Except for removing obvious earwax, how often is it recommended to clean RICs or BTEs, molds and domes? Is it important to put them in a dryer at night? Thanks. —Steve
Steve I wear ITE half shell aids, I remove the ear wax and wipe down my aids every night before putting them in the dryer. It is a routine that I have been in for many years.
Thanks. There was a recent discussion about using alcohol for cleaning. I’d like to know what other people use for cleaning and also home dryer recommendations. Is there anything special that needs to be done with RIC receivers? --Steve
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following seeing I will be getting Rite or BTE aids this summer.
I use a product called Audiologists Choice made by Oaktree ordered from Amazon. It is made for HAs and will clean without alcohol. I wipe down the entire RIC aid, body, wires, concha locks, domes. Then I use a Perfect Dry Lux every night to dry and disinfect with UV light.
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I use a Dry and Store every night and have done for around 15 years or more. It works on a 8 hours cycle.
I wipe my hearing aids with a sunglasses cloth / fine cloth and use a baby wipe for my dome / ear mould.
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It takes 8 hours? I guess you can only do it at night. Thanks, --Steve
The one I use the Perfectdry lux will do the drying in 30 minutes
Yes only at night. During the day they are in my ears.
If I had to put my HAs in the Dry and Store for whatever reason during the day, I would then put my spare HAs in as I live with hearing people.
I also put my aid & CI in my Breeze dry box over night. After going through the wipe and clean of the ear mold and dome. I find the dry box is very important if you have a moisture problem or you live in a humid climate. It extends the life of your aids considerably.
I’ve got a Dry and Store Breeze as well.
My NHS hospital gave it to me so thought it was re named for the NHS like their hearing aids are.
I must be wrong. 
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@Deaf_piper thanks. I didn’t know that.
I like the size of the breeze and the fact there’s no UV light.
I did have an older D&S with a UV light and it made my tubing and ear moulds go harder quicker.
I’m a relatively new user of aids but no one has mentioned the dryers mentioned below. I’m probably doing it wrong but I either wash the dome in washing-up liquid and rinse under the hot water tap or wipe with surgical spirit (alcohol). I then blow down the tube to make sure it’s clear and leave to air dry. Seems to work OK. - comments?
Michael,
Welcome to the group. I have been wearing hearing aids for years, and still find the forum supportive and very useful.
What kind of aids do you have? I assume from your description that they are BTEs with regular tubing or slim tubes. Several members have recommended Audiologist’s Choice by Oaktree (available on Amazon) for cleaning. There are a couple of devices mentioned in this thread for drying hearing aids, domes and molds.
I just wrote my audiologist to confess that I don’t clean and dry regularly. She told me not to worry. Some of her patients sweat a lot or have a lot of wax and need to clean their hearing aid equipment frequently. Others, she said, come in a few times a year and she tunes and cleans everything. I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. She is going to send me a Dry and Store unit to start using at home.
I hope we hear from you often with all your concerns as a new hearing aid wearer. We have all been down that road! It would also be useful to post your audiogram.
–Steve
I use a product called Audiologists Choice made by Oaktree ordered from Amazon as well. Once a week, I change my batteries and wipe it down with the Audiologist’s Choice wipe. I also bought a tool to clean out the air vent in my RIC mold. Every night I use a cotton handkerchief to clean my RIC mold and then I put it in hearing aid dryer to prevent any damage from moisture. (I live in a high humidity area).
Thanks for the suggestions. What do you use to clean the air vent in the RIC mold? Is it a mold or a dome? I’ve also got RICs and much prefer molds.
This is going to be an ugly link…
https://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Cleaning-Earpiece-Earmold-Cleaner/dp/B07DPHW7J5/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=air+vent+hearing+aid+cleaner&qid=1587169015&sr=8-1
I have a set of Phonak Audeo Q, it’s an older model. So this tool goes in the very small hole next to the white ear wax trap. I replace the ear wax trap every couple of months - generally when the three tones to start up my hearing aid (to know it’s working) get softer and harder to hear.
Feel like I’m not explaining this particularly well…
My first set of hearing aids came with a thin flexible wire that I used for a while, until it broke off in pieces and I got nervous the pieces would be so small, they wouldn’t come out the other end.
Edited to say that it’s a mold and boy howdy, the fitting was horrendous. HORRENDOUS. I’m glad someone prefers it - it was just a horrible experience I am loathe to repeat ever.
Did you end up with molds or domes?
Do you ever wonder whether they just repackage Wet Ones, add ‘Audiologist’ in the product name and and a zero onto the price? Or is it just me?
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