Wearing hearing aids allows you to fully engage in conversations and enjoy daily sounds like falling rain and grandkids laughing. However, hearing aids can only work to their full potential if you clean and care for it properly.
If hearing aids are not cared foryou can experience loss of sound quality, feedback, and even complete breakdowns. The warm and humid monsoon seasons in Pakistan can lead to even more Hearing Aid issues.
This guide will provide you with information, regardless of whether you purchased your hearing aid from your local audiologist or GetNow.pk.
Why You Must Always Clean Hearing Aids
Your ear canal makes earwax; this happens daily, and it is a natural and protective function of your body. However, this is a hearing aid’s greatest enemy and should be cleaned every single day. Hearing aids can get blocked by earwax in microphones, receivers, and various other places.
The Pakistani cities of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad are dirty. Combine the dust, sweat, and skin oils, and you’ve got a recipe for device malfunction. Cleaning hearing aids is not hospital-related. It’s a matter of performance and hearing ease
What You’ll Need Before You Begin
No professional equipment is needed for this job. Basic household tools are sufficient:
- A soft, dry cloth or dry microfibre towell
- A small wax pick or loop tool
- A soft-bristled brush (usually comes with the device)
- A hearing aid dehumidifier or dry capsules
- A bulb blow (optional, for clearing air passages)
Step-by-Step: How to Clean Your Hearing Aid at Home
Step 1: Always start with clean, dry hands. You don’t want to transfer bacteria or moisture to the device.
Step 2: Wipe Down the Surface. Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe each outer surface of the hearing aid to remove any dirt, oil, or residue that is visible.
Step 3: Clean the Microphone Port. Using the small brush that came with the device, gently sweep the microphone openings. Hold the device, with the microphone facing down so that any debris that has been loosened falls out instead of going deeper.
Step 4: Remove Earwax from the Sound Outlet. This is the most important step. Use the wax pick or loop to remove the wax that has built up around the sound outlet or receiver. Be gentle, never use the tool to force wax out. If the wax is stubborn, brush first, then pick.
Step 5: Check and Replace the Wax Guard. Most hearing aids have modern features that include a wax guard or a filter. If the small wax guard or filter is discolored or appears to be blocked, then replace it. Substituting the blocked wax guard is a very simple process, and replacement packs are easily available, and compatible accessories can be found on GetNow.pk.
Step 6: Dry the Device Overnight. Every moisture damage case that comes to the clinic could have been helped with this one nightly step. That is, nightly drying. The humid Pakistani weather makes a steady drying routine especially critical. Each evening, open the battery compartment of the hearing aid and store the hearing aid in a drying case or electronic dehumidifier.
Tips on Weekly and Monthly Maintenance
You cleaning routine should be a deeper one at least once a week, along with your daily one.
If you have a ‘Behind The Ear’ hearing aid, check the tubing and look for cracks, discoloration, and blockages. Tubing must be replaced every 3 to 6 months, and the earmold must be rinsed with warm water and dried separately. You should not attach a wet earmold to the hearing aid.
If you need to, your audiologist should be able to clean your hearing aid once a month. Specialized tools developed for cleaning hearing aids as well as the lenses can be used, so besides cleaning, wear and tear can be detected before saving you a lot of money.
Battery Care: The Most Important Factor
Quality batteries will always improve the performance of your hearing aids. Remember to store batteries at room temperature. They should never be put in the fridge, and should never be left in a hearing aid that is left in a car, especially during the Karachi summer!
When you change batteries, try to avoid having wet or sticky fingers. The moisture transfers to the battery and casing, and can cause battery contacts to corrode.
Signs Your Hearing Aid Needs Professional Attention
If you’ve tried to clean your hearing aid at home and it’s still not working, it is probably time to take it to a professional. They will be able to help if:
- You are hearing sound that is not there, or it is cutting in and out.
- You hear constant whistling and feedback
- You can physically see damage
- You have replaced the battery and still hear nothing.
If you wait a long time before bringing it to a professional, you are likely looking at a more expensive fix.
Final Thoughts
You only get to listen with a hearing aid once, so it is one of the most important things that you can invest in that will improve your quality of life. You don’t have to invest a lot of time into it. Just a few minutes every day with a little bit of a routine.
If you want cleaning kits, accessories, batteries, or replacement parts for hearing aids, you can trust GetNow to get you quality products delivered to you anywhere in Pakistan. GetNow.pk even has hearing aids for sale, and they have a variety of options for different needs and budgets.
Hearing aids are an investment, and you need to take care of them.