Hearing aids spend all day in a warm, waxy environment, so a little buildup is normal. Left alone, though, wax and moisture can block tiny openings and leave your devices sounding weak or distorted. A consistent hearing aid cleaning routine helps keep them working well and prevents that frustration.
Professional Hearing Center’s owner, audiologist Lori Dailey, M.S., CCC-A, and hearing instrument specialist Mike Grace, HIS, show patients at our Fremont, Omaha and Wahoo, NE, offices how to care for their 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.
Should Hearing Aid Cleaning Be a Daily Habit or a Weekly One?
Hearing aid cleaning should be both: a gentle wipe and inspection every day, plus a closer look 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.
Base the weekly inspection on your model’s instructions. 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 Lori Dailey or Mike Grace how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
Does Hearing Aid Maintenance Look Different for Each Style?
Hearing aid maintenance does look different for each style, because behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal, and custom in-ear devices place their tubing, speakers, and openings in different spots. 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.
What Should Fremont Patients Do Each Night to Clean Hearing Aids?
Each night, Fremont patients should power down their hearing aids, wipe and inspect them, 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.
Which Wax Filter, Dome, and Tubing Checks Belong in Weekly Care?
Weekly care should include checking the wax filter for blockage, examining domes for wear, and looking for stiff, cracked, or discolored tubing. This closer look reaches areas that need more attention than a quick wipe, including persistent wax. 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 our hearing care team 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 hearing aid repair and service.
What Common Cleaning Habits Can Damage a Hearing Aid?
The common cleaning habits that can damage a hearing aid are soaking it, using harsh chemicals, poking 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 Hands-On Hearing Aid Cleaning Tips in Fremont, Omaha, or Wahoo
Seeing the steps done on your own devices makes hearing aid care easier to manage. During an appointment, Lori Dailey or Mike Grace can review your hearing aids, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use, then show you how to clean each part safely.
To schedule a hearing aid care appointment, call our Fremont office at 402-242-5398, our Omaha office at 402-513-9593, or our Wahoo office at 402-443-1108 (open the first and third Wednesdays of each month). You’ll find each office’s address on our contact page.