How to clean hearing aids of earwax | Miracle-Ear (2025)

Once you find hearing aids that are just right for you, you may not want to take them off. With such regular wear, hearing aids get exposed to debris like dust, particles, sweat and earwax. Use the tips in this guide to keep your hearing aids feeling comfortable and functioning properly for a long time.

Key takeaways

Tip #1: Inspect hearing aids for earwax buildup

Hearing aids come in different shapes and sizes. For many models, the outer part of the hearing aid (the shell) conceals and protects the technology inside, while the portion of the hearing aid that sits in the ear sends sound directly through the ear canal. This part is called the receiver, and it’s covered by a small protective dome.

Because of the receiver’s exposure to the ear canal, earwax buildup and hearing aids often go hand in hand. In fact, wax on the receiver is the most common cause of hearing aid failure. Checking the following parts of your hearing aids for wax each day can help prevent problems.

Tip #2: Use a hearing aid cleaning kit

To keep your cleaning tools organized and in one place, a kit can be helpful. Kits may be included with your hearing aids, but can also be purchased from your hearing care professional. You can also buy individual pieces and build your own kit. Create your own hearing aid cleaning kit with these helpful tools:

● A small brush to gently clean wax from the hearing aid dome

● A wire loop or wax pick to extract wax from the hearing aid dome or sound bores

● A vent cleaner to push wax through longer vents that wax picks or loops can’t reach

● A soft, dry cloth to wipe away moisture, dirt or debris on the hearing aid shell

Cleaning your hearing aids every night before bed or in the morning before you put them on is one of the best ways to preserve them. Without this important step, hardened wax can build up over time and become difficult to remove.

Wax guards are tiny but mighty, protecting your hearing aid technology and allowing for clear sound quality. To do their job, they need to be replaced every four weeks. If you’re prone to producing a lot of earwax, replacing them even more often is a good idea. Hearing aid wax guard replacement takes just a few seconds. Find steps for how to do so here.

In addition to a regular at-home cleaning routine, professional cleanings will help keep your devices functioning at their best for as long as possible. A hearing care professional will be able to do a deep cleaning, check all hearing aid parts and address debris buildup to maintain your devices.

Earwax and hearing aids

Because earwax and hearing aids are both located in the ears, hearing aids will inevitably encounter wax. Having earwax is perfectly normal and part of being human. Plus, it helps your body stay healthy by protecting the ear canal from dust and debris. Regularly cleaning your devices and ears will keep earwax under control and prevent buildup.

Prevent hearing aid earwax buildup

One of the best ways to manage your earwax buildup in your hearing aids is to clean your ears often. Using a cotton swab will only impact the ear wax, which can cause damage, use a damp washcloth to wipe the outer part of your ear.