Taking Care of Your Hearing Aids in the Summer

Summer brings longer days, warmer weather, and plenty of time outdoors, but it also creates unique challenges for your hearing aids. Heat, humidity, sweat, and sudden dips in the water can all affect how well your devices perform. A few simple habits can keep your hearing aids working reliably all season long.

Watch out for humidity. Warm, muggy air can let moisture build up inside the microphone and receiver, leading to muffled sound or intermittent cutting out. Using a dehumidifier or dry-aid kit overnight is one of the easiest ways to keep internal components dry, especially if you live somewhere with high summer humidity.

Manage sweat during activity. Hiking, gardening, or working out in the heat means more perspiration near your ears. Sweat can corrode delicate components over time, so consider a sweatband or hearing aid sleeve during workouts, and wipe your devices down with a soft, dry cloth as soon as you finish.

Keep devices out of direct heat. Never leave hearing aids in a hot car, on a sunny windowsill, or inside a beach bag sitting in the sun. High temperatures can warp casings and damage batteries. Store them in their case, in the shade, whenever you are not wearing them.

Be extra cautious around water. Pools, lakes, sprinklers, and ocean waves are wonderful in the summer but risky for most hearing aids. Unless your devices are rated for water exposure, remove them before swimming or heavy water play, and dry your hands and ears thoroughly before putting them back in.

Clean and inspect regularly. Summer activities can introduce more dust, sunscreen, and bug spray near your ears. Wipe your hearing aids daily with a dry cloth, check the tubing and domes for buildup, and replace wax guards as needed to keep sound quality sharp.

Store batteries properly. Heat can shorten battery life or cause them to drain faster than usual. Keep spare batteries in a cool, dry place rather than a hot glove compartment or beach bag, and bring extras along on trips and outdoor adventures.

A little extra care in the summer months goes a long way toward protecting your investment and keeping you connected to the people and sounds around you. If you notice any changes in performance, the team at Excuse Me Hearing is always happy to help with a checkup, cleaning, or repair.