Cleaning your ReSound hearing aids takes just a few minutes a day and is the single most effective thing you can do to keep them working well and lasting longer. The most common reason a hearing aid sounds weak or goes dead is a buildup of earwax or debris blocking the microphone or speaker, so a simple daily wipe-down prevents most performance problems before they start.
What You Need
You don’t need anything fancy. The essentials are a soft, dry cloth (microfiber works well), a cleaning brush with soft bristles, and a wax pick or wire loop. Most ReSound hearing aids ship with a small multi-tool that combines the brush and pick. If yours didn’t come with one, generic hearing aid cleaning kits are widely available and inexpensive. Keep your tools in one spot near where you store your hearing aids so cleaning becomes automatic.
Daily Cleaning Routine
Get in the habit of cleaning your ReSound hearing aids every evening when you take them out. Your body heat has softened any earwax during the day, making it easier to remove at night rather than in the morning after it has dried and hardened.
Start by wiping the entire hearing aid with a soft, dry cloth to remove oils, moisture, and surface debris. Pay attention to the receiver (the small speaker piece that sits in your ear canal) and the dome, which is the soft silicone tip that covers it. ReSound recommends using a damp cloth on the receiver tube and dome, but never running them under water or using a direct water source. A slightly damp cloth is fine; a wet one is not.
Next, use the brush to gently sweep across the microphone openings. These are the tiny ports on the body of the hearing aid, usually on the top or face of the device. Brush downward so loosened debris falls away from the openings rather than deeper into them. Then use the wax pick or wire loop to carefully clear any visible wax from the sound outlet at the tip of the receiver. Be gentle here. You’re just dislodging surface wax, not scraping deep inside.
Cleaning the Domes and Wax Guards
The silicone dome collects the most wax because it sits directly in your ear canal. Pull it off the receiver tip and wipe it thoroughly with your cloth. If wax has built up in the vents or along the inside surface, you can rinse the dome alone under lukewarm water since it’s just a silicone sleeve with no electronics. Let it dry completely before reattaching it.
ReSound hearing aids use small wax guards (also called wax filters) at the tip of the receiver to keep debris out of the speaker. These are not meant to be cleaned. They’re disposable. When a wax guard looks clogged or discolored, swap it out with a fresh one from the replacement pack your audiologist provided. A blocked wax guard is the number one culprit when your hearing aid suddenly sounds muffled, so check it before assuming something bigger is wrong.
Replace the domes themselves when they become stiff, brittle, or discolored. ReSound suggests checking with your hearing care professional for replacement components when you notice these signs. Most people need new domes every one to three months depending on how much wax they produce.
Rechargeable Models: Cleaning the Contacts
If you have a rechargeable ReSound model like the ReSound ONE or ReSound OMNIA, the charging contacts on the bottom of each hearing aid need to stay clean for a reliable charge. Wipe the small metal contact points on both the hearing aids and inside the charging case with a dry cloth every few days. Skin oils and dust can build up on these surfaces and cause intermittent charging. If you notice your hearing aids aren’t fully charging overnight, dirty contacts are the first thing to check.
Moisture Control
Sweat, humidity, and condensation are harder on hearing aids than earwax over the long run. Even though many ReSound models carry an IP68 water resistance rating, daily moisture exposure still degrades components over time. A hearing aid dehumidifier, either a simple jar with silica gel desiccant or an electronic drying station, extends the life of your devices significantly. Place your hearing aids in the dehumidifier each night. Electronic dryers use gentle heat and moving air to pull moisture out more thoroughly than passive desiccant, and they typically cost between $30 and $100.
If you use rechargeable models, the charging case itself keeps the aids enclosed, but it doesn’t actively remove moisture. On particularly sweaty or humid days, give the hearing aids 20 to 30 minutes in a dehumidifier before placing them in the charger.
What Not to Do
A few things will damage your ReSound hearing aids quickly. Never submerge them in water, alcohol, or any cleaning solution. Don’t use household cleaners, hand sanitizer, or disinfecting wipes on the devices, as these chemicals can degrade the casing, corrode electronics, and break down the silicone domes. Compressed air can force debris deeper into the microphone ports, so avoid that too. Hair spray, sunscreen, and lotions should always be applied before putting your hearing aids in, not after.
When Sound Gets Weak or Cuts Out
If your ReSound hearing aid starts sounding faint, distorted, or completely silent, a wax blockage is the most likely cause. Use your brush and pick to clean both the microphone inlet and the receiver outlet. Replace the wax guard if it looks clogged. Check that the dome isn’t packed with wax. These three steps resolve the majority of sound issues without a trip to the audiologist.
If cleaning doesn’t restore normal sound, inspect the receiver wire for cracks or kinks, and make sure the dome is seated snugly on the receiver tip. A loose dome can shift in your ear canal and muffle output. Beyond that, your hearing care professional can perform a deeper cleaning with professional-grade vacuum tools and ultrasonic cleaners that reach places your home tools can’t.
Professional Cleanings
Even with diligent daily care, schedule a professional cleaning and check-up every four to six months. Your audiologist has tools to clean internal components, inspect for corrosion, and test whether the microphones and receivers are performing to specification. These visits also give them a chance to check your hearing levels and adjust programming if needed. Most offices include routine cleanings at no extra charge as part of ongoing care.