How to Dry Out Your Hearing Aids

As with most electronic devices, it’s best to keep your hearing aids as dry as possible. Thankfully, most modern hearing aids are moisture-resistant. This means that sweating during a heavy workout or taking a walk through a light rain are, more than likely, not issues that will require any sort of intervention on your part. However, accidents happen. It’s easier than you may imagine to forget you’re wearing your hearing aids and jump into the shower. What do you do then? Amplifon breaks down how exactly to dry out your hearing aids when your plans go awry. 

First things first: don’t panic. It’s quite possible that this situation is entirely salvageable. You’re not the first person to inadvertently stroll through your grandchildren’s water balloon fight.

1. Remove the battery. Turn your hearing aids off and remove the batteries as soon as possible. Keeping a wet battery inside of hearing aids can cause further damage. It’s also best to be on the safe side and recycle the batteries that were exposed. 
2. Rinse as necessary. If you were in seawater or water you may consider “dirty,” rinse your hearing aids under running tap water to remove any potential contaminants.  
3. Shake it off. Remove any excess moisture you can by vigorously shaking the device and/or dabbing it with a dry cloth. This will help speed up the overall process of drying out your hearing aids.
4. Dehumidify. If you have the time to spare, you can simply let your hearing aids air-dry overnight. Keep them on a newspaper or paper towel in a warm spot. Alternately, if you have silica gel or uncooked rice available, you can use these as desiccants to draw out the moisture. Simply place your hearing aid in with the rice or silica gel in a sealed container.
5. Avoid excessive heat. Though it may seem logical to throw your hearing aids in the warmed-up oven or the microwave, don’t. Avoid any direct heat sources when drying out your hearing aids. Excessive heat can severely damage the inner workings of your devices. 
6. Play it safe. Only replace your batteries when you are absolutely sure your hearing aids are completely dry. If you’re not yet 100% positive they are dry, it’s better to wait a little bit longer than to risk further damage. 

Once you’re satisfied that your hearing aids have dried out completely, return the batteries and take them for a test drive. It’s highly likely that they’ll be working just like they did before. If you do notice any changes, however, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with your hearing specialist. They’ll be able to tell you if your hearing aids need any repairs. Hopefully, that won’t be the case and this guide on how to dry out your hearing aids is all you’ll need to keep your important investment safe.