Phonak has been a long-term player in the hearing care industry. Hearing aids by Phonak are some of the most advanced and possibly an expensive investment. If you’ve bought Phonak hearing aids, keeping them clean is very important. This article will touch base on cleaning and maintaining your Phonak hearing aids, depending on the type of hearing aid.
How to Clean Phonak Hearing Aids
The first step towards keeping your hearing aids clean is to keep your ears clean. Earwax is your body’s natural process of keeping your ears lubricated and protecting them. However, too much earwax can cause muffled hearing. If you are using hearing aids, excess amount of earwax can clog your microphones, making it difficult to hear. It would be good practice to regularly clean your ears, especially now in order to keep your hearing aids clean.
Some general cleaning tips include:
- Always keep a soft cloth underneath when cleaning your hearing aids to avoid accidental damage or breakage.
- Make sure your ears are completely dry before inserting the hearing aids.
- Wear your hearing aid after applying products like hair spray or make-up. This will prevent the products from seeping into the microphones or other sensitive parts of your hearing aids.
- Clean your hearing aids at the end of every day. A thorough cleaning should be done once a week.
Protect Phonak Hearing Aid from Dirt
Dirt can easily seep into your hearing aids if you’re not careful. You should always wash your hands and ensure they are clean and dry before starting to clean your hearing aids. Be especially careful about the fact when cleaning the microphones. This is because dirt can easily block the microphones. If any dirt gets inside your hearing aid, it may affect its functioning.
Use Phonak Hearing Aid Cleaning Kit
Your audiologist or hearing care specialist will be providing you with a cleaning kit. You should use this kit for the daily cleaning of your hearing aids. The Phonak hearing aid cleaning kit (depending on your model) generally includes:
- Soft, dry, clean cloth
- Cleaning wire
- Drying beaker
- Cleansing beaker & tablet
- Vent cleaner
- Air puffer
- Cleaning brush
- Wax guards
- Wax pick/wire loop
If you do not have access to the proper cleaning kit, here are some alternatives you can use:
- A child’s toothbrush with soft bristles
- Disinfectant wipes made for hearing aid use
- Alcohol-free cleaners made for hearing aids (for in-the-ear models)
When cleaning your Phonak hearing aids, you should be mindful of a few things:
- To never use chemical solutions or wipes not made for hearing aids
- If not waterproof, not to get water on your hearing aid device
- To not insert anything in receiver ports or microphones of your hearing aids
- To be careful not to push wax or dirt into any openings of your hearing aid device when cleaning
Cleaning Methods for Phonak Hearing Aids
As mentioned above, it is a good idea to develop a habit of cleaning your hearing aids daily and give a thorough cleaning once a week. Cleaning methods may differ for different types of Phonak hearing aid models. Let’s take a look how:
Cleaning Behind-The-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids
If you have the Phonak BTE hearing aids with a slim tube, follow the steps below to clean your them:
- Check for wax or dirt, particularly the dome and around the microphones
- Use the clean, dry cloth to remove wax and dirt from the device and dome
- Dust off any residual wax or dirt from the hearing aid using the cleaning brush
- To clean the slim tube:
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- Turn it counter-clockwise and detach from the device
- Insert cleaning wire and push through the entire length of the tube
- Reattach tube to the device by turning it clockwise
- If you have a device with disposable battery, remove battery and leave the battery door open
- Place device in the drying beaker and leave it overnight
How to Clean Phonak Hearing Aids with Mold
If your BTE Phonak hearing aid has an earmold, follow the below steps:
- Check for wax or dirt, particularly the earmold and around the microphones
- Use the clean, dry cloth to remove wax and dirt from the device and earmold
- Dust off any residual wax or dirt from the hearing aid using the cleaning brush
- Clean your earmold from wax and dirt, washing it from time to time:
- Pour water into cleansing beaker and add the tablet
- Place earmold into the beaker
- Leave for 15 to 30 minutes
- Rinse with clean water after
- Wipe with a tissue or dry cloth
- Use air puffer to remove moisture from tube and vent
- Clean vent by inserting vent cleaner through the vent in your earmold
- Use cleaning wire loop to clean wax from the tip of your earmold
- Remove battery and leave battery door open
- Place hearing aid in drying beaker overnight
Cleaning In-The-Ear (ITE) Hearing Aids
The process for cleaning your ITE Phonak hearing aids is more or less similar to that of BTE hearing aids. To clean your ITE hearing aids, follow the steps below:
- Check for wax or dirt, particularly the part that goes inside your ear and around the microphones
- Use the clean, dry cloth to remove wax and dirt from the hearing aid
- Dust off any residual wax or dirt from the hearing aid using the cleaning brush
- Check and change wax guards if needed
- Remove battery and leave battery door open
- Leave hearing aid in drying beaker overnight
How do I Clean Out Wax from My Phonak ITE Hearing Aids?
All Phonak ITE hearing aids come with a wax guard. It is very important to check if the wax guard needs to be changed as it may interfere with optimal functioning of the hearing aid. You need to follow a few simple steps in order to change the wax guard of your hearing aid.
Changing the Wax Guard
- Take the wax guard exchange tool
- Pick up the old wax guard by slightly rotating the empty end of the stick over it
- Place and slightly rotate the other end of the stick to fit in the new wax guard
On a final note, cleaning your hearing aids is a very important and healthy habit for you to develop. Not only to continue hearing natural, clear sounds, but also for the longevity of your hearing aid. If you feel you are unable to clean your hearing aids adequately, you can always contact your audiologist or hearing care specialist.
