Time to Read: 4 minutes
Hearing aids are a remarkable piece of technology. In fact they’re mini computers in your ears. And as we know, water and electronics do not mix!
Accidents happen!
Dos and Don’ts when your hearing aids get wet
- Don’t panic
- Do act quickly
- Don’t leave your batteries in.
- Do rinse your hearing aids in clean water if they were dropped in soapy or salty water
- Don’t use heat.
- Do use a desiccant or your hearing aid’s dehumidifier/dryer unit to try your aids
Don’t panic
Hearing aids are like many watches, they are water resistant but not waterproof. If you are caring for your hearing aids regularly, then you’ll have everything you need to quickly and effectively deal with any accidents.
We have a great article here on how to care for your hearing aids at home.
Do act quickly
Hearing aids can be forgiving if you act quickly. As soon as you are aware that your hearing aids have been exposed to water, remove them from the hostile environment and try the following tips before giving us a call.
Don’t leave your batteries in
Take your batteries out straight away and leave the battery doors open. Batteries are quick to corrode and that is the number one cause of damage to hearing aids. Use a cotton swab to ensure the contacts in the hearing aids are dry.
Do rinse your hearing aids in clean water if they were dropped in soapy or salty water
Exposing your hearing aids to water is bad. Exposing them to salty water/sea water or soap water in the shower or dropping them into the dishwashing water is even worse!
If this happens to you, rinse your hearing aids in clean water and then dry them.
Don’t use heat
Do not put your hearing aids on a heater, in the microwave, in the oven or use a hairdryer on a heat setting, you could do irreparable damage to your hearing aids.
Do use a desiccant or your hearing aid’s dehumidifier/dryer unit to try your aids
The very best thing you can do is to use the dehumidifier which you may have received with your hearing aid to dry your aids overnight before reinserting the batteries and restarting your hearing aids.
If you don’t have a desiccant, try the trusty trick of using bowl of uncooked rice in a resealable bowl. Place your hearing aids in there for 24 hours.
Do all of these things, then clean your aids and put the batteries back in and restart them.
If they still don't work, contact Value Hearing immediately.
