Wax, skin oils, and moisture reach your hearing aids every time you wear them, and over time that buildup can dull sound or block a tiny opening. A consistent hearing aid cleaning routine keeps your devices working well and prevents much of that frustration.
At Conejo Hearing Center in Westlake Village, CA, owner and audiologist Christine Wilson, M.S., CCC-A, and audiologist Roya Razin, Au.D., can demonstrate how to care for your specific devices and explain when they need professional cleaning or maintenance. The right tools and methods for daily and weekly care help maintain comfortable listening and remove buildup without making the problem worse.
How Often Should Hearing Aid Cleaning Fit Into Your Week?
Hearing aid cleaning should happen every day with a gentle wipe, plus a closer inspection about once a week. Daily care removes surface residue before it builds up around the microphone openings, earpiece, and sound outlet. Pick a consistent time, such as after taking them out at night.
Follow your model’s instructions for the weekly inspection. You may need more frequent attention if you produce a lot of earwax, perspire heavily, or spend time in humid conditions.
Wax filters, domes, and tubing have their own replacement schedules. Check them regularly and replace them as needed or as directed, rather than relying on a single universal calendar.
Professional cleaning should supplement home care. Our audiologists can tell you how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
Do Receiver-in-Canal and Custom Hearing Aids Need Different Care?
Receiver-in-canal and custom hearing aids do need different care, because each style places its tubing, speaker, and openings in a different spot. Traditional behind-the-ear hearing aids may send sound through hollow plastic tubing to a separate earmold. Some earmolds without electronics can be detached and washed if the manufacturer permits it. Keep the electronic hearing aid body out of water.
Receiver-in-canal hearing aids have a speaker inside the earpiece, connected to the behind-the-ear body by a thin wire. Wipe these components carefully and follow the specific instructions for dome and wax-filter care.
In-the-ear, in-the-canal, and completely-in-canal devices sit partly or entirely inside the ear. Their surfaces, vents, and sound outlets are exposed to wax and skin oils. Small openings require gentle handling and the appropriate cleaning tools.
If you are unsure whether an earpiece contains electronics, ask before detaching or washing it. Similar-looking parts can require different care, and your model’s instructions should guide the process.
What Steps Make Up a Nightly Hearing Aid Care Routine?
A nightly hearing aid care routine comes down to six short steps: power down, wipe, inspect, brush the microphone openings, check the contacts or battery area, and then dry, store, or charge the device. Wash and dry your hands first, then work over a clean towel on a stable surface. Handle one hearing aid at a time so you can keep track of its parts. Follow these steps:
- Turn the device off using its normal controls.
- Wipe the casing and earpiece with a soft, dry cloth.
- Inspect the dome, earmold, and sound outlet for visible buildup.
- Gently brush across microphone openings, directing debris downward.
- Check charging contacts or accessible battery areas as instructed.
- Follow the recommended drying, storage, or charging routine.
Wax may be easier to brush away after drying overnight. You can complete that step the next morning if needed.
For disposable-battery models, instructions may include opening the battery compartment overnight. Rechargeable aids follow a different routine; do not try to open a sealed battery compartment.
Before wearing the aids again, confirm that removable earpieces are securely attached and the devices are dry.
What Should You Look for During a Weekly Wax Filter Check?
During a weekly wax filter check, look for persistent wax, a blocked filter, worn domes, and stiff, cracked, or discolored tubing. This closer look reaches areas that need more attention than a quick wipe. Damaged parts may need replacement rather than additional cleaning.
Change a wax filter when required, using the exact type specified for your device. Don’t assume every filter needs weekly replacement. Use a vent cleaner or wax loop only in the locations our audiologists showed you at your hearing aid fitting.
If washing a detachable earmold is permitted, disconnect it as instructed, use the approved washing method, and let it and any washable tubing dry completely before reconnecting.
Inspect your charger and remove dust or residue according to its instructions. If buildup remains difficult to remove or sound stays weak, arrange professional service.
Which Cleaning Tools and Products Should Conejo Valley Patients Skip?
Conejo Valley patients should skip water, household chemicals, pins or needles, and heat sources when they clean their hearing aids. Do not immerse the electronic hearing aid or a speaker-containing earpiece in water. A water-resistance rating does not automatically mean the device can be washed.
Avoid household detergents, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, and other chemicals unless your manufacturer explicitly approves a particular product and method. Even a cleaner marketed for hearing aids may not suit every component. Never spray cleaner directly into openings.
Do not insert needles, pins, or improvised tools into microphone ports or sound outlets. Pushing harder can drive wax inward or damage the parts you are trying to clean.
Keep hearing aids away from hair dryers, microwaves, and other excessive heat sources. Never dismantle the casing for a deeper clean. If a part will not detach easily or you are unsure what it is, stop and ask for guidance.
Book Hearing Aid Care With Christine Wilson and Roya Razin
A personalized demonstration can make hearing aid care easier to manage. During an appointment at our Hampshire Road office, Christine Wilson, M.S., or Roya Razin, Au.D., can review your devices, hearing concerns, health history, and goals for comfortable daily use.
Call 818-214-8397 or contact Conejo Hearing Center to schedule a hearing aid care appointment in Westlake Village.