Wet Hearing Aid or Moisture Damage: What to Do Until It Is Checked

Signs that it is time to get in touch

Moisture does not always cause a fault straight away. Sometimes the signs appear gradually, days or weeks after the exposure:

• Sound that cuts out and comes back, especially after a shower, rain or exercise.
• Distorted sound, hissing or crackling that was not there before.
• Lower volume for no obvious reason.
• Droplets or condensation in the tube, on behind-the-ear devices.
• Build-up or discolouration around the battery or charging contacts.

What the laboratory checks

In the laboratory we check whether the moisture has reached the parts and what condition they are in. Depending on the type of device, the check covers:

• The battery or charging contacts, and any signs of corrosion.
• The microphone and receiver openings, and the filters that protect them.
• The tube and earmould, on behind-the-ear devices.
• How the receiver and microphones work after the exposure.

The findings decide whether drying, cleaning and replacing an external part are enough, or whether more work is needed. When manufacturer service is needed, the device is passed on accordingly and we keep you informed.

What to do, and what not to do, until the check

Do

• Wipe the outside of the device with a soft, dry cloth.
• On a device with replaceable batteries, take the battery out and leave the battery door open.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your model, including on charging a device that got wet.
• Keep the device in its case, in a dry place, until it is checked.

Don’t

• Dry it with heat: a hairdryer, oven, microwave or radiator.
• Take the device apart or push tools into the openings.
• Charge a wet device before checking what the manufacturer’s instructions say.
• Keep using a device that heats up or looks damaged.

Clean the device only as you were instructed and according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

What to mention when you get in touch

• When and how the device was exposed to moisture: a shower, rain, sweat, a drop into water.
• What has changed since: sound that cuts out, is distorted, weak or gone.
• What has already been done, for example wiping, removing the battery or stopping charging.
• The model name, if you know it, and a photo of the device.

When the exposure keeps happening

If the device is exposed to moisture again and again, at work, during sport or in a humid climate, ask about everyday protection as well when you get in touch. Detailed technical advice on routine maintenance is not part of this service page, but during the check you can ask what suits your model. See also hearing aids in the Israeli summer and hearing aid maintenance. For earplugs that keep water out when swimming, see custom swimming earplugs; they are a separate product from the hearing aid.

After the check

When the check shows that the moisture has not damaged the parts, the work may come down to drying, cleaning and replacing an external part such as a filter or tube. When corrosion or damage to an internal part is found, the explanation will cover what can be done and what cannot. Either way, service options and cost are checked in advance for each case.

Updated 5 November 2026 · Written by the G-Sound editorial team. General information only; it does not replace a hearing assessment or medical advice.

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