Spring cleaning is more than an activity — it’s a mindset. Beyond the dusting, de-cobwebbing, and cleaning behind furniture, what else could benefit from a deep dive? Your hearing technology.
The holidays and long winter months can throw even the best of us off our routines. Use that spring-cleaning urge to your advantage and include your hearing technology in your yearly cleaning binge. Here are five ways to get started.
Replace the Wax Filter
Your wax filter can only work well for so long. Eventually it develops a buildup of wax and debris. Once that happens, sound quality starts to suffer, and it’s time to replace the filter. Every style of hearing device is a little different; check out the instructions for yours (and the tools that came with it), check for buildup, and, if needed, replace the filter.
Replace the Dome and Tubing on RIC Devices
Receiver-in-Canal devices not only have wax filters, they also have a dome and tube that can develop wax or debris buildup. As with the wax filter, once buildup develops in the dome or tube, sound quality suffers. Get the tools that came with your devices, check your instructions for how to clean the dome and tubing, and, if necessary, replace them.
Check Your Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is a cleaning system for your hearing devices. The most basic models remove moisture and dry out wax; other models also disinfect and deodorize your devices.
If you have a dehumidifier that uses a desiccant — a liner, pebble, disc, or brick that absorbs moisture — it also has an expiration or best-by date, beyond which it no longer has sufficient drying power. Check the date, replace the desiccant if needed, and jot down the nearest expiration date somewhere you’re sure to see it.
If you aren’t using a dehumidifier, you should be, especially if you live in a particularly humid environment. Your hearing devices — which are basically small computers — sit in or on your ear all day collecting oils, moisture, and wax. Like all electronic devices, moisture can corrode or degrade the components in your hearing devices. Dehumidifiers remove all that harmful moisture while you sleep!
Update Your Routine
The best way to make hearing aid spring cleaning quick and easy is by keeping up a daily cleaning routine year-round.
When you take your devices out for the night, wipe them free of moisture, oils, and earwax with a soft, dry cloth — don’t use water or cleaning agents such as alcohol. Be sure not to deposit debris into, for example, the microphone ports. Then use the brush that came with your devices to remove debris from the ports and openings, taking care not to insert the bristles into the sound outlet — you could damage the microphone.
Once a month, clean the battery contacts with a dry cotton swab, taking care not to bend the battery contacts. Also, check the wax filter to make sure it’s still in good shape.
Clean & Check
No matter how diligent you are about cleaning your devices, the small ports and tubing will eventually trap wax and debris, leading to poor sound quality. That’s why our warranties include complimentary clean and checks every few months — we want your devices working as well as possible for as long as possible. It’s also a great opportunity to get pointers, tips, and tricks if you’re running into problems in your daily cleaning routine!
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!