Why You Should Get Your Hearing Aids Professionally Cleaned

Hearing aids are prone to build-ups of wax, dust, dirt, debris, and moisture. This is even truer of certain types of devices, like in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids. As such, they may need to be cleaned more frequently than other styles. However, you may have already been told how to maintain your hearing aids and had a cleaning kit recommended to you by your hearing instrument specialist. So, why would you have them professionally cleaned anyway, if you already know how to do it? Here, we’re going to look at a few reasons to consider it.

Why cleaning your hearing aids is so important

As mentioned, hearing aids are prone to attracting all kinds of dirt. Not only is it unsightly, but it can have a major impact on their effectiveness. Wax can easily clog up the receiver tubing, muffling the noise that you hear from it. The dirt also attracts moisture, which can severely damage the device. Moisture infiltrates the battery container, which causes the battery to corrode, and the acid produced can ruin the rest of the device itself. For that reason, daily maintenance is essential, but so is occasionally having it cleaned by your hearing instrument specialist.

If you’re uncertain about cleaning it yourself

It’s important to learn how to maintain your hearing aid device on a regular basis. If you don’t know how your hearing instrument specialist can teach you what you need to do. This includes wiping it with a soft, dry cloth, removing and cleaning the ear molds, and using a wax pick or tiny brush to dislodge bits of dirt and tax that are stuck. However, if you don’t yet feel comfortable about doing this all yourself, then a professional can handle it for you.

Better methods, a deeper clean

Your hearing instrument specialist is going to have more tools than you get in a standard hearing aid cleaning kit. Furthermore, they are well versed with them. Because of this, they are able to ensure a safer, deeper clean that can remove all of the wax, debris and oil built up throughout the machine without doing any damage to the receivers or the microphones. Trying to clean with tools that you’re not familiar with is an easy way to cause unintentional damage to your device.

Serious improvements to the performance of your hearing aid

Once all of the dirt, wax, and debris has been removed, you could be surprised by just how different it is when wearing your hearing aids. Without anything clogging up the tubing or clinging to either microphone or receiver, the sound is going to be a lot clearer, and the amplification is going to be more powerful.

Have it inspected for faults and damage while you’re there

Your hearing instrument specialist wants to ensure that your hearing aid works as best as possible. As such, during the cleaning appointment, they are likely to ask how well the device is working, as well as to inspect the device a little more closely. They can find faults before they have the time to grow into more serious issues and can implement fixes and replacements as need much more quickly.

It’s been months since your last professional cleaning

You should carry out your own maintenance every day. However, a deep cleaning isn’t needed nearly as regularly. How often you should let your hearing instrument specialist clean your hearing aids depends on the type of device you have, as well as how quickly wax and sweat build in your ears. On average, you should have it cleaned between every three and six months. It’s a good idea to take it for your first professional cleaning after three months. From there, the hearing instrument specialist can tell you how regularly it needs to be professionally cleaned after that.

Ensure you get the best investment out of your hearing aids

Simply put, the better you take care of your hearing aid, the longer it is likely to last. Replacing a hearing aid is much more expensive than having it professionally cleaned every three to six months. Protect your investment by ensuring that you clean it daily and schedule a deeper, more detailed clean as and when it’s necessary.

Get in touch for all your hearing aid cleaning needs

Whether you want to learn how to better maintain it yourself or make sure your hearing aid is in the best condition with a professional cleaning, the Hearing House is here to help. Get in touch with our hearing instrument specialists at 715-384-4700 today and let us know what we can do for you.