How to Clean Behind the Ear Hearing Aids? | Daily Care That Works

Clean behind-the-ear hearing aids daily with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth, and remove the earmold for deeper cleaning.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids sit behind your ear and route sound through a thin tube into an earmold, which makes them prone to wax buildup in the openings. The good news is that a consistent cleaning routine takes only a few minutes each day and prevents most performance issues before they start. Whether you have a rechargeable model or a traditional battery-powered one, the basic care steps are the same, though some manufacturers add extra instructions for their specific devices.

What You Need For Daily Cleaning

You don’t need a specialized kit to keep a BTE hearing aid in good shape. A few simple items cover the vast majority of daily care, and most are probably already in your home.

• A soft, dry, lint-free cloth for wiping the hearing aid body.
• A soft brush to sweep away wax and debris from the aid and earmold.
• A wax pick or vent cleaner to clear the earmold’s opening and vent.
• Warm, soapy water for the occasional earmold wash, if your manufacturer allows it.

Phonak’s cleansing portfolio page lists a range of these tools, and most major manufacturers offer similar brushes and wax picks. The key is to use them gently and keep them away from the microphone openings, which are delicate and easy to damage.

How To Clean The Hearing Aid Body

Start with the outside of the device, since this is where daily oils, dirt, and debris accumulate. A quick wipe at the end of each day keeps the aid looking fresh and prevents buildup from working its way into the electronics.

Inspect the aid for visible wax or dirt, then wipe the body with a dry, lint-free cloth. Use the soft brush to sweep wax and debris off the aid and earmold, brushing toward the ground so the particles fall out rather than deeper into the tubing. Never push wax into the tubing or openings, and keep all cleaning tools away from the microphone ports. If the hearing tube looks discolored, hardened, or cracked, replace it and check with your hearing care professional.

If you notice the sound quality dropping, check whether wax is blocking the earmold opening or vent before you do anything else. That single blockage is the most common cause of a perfectly good hearing aid suddenly sounding muffled.

Cleaning The Earmold And Tubing

The earmold is the part that sits inside your ear, and it needs deeper cleaning than the body. Remove the earmold from the earhook before you clean it, since washing it while attached can push moisture into the tubing.

When your manufacturer permits it, wash the earmold occasionally in warm soapy water. Rinse it well, dry it with a tissue or cloth, and use an air puffer if one was recommended with your device. Reattach the earmold only after both it and the tubing are completely dry, because trapped moisture can damage the hearing aid’s internal components.

For rechargeable BTE models, don’t forget the charger itself. Phonak’s cleaning pages for the Naída, Sky, and Audéo families include charger-specific instructions, and keeping the charging contacts clean ensures your device charges reliably every night.

Before you buy replacement parts or a new device, it’s worth reviewing the best behind-the-ear hearing aid models to compare features across current options.

What To Never Do

Hearing aids are water-resistant at best, not waterproof, and the cleaning rules exist to protect the delicate microphones and receiver.

• Never submerge the hearing aid itself in liquid.
• Never use aerosol cleaners, bleach, abrasives, alcohol, solvents, or household detergents on the hearing aid body unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it.
• Keep all cleaning tools away from microphone openings and other device openings.

Phonak’s care guide and cleaning pages all stress the same point: when in doubt, follow the exact instructions that came with your specific model. Cleaning steps can vary by model and region, and the manufacturer’s guide for your particular hearing aid is the final authority. If you’re unsure whether a cleaning product is safe, skip it and stick to the dry cloth and brush.