How to Clean an Earmold

Earmolds aren’t just for individuals with hearing aids; people of all professions, from newscasters, law enforcement agents and construction workers to racecar drivers, pilots and hunters use them in their daily tasks. These people need earmolds for many reasons, from protecting their hearing to channeling and amplifying sound.

Earmolds and hearing aids

Even with the myriad professions relying on earmolds, the most common use for earmolds is to accompany hearing aids. The function of the earmold will vary, dependent upon the individual’s type and degree of hearing loss. When combined with hearing aids, earmolds are designed to channel sound from the hearing aid directly into the ear. Usually, earmolds are needed with hearing aids when more focused sound is required to block out interfering outside noise.

Cleaning your earmold

For those who wear earmolds, the most important thing to remember is to keep the earmold clean. The process to clean an earmold isn’t difficult, but it is vital to keeping the earmold and hearing aid working properly, and to prevent the individual from contracting diseases or illnesses due to potentially infectious material, including blood, mucous or other bodily substances or fluids.

To clean the earmold, simply wipe away all debris or material from the surface of the earmold with dry tissues, dry paper towels, cleaning brushes or wire loops. Now that the earmold is clean, the next step is to disinfect the earmold, in order to remove all germs left by the potentially infectious material. To disinfect earmolds, use moist, non-alcoholic based disinfectant surface wipes.

If the earmolds have been exposed to blood or mucous, it is important to sterilize the devices as well. To sterilize the earmolds, take them to your hearing healthcare professional. He or she will detach the earmold from the sound device it is connected to before submerging it in a batch of germicide solution. This process shouldn’t take long and you’ll be able to wait for the earmolds to be done.
 

Caring for your earmold

When an individual takes proper care of his or her earmolds, the devices will likely continue to work well for an extended period of time. If the earmold begins to create any whistling or distortion of your own voice, it is important to visit your hearing healthcare professional.