in different places on every design. 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 devices 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. Our overview of types of hearing aids can help you identify which style you wear.
What Should Your Nightly Hearing Aid Cleaning Look Like, Step by Step?
Your nightly hearing aid cleaning should take just a few minutes: switch the device off, wipe and inspect it, brush the microphone openings, and finish with drying, storage, or charging. 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 Weekly Wax Filter and Dome Inspection Involve?
A weekly wax filter and dome inspection involves looking for persistent wax, blocked filters, worn domes, and tubing that has become stiff, cracked, or discolored. This closer look reaches areas that need more attention than a quick wipe. 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 Susan Terry 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.
Which Cleaning Missteps Can Damage a Hearing Aid’s Electronics?
The cleaning missteps most likely to damage a hearing aid’s electronics are soaking it in water, using harsh chemicals, pushing sharp tools into its openings, and exposing it to 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.
Get Hearing Aid Care Coaching From Susan E. Terry, Au.D.
Seeing the steps done on your own devices makes a home routine much easier to keep. During an appointment, Susan Terry can review your hearing aids, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use, then show you the cleaning method that fits your model.
Call 727-205-0134 or contact Broadwater Hearing Care to schedule a hearing aid care appointment at our office in the Pineywoods Centre on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.