How to Dry Hearing Aids
So you got your hearing aids wet? Whether they fell in the sink, went through the laundry machine, or were even set in a cup of coffee (yes, I’ve seen it happen), you’ll be wise to adhere to the following advice. With most out-of-warranty hearing aid repairs costing between $200-$400, you want to make sure you do not cause any more damage to your hearing aids while trying to fix them. And maybe, if you’re lucky enough, you can actually resuscitate them after a mishap. If your hearing aids have gotten wet and are not working, don’t panic. A lot of times they’ll temporarily stop working after exposure to water but will later “come back to life.”
The first thing to know is that if your hearing aid has gotten wet, there is a really good chance it did not hurt it at all. So many hearing aids today have nano coating which does a really good job of repelling water, and beyond that, a lot of hearing aids have special seals built in to them to prevent water from getting inside the casing. While hearing aids do a pretty good job of fending off water themselves, there are some steps you can take to help bring the hearing aid back to life quicker and reduce your chances of needing to send it off for a costly repair.
What To Do With Your Wet Hearing Aids
Step 1) Take a tissue or dry cloth to the exterior only and dry off your hearing aids.
Step 2) Open the battery door of your hearing aid and remove the battery.
Step 3) If you wear a BTE or RIC hearing aid and know how to remove the ear hook or receiver, do that. If you’re not sure how to do that, don’t even try, because if you break that piece it could cost up to $300 to repair.
Step 4) If you have a dry aid kit, put the hearing aid in there for 24 hours. If you don’t have a dry aid kit you should buy one- seriously, they’re not just for emergencies. If a dry aid kit isn’t an option, fill up a bag or cup of rice and put your hearing aid inside (with the battery door open) for 12 hrs. If rice isn’t an option, just put the hearing aid (with the battery door open) under a lamp for 12 hrs, but make sure it doesn’t get too hot.
Step 5) Wait the appropriate time period for whatever of the above methods you chose, insert a fresh battery, and cross your fingers. If the aid doesn’t work, then unfortunately all you can do is contact your hearing provider and see if they can’t resuscitate it or send it off to be repaired.
Have you brought a wet hearing aid back to life? If you have any tips, tricks, or suggestions, please post them in the comments section below!
If you’d like a free phone consultation with a licensed hearing provider, please feel free to call us at 800-731-6794.
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Water dumped into my night aid holding bowl with the aids in it – doors open. I just used a computer air spray can to blow water out of the open aids. I blew it across the top of the opened aid to suck out moisture and was cautious about blowing into the innards. A lot of water came out of one aid.
I had forgotten I placed a friend’s hearing aids in my zippered down vest pocket for safe keeping while on vacation after she had removed it because the battery had gone dead and she didn’t have a spare with her. The jacket went through the gentle wash cycle and low dryer setting. I opened the dryer door and spotted the hearing aid lying on the bottom of the drum. So upset, I went to her house and confessed, telling her I’d be paying for the replacement. She put a battery in it and it turned on with no problem! Phew!