Hearing aids spend all day in a warm ear canal, so they pick up earwax, skin oils, and moisture that can quietly weaken their sound. A consistent cleaning routine helps keep your devices working well and prevents the frustration of wax and moisture interfering with sound.
Board-certified hearing instrument specialist Andy Bierbaum, BC-HIS, and hearing instrument specialist Ashley Macdonald, HIS, show patients at our Champaign and Mahomet offices how to care for their specific devices and explain when they need professional cleaning or maintenance. Using the right tools and methods for daily and weekly care helps maintain comfortable listening and remove buildup without making the problem worse.
When Should You Clean Hearing Aids, Daily or Weekly?
You should clean hearing aids both daily and weekly, with a gentle wipe and inspection every day and a more thorough check about once a week. Daily care removes surface residue before it builds up around the microphone openings, earpiece, and sound outlet. Choose 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. Ask our hearing care team how often to return based on your devices, wax buildup, and previous maintenance needs.
Do Different Hearing Aid Styles Need Different Cleaning Steps?
Different hearing aid styles do need different cleaning steps, because each design routes sound differently and places its electronics, tubing, and openings in different spots. 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 Does a Good End-of-Day Hearing Aid Care Routine Include?
A good end-of-day hearing aid care routine includes turning the hearing aids off, wiping and inspecting them, brushing the microphone openings, and then drying, storing, or charging them as directed. Wash and dry your hands, 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. Then 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, check that removable earpieces are securely attached and the devices are dry.
What Should a Weekly Hearing Aid Maintenance Check Cover?
A weekly hearing aid maintenance check should cover persistent wax, blocked filters, worn domes, and tubing that has turned stiff, cracked, or discolored. 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 Andy Bierbaum or Ashley Macdonald has demonstrated.
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 hearing aid repair or cleaning.
Which Cleaning Habits Can Harm Hearing Aids in Champaign County Homes?
The cleaning habits that can harm hearing aids are soaking the electronics, using household chemicals, poking tools into openings, and drying devices with heat. 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.
Learn Hearing Aid Cleaning at Illini Hearing in Champaign or Mahomet
A quick demonstration on your own hearing aids can make daily care feel routine. At your appointment, Andy Bierbaum or Ashley Macdonald can review your devices, hearing concerns, and goals for comfortable daily use, then demonstrate the cleaning steps for your model.
Call our North Mattis Avenue office in Champaign at 217-434-4141 or our Commercial Drive office in Mahomet at 217-600-2589, or request an appointment online.