How Do I Properly Care For And Maintain My Hearing Aids?

Hearing aids don’t usually “just stop working” out of nowhere, they slowly get overwhelmed by moisture, wax, and everyday buildup until the sound turns weak or muffled. We sit down with Dr. Jill Copley to lay out a clear, realistic hearing aid care routine that protects sound quality and helps your devices last longer with fewer repairs. If you wear hearing aids in a humid climate, work outdoors, exercise often, or simply want less hassle day to day, this practical guide is for you.

We start with the biggest enemy of electronic hearing instruments: moisture. We talk about why sweat and humidity sneak into microphone ports and receivers, how a simple drying unit can pull moisture out overnight, and why storing hearing aids in the bathroom can quietly shorten their lifespan. We also explain what happens during a professional hearing aid check every three to six months, including deeper drying with clinic equipment and quick inspections that catch problems early.

From there we get specific about the parts people ask about most: rechargeable hearing aid batteries, domes, and wax filters. You’ll hear what “normal” looks like for battery longevity, why daily charging is the best habit, and how often filters and domes should be replaced depending on your earwax and body chemistry. We wrap with easy at-home hearing aid cleaning steps, what to do first when sound drops, and why alcohol can damage the casing over time. Subscribe, share with someone who wears hearing aids, and leave us a review with your top question about hearing aid maintenance.

To learn more about Total Hearing Care visit:
https://www.TotalHearingCare.com

Total Hearing Care
Multiple Locations Across the DFW Metroplex
(469) 809-4487

Transcript

Welcome And What We Cover

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference, where we help you experience life through better hearing. Hosted by the experts of Total Hearing Care, a leading private audiology practice serving the DFW Metroplex, we are here to provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus, and the latest advancements in audiology. Transform your life through better hearing. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Hearing aids work hard for you every day, but with the right care. They can last longer, sound better, and save you money on repairs. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yuvet, co-host and producer back in the studio with Dr. Jill Copley. Dr. Copley, it is lovely to have you on today. Now we are so excited to get into this one. So let's get into it. How do I properly care for and maintain my hearing aids?

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Well, um, you know, we talked about moisture in the last podcast. So we're gonna start with moisture. Um, hearing instruments are electronic, so they are subject to moisture damage. Whether you're sweating, and we're in Texas, so in the summer, you're always gonna be perspiring some. And um then people just wear and tear from wearing them. One of the things we highly recommend, and we actually tend to give people this, is a little drying unit, and they'll put the hearing aids in the drying unit, um, sometimes either overnight, or some some of the ones we have are short-acting, so they may even be in there just for an hour, and that will help pull the moisture out. We also have more of an industrial dryer. So when people come in for their hearing aid checks, and we recommend about quarterly, maybe every three to six months, um, we'll put them through that industrial dryer and dry them out even further. The other thing you can do to keep them dry is to not store them in the bathroom. A lot of people don't think about the bathrooms, um, especially when you have showers, can have a lot of humidity. And so we want to, I recommend that my patients keep them out of the bathroom. So today's devices actually do a pretty good job at repelling moisture. Um, the manufacturers have really worked hard on building cases that either repel moisture or don't let moisture get in to like the microphones, and they'll have covers over the microphones. Um, a lot of what we actually provide are called receiver in the ear. So the actual receiver is in the ear. Um, patients can um clean those themselves, but also it is subject to moisture because it's in your ear, but it's an easy piece to replace over the counter. So you don't actually have to send the device into the manufacturer to be repaired. Um, so that's nice. But if you are um following the instructions about keeping them dry and using your dryer every night every night, um, the chances that you're going to have those issues go way down.

Batteries Domes And Filter Replacement

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Oh, that is some great information. Now, how often should patients replace filters, domes, and rechargeable batteries?

SPEAKER_02 3:33

So today's um hearing aids with rechargeable batteries do not have to be changed very often. They may last four to six years. Um, that's how good the batteries are today. And you'll want to charge them every day. Most people will charge them every day. Sometimes we have cases or the manufacturer will have a case that holds three daily charges. Um, so you just put them in that case and it will charge them. And then at some point you charge the case that they're in. Um, but um the the rechargeables that we used to have, you'd have to change those batteries every couple of years. But now it's just I can't remember the last time that we've had to change a battery on a person. So um they really last long. And we want you to recharge them every night. I think I said that, but um it usually takes only about four hours to fully charge. So that can be done easily overnight while you're sleeping. Oh, you mentioned domes and filters. So um the domes and filters, it really depends on your body chemistry. I recommend having them replaced at least every six months. But for somebody that might have moisture or whose ears are more um sticky with wax or have more soft wax, then you're going to want to replace them more because they're just gonna get plugged up with that wax. And so um it may be quarterly. I've had some people that have had to do it monthly. So to be safe, I would say quarterly, but um, it's not unusual for somebody to have to do it monthly if they have a lot of wax.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Now, since we're getting into the subject of your wax, what signs indicate that wax buildup is affecting performance?

Wax Buildup Signs And Quick Fixes

SPEAKER_02 5:27

So sometimes you can just see it on the device. You'll see a little bit of wax. Um also if you're not hearing out of the device. So you would want to charge it, make sure it's charged so you have a good battery, and then wipe it off and clean it. And if you're still not hearing well, more than likely it is um wax or debris that's gotten into the filter and is blocking the sound from coming out. And so we um show you how to change those filters and those domes that are protective over the receiver. But some people, those are little parts, so some people may have some trouble with that. And that's why we want you to come in and we can help you change those or we can change them for you because we want to make sure that's done. So that's why we try to have people come in quarterly so we can check that and make sure everything looks fit. So the other things we do is make sure we brush off all the parts, and that's something you can do at home too. We give you a little brush and you brush off all the openings. So that can be where that dome is. It can also be over the microphone ports. Today's devices you don't really see the microphones anymore, but there's still ports that can get um plugged with, you know, dead skin, dead hair, things like that. So you want to brush those off. So we're going to do that. Um, I don't tend to recommend that somebody use alcohol on their devices because it can ruin the casing over time. But we do actually have um wipes that we use to clean off everything and sanitize everything when you come in. In addition to looking at those domes and filters, changing the receiver if we need to, as well as putting them through that dryer.

At Home Cleaning Routine

SPEAKER_01 7:18

What about when it comes to at-home cleaning? You know, what do our listeners need to know about how to clean them properly?

SPEAKER_02 7:28

So I want people to look at them every day. I want to make sure if there's anything they see that they're wiping off. And I always recommend just taking a Kleenex or a soft cloth and wiping everything off. And then I would say at least once a week, go ahead and brush everything. So brush off those microphone ports, brush off any seams that might be in the casing, and brush off the domes. And then if you do find that you're not hearing well, change those domes and those filters. And so that's the main cleaning besides putting them in that drawing box. We want to try to make it easy and not give you too much work. Um, but those are the things you can do at home.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Wow, Dr. Copley, thank you for sharing such practical and helpful guidance. We appreciate you, and we'll see everyone next time. See you then. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

Thank you for listening to the Total Hearing Care Difference. If you're in the DFW Metroplex and ready to take the next step toward better hearing, call 469-809-4487 to book an appointment. Or visit totalhearingcare dot com because when you hear better, you live better. See you next time.