It is important to maintain your hearing aid. This prevents hearing aid failure. A defect can come from moisture, dust, dirt and earwax. Of course, a defect can also be caused by wear and tear.
How often should a hearing aid be serviced?
It depends on how you use the hearing aid. Do you work in a dusty room or perspire easily? Then a little extra attention to your hearing aids is not a luxury. We recommend a simple cleaning of the hearing aid after use, i.e. every day. If you do, then major maintenance can be done by your hearing care professional! We recommend a visit once every 3 months. At Horend Goed this can be done without an appointment. Did you also purchase the hearing aid at Horend Goed? Then the maintenance we do for you is free. Also a home visit for maintenance or adjustment is free of charge.
How should my hearing aid be properly maintained?
This depends on the model of hearing aid you have. See which model you have and then take a moment to read our tips!
General maintenance
For any model of hearing aid, it is important to keep them dry! Preferably in a drying system so that the moisture can be pulled out properly. Are you sensitive to inflammation? Then we recommend a drying system with UV. Using UV kills bacteria and fungi up to 99%.
Behind the ear hearing aid with earmold
The classic behind-the-ear hearing aid with a regular tube. This tubing is the attachment between the hearing aid and the earmold. With this model, it is important to clean the earmold properly. The earmold with tubing may be detached from the hearing aid (please note if you have 2 hearing aids that you keep left and right apart!) The earmold can be placed in warm water with an effervescent tablet. Let it soak for 20 minutes and then rinse them well with warm water. After rinsing, dry well with a dry soft cloth and blow through the sound channel with a bellows or canister of air. Blowing dry is very important because if water remains in the system, the hearing aids will no longer work. Replace the hearing aid on the appropriate earpiece. The tubing will last about 3 months. You can replace this yourself or ask your hearing care professional. You only need to polish the hearing aid with a cloth.
Behind-the-ear hearing aid with dome thintube
Hearing aids with a thintube with dome can get blocked quite quickly by earwax, for example. This is because the entrance of a thintube is much narrower than that of an ordinary earmold, for example. So good cleaning is the advice! After each use, wipe the dome with a damp cloth. We recommend removing the thintube from the hearing aid once a week and cleaning it including the dome with warm water (and, if available, an effervescent tablet.) After 20 minutes the thintube and dome can be rinsed and blown through. We recommend using a canister of air for this, so that it can blow away the dirt and water with some force.
Rags or cleaning wires are also available which makes cleaning without water also possible. However, this does not kill bacteria and mold. You can also choose to replace the thintube with dome. We recommend doing this once every three months.
Behind-the-ear hearing aid with thintube and earmold
Due to the small entrance of a thintube, it appears that this model gets clogged quickly. We recommend getting a canister of air and cleaning wires in the house! After each use, get a cloth over the earmold and once a week, remove the thintube with the earmold from the hearing aid and clean it with warm water and effervescent tablets (20 minutes). After fizzing, rinse well with warm water. Then dry everything well with a dry soft cloth. Briefly blow the vent hole dry with a bellows or canister of air. The thintube can then be reattached to the hearing aid.
Is the thintube easily clogged? Then remove the thintube from the hearing aid and run a cleaning wire through the canal! Within one minute you will have hearing again!
Only polish the hearing aid itself with a cloth.
Behind-the-ear hearing aid with speaker and dome
Hearing aids with a speaker (also called RIC hearing aids or RITE hearing aids) should not come into contact with water. You can remove the dome from the speaker and clean it with a cloth or cleaning spray with a brush. Always put the dome back on the speaker dry.
There are often filters placed inside the speaker. This can become clogged with earwax. You will notice this when you hear less sound or when it does not work at all. If you have your own filters, you can often easily replace them. Your hearing care professional has told you how. Don’t have filters? Then please visit your hearing care professional. You can visit Horend Goed without an appointment.
You can clean the hearing aid and speaker with cleaning wipes.
Behind-the-ear hearing aid with speaker and earpiece
After use, wipe a cloth over the entire system. Start at the hearing aid and finish at the earmold. If you have less or no sound, the filter may be clogged. If you can change filters yourself, your hearing care professional has provided filters and instructions. Don’t have filters? Then stop by your hearing care professional. In many cases, the earmolds cannot be removed from the speakers!
Can you remove the earmolds from the speakers? Then you can clean them like real earmolds with an effervescent tablet and rinse them well after 20 minutes! Not sure if they can be removed? If so, please ask your hearing care professional for advice.
In the ear hearing aid (custom work)
In-ear hearing aids are small! And they require a little attention from you every day. Wipe them down and take a good look at the filters. Filter clogged? If so, replace them promptly to prevent earwax from getting into the hearing aid. The vent canal can be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning wire. If the vent duct is clogged, you may notice it by a clogged feeling when you talk, for example. In-ear hearing aids are also generally more sensitive to moisture. We recommend using a drying system (with UV if necessary).
In the ear hearing aid (universal)
Universal in ear hearing aids have a dome, just like hearing aids with a speaker. This dome must be replaced about once every 3 months. Make sure to run a cloth over the hearing aid every day and check carefully to make sure the filter is not clogged. Replace the filter in a timely manner. In many universal in ear hearing aids, the filter is located under the dome.
