How to Clean Hearing Aids

Cleaning a hearing aid is an essential part of maintaining your device to ensure that it remains in as best condition as possible, giving it a longer lifespan and saving you money over time. As you would with other healthcare devices, keeping your hearing aid clean will help to keep your ears healthy as well

How to Clean Your Hearing Aid

Our expert team here at Chime have put together a step-by-step guide on how to clean your hearing aid so you can follow this process from start to finish. We also have an instructional video which you can find below.

Required Cleaning Materials

Before you start, its a good idea to grab a few cleaning materials to help you in the process. These include:

• A soft, dry cloth
• Hearing aid cleaning brush or small, soft-bristle toothbrush
• Wax pick or wire loop
• Cleaning wipes (ideally ones designed for hearing aids)
• Hearing aid drying kit (optional)

1. Prepare your Hearing Aid for Cleaning

• Firstly, remove your hearing aid from your ear and switch it off. This will prevent any accidental damage during cleaning.
• Open the battery compartment and take out the battery.
• Choose a well-lit, flat surface for the cleaning process. This will help to avoid losing small parts.

2. Clean the Hearing Aid Body

• Using a soft, dry cloth, gently wipe the outer casing of the hearing aid. This removes any dirt, oils, and moisture that may have built up from daily use.
• If there is any dirt etc that remains on the hearing aid after this, use a cleaing wipe (preferably wipes that have been specifically designed for hearing aids) to remove anything further.
• We would recommend avoiding alcohol-based products as there is a risk they may damage the device.

3. Clean the Microphone Port

• Firslty, inspect the microphone port to look for any dust or other materials that may be in there.
• Use a hearing aid cleaning brush or soft toothbrush to carefully clean the microphone port. Hold the device with the microphone facing downward to prevent any more debris from falling inside.

4. Clean the Receiver and Ear Molds

• Inspect the openings for earwax buildup or other blockages.
• Using a Wax Pick or Loop, gently remove any buildup from the receiver or ear mold openings.
• If your ear molds can be removed, we would recommend washing them. Do this by using mild soapy water and either a small brush or cloth. Make sure to dry thoroughly before reattaching.

5. Inspect and Replace Wax Guards

• If your model of hearing aid has a wax guard, look for any blockages or wax buildup that may have occured from use.
• If it’s clogged, replace the wax guard according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you are unsure on this, our team here at Chime can provide further assistance.

6. Dry the Hearing Aid

• After cleaning your hearing aid, make sure to wipe away any remaining moisture. This is important as any mositure that gets inside your hearing aid has the risk of damaging components.
• If you are using a hearing aid drying kit, place the hearing aid in the drying kit overnight to remove any trapped moisture.

7. Reassemble and Test

• Once the device is fully dry, place the battery back in the battery compartment. Refer to our guide on changing hearing aid batteries if there are any issues with this step.
• turn on the hearing advice and test it to ensure it’s working properly.

Regular Hearing Aid Cleaning

When using a hearing aid on a daily basis, it is common that a natural buildup of wax, dust and other debris can occur. This is natural, but does highlight the need to regularly clean your hearing aid. We would always recommend cleaning your hearing aid regularly, as not only will it help with day-to-day use, but will also help to preserve your device for longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I clean my hearing aid?

We recommend you cleaning your hearing aids on a daily basis, at least giving them a wipe when taking them out of your ears at the end of the day. This will help to keep them cleaner for longer. For deeper cleans, we would recommend doing this once a week depending on the model of hearing aid you have.

Are there hearing aid cleaning kits available?

Yes, specific hearing aid cleaning kits are available which contain everything you need to deep clean your hearing aids on a regualry basis. They come with all the necessary accesories to clean every part of the hearing aid effectively.

Can you use baby wipes to clean hearing aids​?

You can use baby wipes to clean hearing aids, however, we would recommend using specific hearing aid cleaning wipes for this process, as they will be more effective in removing dust and dirt and minimise the risk of damaging a device.