A hearing aid that sounded crisp at your fitting can start to sound dull once wax and moisture settle into its openings. A consistent hearing aid cleaning routine helps keep your devices working well and prevents that slow slide.
Audiologist Ray McNiven, M.A., CCC-A, at Volume Hearing & Audiology 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.
Is a Daily Wipe Enough, or Do Hearing Aids Need Weekly Attention Too?
A daily wipe keeps hearing aids clean day to day, but they also need a closer inspection about once a week, following your model’s instructions. 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.
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. Clients with our Full Service package receive complimentary maintenance and cleaning throughout the three-year warranty period. Ask Ray how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
Does Hearing Aid Cleaning Differ for Earmolds, Domes, and Shells?
Yes, hearing aid cleaning differs: earmolds without electronics may be washable, domes sit on a receiver that must stay dry, and custom shells need careful work around small openings. 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.
Which Tasks Make Up Daily Hearing Aid Maintenance, in Order?
Daily hearing aid maintenance means turning the device off, wiping and inspecting it, brushing the microphone openings, checking contacts or the battery area, and then drying, storing, or charging it. 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. Work through 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 Weekly Inspection Keeps Wax Filters and Tubing in Good Shape?
A weekly inspection for persistent wax, blocked filters, worn domes, and stiff, cracked, or discolored tubing keeps these small parts in good shape or shows when they need replacing. Weekly care 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 Ray 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; we can repair most hearing aid types or send them to the manufacturer.
Which Products and Tools Should Spokane Clients Keep Off Hearing Aids?
Spokane clients should keep water, household chemicals, sharp tools, and heat sources off their hearing aids. 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.
Needles, pins, and improvised tools don’t belong in 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.
Ask Ray McNiven for a Cleaning Demonstration in Spokane
Seeing the routine done on your own devices is the easiest way to learn it. During an appointment, Ray McNiven, M.A., can review your devices, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use, and take care of any cleaning that calls for professional tools.
Call or text 509-236-8968 or contact Volume Hearing & Audiology to book a hearing aid care visit in Spokane.
