Getting in the habit of routinely cleaning your behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid domes will ensure optimal performance and comfort. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps needed to keep your hearing aid domes free of buildup.
When cleaning hearing aids, always clean the domes along with them. Cleaning your hearing aids and their domes on a regular basis can actually help prolong the life of your behind-the-ear hearing aids, so let’s jump right in and look at what you need to get started.
How Do You Clean a Hearing Aid Dome?
First, you’re going to need a few tools to help you get started. Whether for brushing or regular care, you need the right equipment to ensure that you get the best results. The most commonly-used tools for cleaning your hearing aid domes include:
- Small cleaning brush or old toothbrush
- Wet wipes/damp towels
- Soft, clean, dry cloth
- Wax pick/wire loop
- Cotton swabs
- Wax pick
When you first got your hearing aids, you may have received a cleaning kit along with them. These kits often have a specific tool for each job, such as clearing out the earmold or dome. But if you don’t have a special kit, don’t worry.
You can simply use the cleaning tools outlined above for similar results.
Cleaning the Domes
Fortunately, removing buildup from your hearing aid domes is a simple and straightforward task. It’s also an essential part of owning hearing aids. As we will discuss in a moment, there are benefits to keeping your domes clean of buildup and debris.
When you wear your hearing aids, wax accumulates over time. This needs to be removed to ensure that you’re getting the best performance from your hearing devices. Use a wax pick to help you get at the wax. But if you don’t have access to a wax removal pick, a toothbrush serves nicely as a backup tool.
Using your old toothbrush, gently scrub each dome to remove any earwax that has built up inside. The smaller the toothbrush, the better results you’re going to get. As such, you may want to consider picking up a cheap children’s toothbrush.
They have smaller bristles and can reach areas that adult toothbrushes can’t. Once you have the domes adequately brushed clean, place them in a bowl of soapy, lukewarm water. Allow them to soak in here for about 30 minutes.
Clean Gently
After removing the domes from the soapy water, use a wet wipe or moist paper towel to touch up and remove any remaining debris that didn’t come off in the water. If you’ve not cleaned your ear domes in a while, there might be some stubborn wax that requires some extra TLC to remove.
When you are satisfied with the cleanliness of your hearing aid domes, dry them off completely. You want to double-check each dome to ensure that it is dry before placing it on your hearing aid. An ear dome with water still on it can potentially damage your hearing aid.
If you wish, you can also use an alcohol-free solution to clean your domes. You want to be certain that there isn’t alcohol listed as an ingredient, as it can damage the material that hearing aid domes are made out of.
If you wear in-the-ear hearing aids and need to clean the earmolds, you likewise want to use an alcohol-free formula, as well.
Why Should you Clean Your Hearing Aid Domes?
When you regularly clean your hearing aid domes, you can look forward to optimal performance. As wax accumulates in your domes, it can make it more difficult to hear clearly. This is because there is a blockage between your ear canal and your hearing aid.
As such, every time you clean your hearing aids, make it a habit to clean the domes, too. When your domes are clear of buildup and debris, you will be able to better hear from your hearing aid’s speaker, thus delivering optimal sound quality.
Maintain Comfort
Moreover, earwax can eventually cause your domes to warp and lose their shape. The moisture in earwax can also make wearing your hearing aids uncomfortable, as can poorly fitting ear domes.
When you regularly clean your hearing aids and domes, you are extending their lifespan. Without proper maintenance, earwax and debris can come in contact with your hearing aid’s battery, microphone, or receiver, depending on the style you wear.
How Often Should You Change Hearing Aid Domes?
As long as you keep your domes sufficiently cleaned, you shouldn’t need to replace them but once or twice a year. Some audiologist specialists recommend once a month, but you can prolong their use by keeping them properly cleaned.
Cleaning and Caring for Your Hearing Aids
There a few important things to remember when caring for your hearing aids. Firstly, always make sure that your hearing aid stays dry, as water can ruin them. The same is true for the microphone and receiver.
There a few important things to remember when caring for your hearing aids. Firstly, always make sure that your hearing aid stays dry, as water can ruin them. The same is true for the microphone and receiver.
Hearing aid cleaning and dome care are both essential to ensuring lasting performance and sound quality. You will be less likely to replace your hearing aids when you maintain a routine care schedule. If you require professional assistance with your hearing aids or are interested in upgrading to a new model, contact your friends here at Otofonix. We would love to help you!
