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Ear molds have an odor — how to clean?

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I’ve got dry ear wax and have mini RTE hearing aids. Last year I switched to small molds that got into my canal.

The molds have developed a smell from my ear wax. As gross as this sounds, it’s a little pungent when I take them out so worried about it.

I’ve used a non alcohol cleaner on them but hasn’t helped. Any suggestions?

Is this something I go to my audiologist to clean? Or is this expected and I should periodically get them remade?

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@bobbydigital16: Do you use a brush to physically scrub any detritus out of the vent hole? Are these silicone or acrylic moulds, BTW? Do you have an infection that could be causing the poignant odour?

Edited

I put them on my oticon charger which is open. See attached photo.

image

So no, they aren’t in a dehumidifier every night. I live in Seattle and it’s not particular hot and humid (just rainy) but it’s not like I’m sweating like crazy day to day.

I do clean them including brushing them, and in the vent.

They are an acrylic mold as far as I know.

I do not have an infection.

I think this is just the smell of my ear wax actually I have just never noticed it before.

Anyone have recommended wipes and how to handle dehumification for rechargeables? I found this on a google search but I hate extra devices and contraptions. Seems so large.

https://amzn.to/3QI2rGe11

Update: I found on oticon’s site10 they recommend this PerfectDry Lux product which seems promising as it’s only a 45 min cycle:

https://amzn.to/3QCDTy232

My ex-brother-in-law could clear the people out of a large living room if he took off his shoes when he got home from work. Doctor said it was just a harmless bacterium related to the kinds used in cheese-making.

Perhaps this is all that’s happening with you… Some sort of drops that will change the pH in your ear canals might help (Burow’s solution).

[Maybe that’s where the insult “cheesehead” originated?]

My Audi just gave mee some cleaning tabs you put in water and soak the ear molds in. They are from Sonava. She recommended them for cleaning off wax stains from the molds. I don’t remember what they are called, I will check tomorrow and update.

Jim

The humidity that causes problems to aids are found naturally in your ear. It’s a warm dark moist area the aids are in. Not the humidity of where you live. Although that can be an additional factor. Like if you live in the Amazon rainforest. Remember, your body is 60% water

Edited

In reply to @bobbydigital16

@bobbydigital16: I don’t think those receivers can be removed, however I think if you take a toothbrush and some water with a drop or two of Dawn dish soap to the embossing, you’ll solve your problem. Those fissures are an ideal breeding site for ear cheese fermentotics to multiply in and ripen.

image

[Coming to an audiologist near you: Phrie or perhaps Camemberticon hearing aids?]

I use hearing aid wipes called ‘audinell’ to clean hearing aids and earwax. I got it thru Amazon.

Edited

Why do sweaty feet smell of cheese?

Foot cheese: not tasty on a cracker

Wipe the molds off with a barely damp cloth with a atrongly acidic solution like pickling vinegar. DO NOT saturate anything!

Dry the moulds. Wipe with a barely damp cloth moistened with a strongly basic solution, like baking soda solution. Do not saturate anything Dry off immediately with a clean, soft cloth. Put the molds into your dryer.

The pH shock should safely kill off any cheesies, until next time.

Sorry - I thought this topic had come up active again. The info is still valid, however, so I’ll leave my post where it is.

Expect to have soft molds remade every 1-2 years. Do people go longer? All the time. How well the mold holds up over time varies from person to person.

I know this is an old thread, but I am in this boat at the minute and both general nurse and pharmacist said that earwax do smell.
I tend to disagree, to certain extent.

I do have one ear with earwax that smells awful but the other doesn’t smell that bad if at all, this preventing me from using my .
So not sure if people here had the same experience and what was their remedy?

I read that if the earwax smells a lot, then there must be something wrong with the ear, either fungus or bacteria or else.
This is my assumption, not sure if people here agree/disagree or had any similar experience.

Thx

Sorry for opening the topic again. :pray:t3:

@Baltazard

What ear moulds do you have?

I found with hard acrylic and soft acrylic, my left ear resulted in a smell but the right side didn’t. I also got a yellow liquid the longer I wore the left ear mould.

I tried acrylic as wanted ear moulds that lasted longer but my left ear was never happy. Not sure why my right was fine.

Now I use silicone only, no issue at all.

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