Firstly, don’t panic – And go easy on yourself

Lots of people get their hearing aids wet – especially just after they got them.

Maybe you accidentally showered with your hearing aids on. Or perhaps you jumped into a pool with carefree abandon.

Good for you! You are just doing what’s normal. This is an indication that your hearing aids are now a natural part of you to a point where you forget that you are wearing them.

The good news is: your hearing aids should be fine.

Hearing aids are designed to withstand all sorts of daily life situations, including getting caught in the rain, working up a sweat or getting briefly soaked. You need to remove them if you go swimming, but this is not necessary for activities like sailing, nor when it rains.

When we test our hearing aids at Oticon, they have to survive much more than that.

How much water can hearing aids survive?

Our hearing aids carry IP68 rating indicating a certain level of water resistance and able to survive occasional exposure to water.

However, this does not mean that they are waterproof, and harsh or prolonged exposure to water – like going through a washing machine cycle – might be the end of them.

If this happened to your hearing aids, we recommend giving them a good drying out. They might be able to survive.

How to dry your hearing aids

We recommend the following if your hearing aids get sweaty or wet, especially during the humid conditions of summer.

Step 1 – Remove the battery if possible

If you have disposable batteries, remove them and discard them according to your local regulations. Then leave the battery drawers open.

If you have rechargeable hearing aids, you can’t remove the batteries. Simply turn your hearing aids off.

Step 2 – Leave to dry

Place your hearing aids on dry, soft paper in a warm, well-ventilated area.

Never put your hearing aids in the microwave or oven as too much heat can quickly damage them beyond repair. This could also happen if you use a hairdryer to dry them.

If your hearing aids do not work, contact your Hearing Care Professional for help.

Using a hearing aid dryer

A hearing aid dryer is a dedicated product for drying hearing aids.

Electric hearing aid dryers are purpose-made devices consisting of a plastic box into which you put your hearing aids. They use different technologies to dry hearing aids, including warm air, desiccants (drying agents), and UV light.

Non-electric hearing aid dryers are more simple and usually cheaper. They usually consist of a jar or pot containing a desiccant like silica gel, into which you put your hearing aids. The dehumidifying substance (drying agent) in the jar or pot then draws the moisture out of your hearing aids.

For rechargeable batteries it is not recommended to use a dryer if temperatures exceed +40 ^oC, because the lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to heat.

Contact your hearing care professional for more information