How to Clean Hearing Aid Domes and Wax Guards at Home

Your hearing aid sounded fine yesterday. Today it is weak, muffled or silent. Before you worry that it is broken, check for earwax. A blocked dome or wax guard is the most common reason a hearing aid goes quiet, and you can usually fix it at home in a few minutes.

The two parts that catch wax

The dome is the soft silicone tip on the end of a receiver-in-canal or open-fit hearing aid. It sits in your ear canal and holds the speaker in place.

The wax guard (also called a wax filter) is a tiny white screen that sits in the opening where sound comes out. Its job is to catch wax before it reaches the speaker. When the wax guard fills up, sound cannot get through. That is the guard doing its job, and it means it is time for a new one.

Daily cleaning: one minute

• Take the hearing aids out and wipe the dome and body with a soft, dry cloth or a hearing aid wipe.
• Use the small brush that came with your hearing aids to gently brush wax off the dome and the sound opening. Hold the aid with the opening facing down so loose wax falls away, not inside.
• Look at the wax guard. If you can see wax on it or in it, change it.

Clean in the morning rather than at night. Wax dries overnight and brushes off more easily.

How to change a wax guard

Wax guards come on a small tool or stick. Most work the same way:

1. Pull the dome off the receiver to uncover the wax guard.
2. Push the empty end of the tool straight into the old wax guard and pull it straight out.
3. Turn the tool around and push the new wax guard straight into the opening until it clicks or sits flat.
4. Pull the tool away. The new guard stays in place. Throw the tool away.
5. Push the dome back on firmly until it is fully seated.

Each brand uses its own size and type of wax guard, and they are not interchangeable. If you are not sure which ones fit your hearing aids, bring them in and we will show you.

How to clean and replace domes

Domes collect wax and skin oil, and they stiffen and lose their shape over time. Wipe them daily. If a dome is caked with wax, turned yellow, torn or feels stiff, replace it rather than trying to scrub it. Most people need new domes every one to three months. Your ears and how much wax you make decide the exact timing.

When you put a new dome on, push it firmly onto the receiver until it is fully seated and give it a gentle tug. A loose dome can come off in your ear. If that ever happens and you cannot easily reach it, do not dig for it. Call us and we will remove it safely.

What not to do

• Do not use toothpicks, pins or cotton swabs in the sound opening. They push wax deeper and can damage the speaker.
• Do not use alcohol, household cleaners or water on the hearing aid itself.
• Do not put the receiver in water, even if the hearing aid is water resistant.
• Do not store the hearing aids in the bathroom, where steam can get inside.

When home cleaning is not enough

If you have changed the wax guard and dome and the hearing aid is still weak or silent, the problem may be wax deeper in the receiver, moisture, or a worn-out part. Our Wichita Falls office has a repair lab on site, and many of these fixes are done while you wait. Bring them in and we can also fit fresh domes and wax guards and show you how to change them.

If your hearing aids clog up again and again, the wax may be building up in your ear canal itself. Our ear wax removal page explains when that needs attention. For more everyday care tips, see the most common mistakes new hearing aid owners make.

Questions about your hearing aids? Call 940-264-4327 or book a visit.