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How do you clean your ear hooks on BTEs?

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I was shocked to notice that my ear hooks have some little bit of dirt in them. Not quite sure how but they have.

Anyone know the best way to clean them with the damper thing inside or should I get it replaced?

I use a dry and store EVERY night without fail.

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i wipe mine down every couple days with an alcohol wipe, like the nurse uses before you get a shot. i wipe down the entire aid, take dome off clean the receiver etcetera.

— Updated —

Combo of what two people said:

1)Clean the outside as best you can, wipe it with a tissue, the brush they give, or a a VERY mild amount of alcohol
2) if the filter is compromised, then yeah, replace the hook.

Pardon my noob question. What are the ear hooks. I have Oticon .

There is the lump bte, a wire that goes to the part in the ear, the part in the ear, plus a “sports lock”.

Which are you calling the hook or is that on another brand?

:slight_smile:

Hum no answer, I just dropped in and the subject caught my eye. I have no idea what an ear hook is either. I have had my Sig 5 aids for just one year and had to stop by Costco a couple of weeks back to get one of the ear “sports lock” (sounds like a good description, but not sure I know what they are either). Now the other lock needs replacing (Why didn’t the tech replace them both when I was there?)…

I careful cleaning is important, mine must be near end of life… the only treatment the get from me is taken out of my ears at night and opened to lower battery drain. When the “lock” was replaced the tech examined the ear cone and mick and said it all looked good, she may have cleaned too with a wipe pad or something. I have spare cones, and admit I have replaced them once and cleaned them once when I noticed a reduction in the sound level, a big reduction.

Ear hooks are part of the older technology that sent the sound through a tube to the ear. As to all the rest, looks like successful use. You can be happy things are so uneventful.

KenP,

Thanks for reading through my typos. i am happy with the performance of my $2K set, but makes me wonder if I’m missing an even greater experience available if one spends $6K and more. I admit I have some trouble with cell and cordless (any handset) phones, and while the Sig 5 has a program for wireless (I believe) I have not purchased what I understand are added features. I was told the aids are function in movies that provide hearing aid signals (WiFi, like?), but I haven’t tried that yet either. I can say watching a movie at the local Library via the usual speaker setup is better with the aids, but clearly not up to normal hearing (or better hearing aids) I still miss some of the dialog. I can how hear many bird songs that were lost to me and I have adapted (believe that is what it is) enough that creaking stairs just creak, not scream. Perhaps I should discuss my experience with the Costco hearing aid fitter/specialist. There is anew store opening nearer me which will make store visits much easier.

I’m a hearing aid used for life, no cure, but the crutch helps a lot.

If you have a recent iPhone and really want to hear the phone through your aids, you might trial the new KS6. I don’t know just what the audio improvement would be but you could do a store walk around to see if you think it is worth it.

If you have an android phone, things are in a state of flux. You’d need an overprice accessory to get the connection to your phone. It would add other bluetooth devices.

Having the aids just a year you probably aren’t going to see that great an improvement and another yea’rs wait will likely show you more possibilities.

In reply to @Jerry_NJ

@Jerry_NJ said:

i am happy with the performance of my $2K set, but makes me wonder if I’m missing an even greater experience available if one spends $6K and more. I admit I have some trouble with cell and cordless (any handset) phones, and while the Sig 5 has a program for wireless (I believe) I have not purchased what I understand are added features. I was told the aids are function in movies that provide hearing aid signals (WiFi, like?), but I haven’t tried that yet either.

The KS5 was/is a premium-level aid that would have cost $5K to $6K had you purchased it from a private dispenser. So higher price does not equate to a greater experience. Many theaters and auditoriums have or other assistive devices that can be used with the built-in in your KS5. Check with those venues directly.

Thanks, the hearing aids seem to be pretty full of features and I had read that public theaters will show the symbol that indicates the signal my aids can receive. I’m not big on movie going but may give it a try… if I like it it may be worth adding to my TV, which I am able to hear rather well with the acoustic only input.

I have a modern Window 8.1 Smartphone but I have no applications on it beside the factory ones for WiFi access to the Internet including email and phone for Texting and Voice calls (of course I can use the phone for Internet access but $$$ don’t do that).

All in all I am happy with the hearing aids and good to be reminded Costco provides a quality product from a major supplier, the difference being the name on the device and the technician doing the fitting. I have had a “medical” hearing aid test by an audiologist, so I go to a hearing aid fitter knowing I don’t have some underlying disease, just loss the the fine high frequency receptors. Had a lot of time with yard machinery and power tools, and too dumb to protect my ears. I did not kill my hearing listen to loud music/noise.

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