How to Clean Hearing Aids: A Simple Daily and Weekly Routine

Why cleaning matters

Hearing aids sit in or on the ear for many hours a day. Earwax, skin oils and moisture build up on the parts that touch the ear and around the small openings where sound goes in and out. The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) advises cleaning hearing aids as instructed, because earwax and ear drainage can damage a hearing aid.

A short routine takes a couple of minutes and helps you notice small problems early: a blocked filter, a split dome or a loose part. This guide covers general steps. Your own user instructions always come first, because designs differ between makes and models.

What you need

• A soft, dry cloth.
• The small brush that usually comes with the hearing aids, or a clean, soft brush.
• Spare domes or other earpieces in the right type and size, if your hearing aids use them.
• Spare wax filters and the filter tool for your model, if your hearing aids use them.
• A case, charger or hearing-aid dryer to store the devices in.

If you are not sure which domes or filters your hearing aids take, have the make and model ready and ask. Domes and filters come in different types and sizes.

The daily routine (two minutes)

1. Work over a soft surface. Philips suggests handling hearing aids above a soft surface rather than a hard bathroom floor, so that a drop does not damage them. A folded towel on the table works well.
2. Wipe. Philips advises cleaning hearing aids and earpieces each day with a soft, dry cloth.
3. Brush the microphone openings. Philips recommends carefully brushing away debris from the microphone inlet with a clean brush. Brush gently, with the opening facing down if you can, so debris falls away rather than in.
4. Look at the earpiece. Check the dome or earpiece for wax, cracks or a loose fit.
5. Store them properly. Put the hearing aids in their case, charger or dryer. Philips advises keeping them safely in a case, charger or hearing-aid dryer when you are not wearing them.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) gives the same basic advice in its daily care guide: clean the hearing aids regularly and wipe or brush away any dirt and grime. It also suggests checking whether the microphone is blocked.

Weekly checks

Once a week, take a little more time:

• Wax filters. Many hearing aids have a small filter to stop earwax getting into the hearing aid body, speaker or earpiece. Philips says the wax filter should be replaced when it is clogged or if the hearing aid sounds unusual.
• Domes and tips. Philips recommends replacing domes and Grip Tips at least once a month, or as your hearing care professional directs. When you fit a new earpiece, push it on firmly so it is secure.
• Chargers. If your hearing aids are rechargeable, wipe the charger with a dry cloth. Philips warns not to use water or cleaning fluids on the charging ports.
• Batteries. If your hearing aids use disposable batteries, check that you have spares and that they are stored safely.

Domes and wax filters: replace, don't wash

It is tempting to rinse a waxy dome under the tap. Don't. Philips says the domes that cover the speaker units should not be cleaned; if they are filled with wax, replace them.

Changing a wax filter usually uses a small tool with two ends. Philips describes using one pin to remove the old filter and the other pin to insert the new one, then discarding the tool. Tools and filters differ, so follow the steps for your model.

A note on thin-tube hearing aids. Some behind-the-ear hearing aids use a thin tube with a dome, and the instructions for removing or changing these domes can differ from receiver-in-canal models. If you are not sure how your dome should be handled, ask before you pull on it.

What never to do

• No water. Philips says never to wash or immerse hearing aids in water or other liquids.
• No alcohol. Philips advises using wet wipes that do not contain alcohol, because its hearing aids have a coating that is sensitive to alcohol.
• No heat to dry them. Philips says never to use a hair dryer or a microwave oven to dry hearing aids.
• Nothing pushed into the openings or into the ear. Clean the surface and the openings gently with the brush only.

After cleaning, Philips suggests leaving hearing aids to dry for an hour before you wear them.

When cleaning does not solve it

Sometimes a hearing aid is still weak, distorted or silent after cleaning, a new filter and a restart. That is a sign to ask for help rather than keep trying at home. ASHA notes that whistling (feedback) can happen when a hearing aid does not fit well, and suggests a check-up appointment.

When you contact G-Sound, have ready:

• The make, model and style of the hearing aid.
• Whether it is rechargeable or uses batteries.
• What you have already tried (cleaning, new filter, new dome, restart).
• What you notice: weak sound, crackling, cutting out, no sound.

G-Sound offers Philips and Oticon hearing aids. If your device is from another brand, mention it when you call. See hearing-aid repair and service in Israel for more on the service pathway.

Earwax in your ear, not just on the device. If you think earwax is building up in your ear itself, or you have ear pain or discharge, that is a question for a doctor, not a cleaning task.

Make it a habit

• Clean at the same time every day, for example when you take the hearing aids out at night.
• Keep the brush, cloth, spare domes and filters in one small box next to the charger.
• If a family member or caregiver helps, agree one routine. See hearing-aid care for home caregivers.
• In hot, humid months, pay extra attention to moisture. See hearing aids in the Israeli summer.