You’ll need to clean and service your hearing aids regularly to keep them working well.
You’ll usually need to change your hearing aid batteries about once a week, and the tubing every 4 to 6 months. You can get new batteries and tubing from your hearing aid provider.
Cleaning your hearing aids
Your hearing aids can easily become blocked with ear wax, moisture and other debris. This can reduce the quality of the sound you hear or stop them working entirely.
Some audiology providers supply or sell hearing aid cleaning tools for a small fee, so ask your audiologist what is available. You can use a:
- soft brush to remove wax – sometimes these also have a magnetic battery removal tool
- wax pick or wire loop, to remove wax from small nooks
- dry cloth to wipe the hearing aid
- multitool, which has a wire loop, magnet and brush
Choose the type of hearing aids you have for instructions on how to clean them.
Clean the main part of the hearing aid by wiping it carefully with a soft, dry cloth or tissue, or a wetwipe that does not contain chemicals or alcohol. Clean the soft earpiece with a dry cloth.
Do not get the hearing aid wet.
Check if there’s any wax or debris blocking the earpiece or tubing. If there is:
- Gently detach the tubing from the main part of the hearing aid.
- Clean it with nylon wire or something similar.
- Once you’ve cleaned the tubing and earpiece, reattach the tubing and make sure it’s secure.
Check the instructions that came with your hearing aid if you’re not sure how to remove the tubing.
If you have invisible-in-the-canal hearing aids, which are fitted deep inside your ear canal, your audiologist will clean them for you at your scheduled appointments.
Otherwise, clean your hearing aids at the end of every day to keep them working well.
- Clean any wax or debris from openings of your hearing aid with a soft brush provided by your audiologist.
- Use a wax pick to remove blockages that didn’t come out with the brush.
- Use a clean, dry cloth or tissue to wipe the hearing aid all over.
Every night:
- Clean the hearing aid, including the earmould, by wiping it carefully with a soft, dry cloth or tissue, or a wetwipe that does not contain alcohol or chemicals. Do not get the hearing aid wet.
- Use a wax pick to remove any wax or debris that has got into the channel that goes through the earmould.
About once a week, wash the earmould:
- Gently pull the soft tubing off the hooked part of the hearing aid. Do not pull the tubing out of the earmould as you won’t get it back in again.
- Wash the earmould with its tubing still in place in warm, soapy water. Use a nailbrush or a vent cleaner (or both) to remove any wax.
- Rinse it well and blow down the tubing or use a puffer to get the water out.
- Leave the earmould to dry overnight. Then push the tubing back onto the hearing aid.
Clean the main part of the hearing aid by wiping it carefully with a soft, dry cloth or tissue, or a wetwipe that does not contain chemicals or alcohol. Clean the soft ear tip or dome with a dry cloth.
Do not get the hearing aid wet.
Clean the soft ear tip or dome with a dry cloth.
Check if there’s any wax blocking the wax filter inside the ear tip or dome. To do this:
- Hold onto the loudspeaker and gently pull off the ear tip or dome.
- If there’s wax in the filter, replace it with a new one. You can get a special tool to help you do this.
- When you put the ear tip or dome piece onto the speaker, push it firmly to make sure it’s fastened securely.
Check the wire in the tubing to see if it has any twists in it. If there are twists and you cannot straighten the wire, speak to your audiologist. Twists in the wire can affect how well the hearing aid works.
Getting new hearing aid batteries or tubing
You can get new hearing aid batteries or tubing from your hearing aid provider.
If you have NHS hearing aids
You can get free batteries and replacement tubing from:
- your audiology service or ear, nose and throat department – in person or by post
- a local health centre that supplies batteries and tubing
- an RNID local hearing aid support service
Take your hearing aid repair book or battery card with you if you have one. Ask your audiologist about local arrangements.
If you have private hearing aids
Batteries and new tubing may be included in your payment plan. If not, you’ll need to buy them from a pharmacy or your hearing aid provider.
You can also buy batteries, tubing and other hearing aid accessories from supermarkets or online.
Changing your hearing aid batteries
If you use your hearing aids for most of the day, every day, you’ll need to change your hearing aid batteries about once a week.
Many hearing aids will give warning beeps when the battery needs changing.
You can watch videos that show how to change batteries in your hearing aids or follow these steps:
- Open the battery drawer wide, but try not to force it.
- Look at the way the battery sits in the drawer before you remove it.
- Take a replacement battery from its packet – it will have a sticky label to show the positive (+) side of the battery.
- The flat positive side of the battery (+) sits face up in the drawer – make sure it’s the right way up.
Remember to switch your hearing aids off when you take them out. This will help to save the battery and stop the hearing aid from whistling.
Your audiologist can show you how to change the battery if you need a reminder. You can also ask a family member or carer to help if you find it too fiddly.
If you have hearing aids that only your audiologist can remove, your audiologist will change the batteries at your scheduled appointments.