Many hearing aid problems start small: a film of wax over a filter, a little moisture in a microphone opening, or a dome that has quietly worn out. A consistent hearing aid cleaning routine helps keep your devices working well and prevents the frustration of wax and moisture interfering with sound.
At Hearing Services of Nashville, with offices inside Bellevue Baptist Medical Center and Skyline Medical Center, owner and audiologist Andrea Alderson, Au.D., CCC-A, 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 Nashville Patients Clean Hearing Aids at Home?
Nashville patients should clean hearing aids at home every day with a gentle wipe and inspection, then take 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.
Let your model’s instructions guide the weekly check. You may need more frequent attention if you produce a lot of earwax, perspire heavily, or spend time in humid conditions, which can include a muggy Middle Tennessee summer.
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 Andrea Alderson how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
How Does Hearing Aid Care Differ for BTE, RIC, and In-Ear Styles?
Hearing aid care differs for behind-the-ear (BTE), receiver-in-canal (RIC), and in-ear styles because each one routes sound and exposes its openings differently. 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 Five-Minute Routine Keeps Hearing Aids Clean Each Night?
A five-minute nightly routine of switching the hearing aids off, wiping and inspecting them, brushing the microphone openings, and drying, storing, or charging them keeps them clean. 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. Then 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 Weekly Hearing Aid Maintenance Involve Beyond a Wipe?
Weekly hearing aid maintenance goes beyond a wipe by checking for persistent wax, blocked filters, 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 Andrea Alderson has demonstrated, often during your hearing aid fitting.
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 through our hearing aid repair team.
Which Products and Habits Should You Keep Away From Hearing Aids?
Keep water, household cleaners, sharp tools, and high heat away from your hearing aids, because each one can damage the electronics or push wax deeper. 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.
Learn Hearing Aid Cleaning From Andrea Alderson, Au.D., in Nashville
A one-on-one demonstration makes hearing aid care much easier to keep up with. During an appointment, Andrea Alderson, Au.D., can review your devices, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use, then demonstrate each cleaning step with your own hearing aids in hand.
Call our Bellevue office at 615-229-6222 or our Skyline office at 615-392-5461, or contact Hearing Services of Nashville to schedule a hearing aid care appointment.