Moisture and earwax account for approximately 60 percent of all hearing aid repairs, according to data compiled by the Hearing Industries Association. The right hearing aid accessories can prevent most of that damage before it starts. Yet many hearing aid users are never fully briefed on what to buy, how each tool works, or which items matter most for their specific device and lifestyle. This guide covers every major category of hearing aid accessories available in Australia, explains what each one does, and helps you decide which ones deserve a place in your daily routine.
Why Hearing Aid Accessories Matter
Hearing aids are sophisticated electronic devices that sit inside or behind your ear for 12 to 16 hours every day. They collect perspiration, skin oils, dust, and cerumen (earwax) continuously. Without regular maintenance aided by the correct tools, performance degrades gradually. Sound becomes muffled. Battery life shortens. Internal components corrode. Eventually the device fails entirely and requires professional hearing aid repairs that could have been avoided.
Accessories also expand what your hearing aids can do. A TV streamer, a remote microphone, or a Bluetooth connection to your phone transforms hearing aids from simple amplifiers into a full audio system. The gap between bare hearing aids and a well-equipped setup is substantial, and most users who invest in key accessories report higher satisfaction and more consistent daily use.
Hearing Aid Dehumidifiers and Drying Stations
A hearing aid dehumidifier is the single most important accessory for protecting your devices from the leading cause of component failure. Moisture enters hearing aids through perspiration, high humidity, rain, and the natural moisture present in your ear canal. Once inside, it corrodes microphone membranes, degrades receiver coils, and short-circuits the amplifier. In Australian climates, where summer humidity in cities like Melbourne regularly exceeds 60 percent, nightly drying is essential.
Electronic Drying Stations
Electronic dehumidifiers use gentle heat and a small fan to circulate air around the hearing aids, drawing trapped moisture out of microphone ports, receiver tubes, and battery compartments over a six to eight hour cycle. Most units operate on a timer and shut off automatically. You place your hearing aids inside before bed and retrieve them dry and ready to wear in the morning. Some models also include a UV-C light cycle that kills bacteria on the device surface, which reduces ear infections caused by contaminated hearing aids.
Electronic drying stations accommodate all hearing aid styles, from behind-the-ear to completely-in-canal models. They require a power outlet near your bedside. Rechargeable hearing aid users should verify whether their charging dock includes a built-in drying function. Many modern docks combine charging and dehumidification in one unit, eliminating the need for a separate dehumidifier.
Desiccant-Based Drying Containers
Desiccant drying containers use moisture-absorbing beads or capsules instead of electricity. You place the hearing aids inside the sealed container along with the desiccant packet, and the beads pull moisture from the devices overnight. These containers are compact, require no power, and are useful for travel. The desiccant capsules wear out over time and need replacement every four to six weeks depending on the humidity level where you live. While less thorough than electronic stations, desiccant containers still provide meaningful protection for users who do not want another device plugged in at the bedside.
Hearing Aid Cleaning Kits
A hearing aid cleaning kit provides the specialised tools required to remove wax, debris, and oils from the parts of your hearing aid that daily wear affects most. General-purpose cleaning products are not suitable. The microphone ports and receiver openings on a hearing aid are measured in fractions of a millimetre. The wrong tool can puncture a wax guard, bend a receiver wire, or push debris deeper into the sound channel.
What a Proper Cleaning Kit Contains
A complete hearing aid cleaning kit should include a wax pick or wire loop for clearing the receiver tip and earmould opening, a soft-bristle brush for sweeping debris from microphone ports and the device casing, a bulb blower for forcing air through tubing and vents, and replacement wax guards sized for your specific hearing aid model. Some kits also include a magnetic battery insertion tool for users who struggle with handling small zinc-air cells.
The wax pick is the tool you will use most. Every evening, inspect the receiver tip or earmould opening and use the pick to dislodge any visible wax. The brush sweeps across the microphone covers on the faceplate. Replace wax guards every two to four weeks, or sooner if sound quality drops. These guards are the primary barrier between earwax and the delicate receiver inside your hearing aid. When the guard clogs, wax migrates past it and blocks the sound channel, causing muffling and eventually receiver failure.
Building a Daily Cleaning Habit
Consistency matters more than thoroughness. A 30-second cleaning routine every evening prevents the vast majority of wax-related problems. Keep your cleaning kit on your bedside table or next to where you store your hearing aids. Link the routine to an existing habit, such as brushing your teeth. Over weeks and months, this small daily effort prevents the buildup that causes devices to fail prematurely.
Replacement Parts and Consumables
Beyond cleaning tools, several hearing aid components wear out through normal use and need periodic replacement. Keeping spares on hand prevents interruptions to your hearing.
Wax Guards and Filters
Wax guards are small disposable filters that sit inside the receiver tip of receiver-in-canal and in-the-ear hearing aids. They trap cerumen before it reaches the speaker. Most manufacturers use a proprietary guard design, so replacements must match your brand and model. A pack typically contains six to eight guards and lasts three to six months depending on your wax production. Replace them on a fixed schedule rather than waiting for sound to degrade.
Domes and Earmoulds
Receiver-in-canal hearing aids use silicone domes that slide onto the receiver tip. These domes lose their shape and elasticity over time. A loose dome allows sound to leak out, causing feedback whistling, while a cracked dome collects debris. Replace domes every two to three months. Custom earmoulds used with behind-the-ear hearing aids last longer but should be inspected for cracks, discolouration, and fit changes during every professional check-up.
Tubing
Behind-the-ear hearing aids with traditional tubing (not thin wires) require tubing replacement every three to six months. Tubing hardens, yellows, and cracks with exposure to oils and moisture. Stiff tubing alters the acoustic pathway and can cause whistling. Your audiologist can show you how to replace tubing at home, or handle it during a scheduled service visit.
Hearing Aid Remote Controls
A hearing aid remote gives you an alternative way to adjust volume, switch between listening programmes, and control streaming without touching the tiny buttons on the devices themselves. For users with limited finger dexterity, tremors, or arthritis, a remote is not a convenience but a necessity. Even for those with full hand mobility, a remote provides more precise control than fumbling with a device sitting behind your ear.
Dedicated Remotes vs Smartphone Apps
Most major manufacturers now offer a smartphone app that replicates remote control functions. These apps let you adjust volume, change programmes, check battery status, and in some cases access an equaliser to fine-tune bass and treble. A dedicated physical remote, however, has advantages. It works without requiring you to unlock your phone, open an app, and navigate to the correct screen. It provides tactile feedback through actual buttons. It does not depend on a Bluetooth connection that can drop or lag. Many users keep a physical remote on their bedside table for quick night-time adjustments and rely on the phone app during the day.
Some manufacturer remotes also include a mute function, a dedicated TV streaming button, and a one-touch programme toggle that cycles through your saved settings. These shortcut functions are faster than navigating through an app interface.
TV Streamers and Audio Transmitters
Television listening is one of the most common situations where hearing aid users notice difficulty. Room acoustics, distance from the speakers, and competing background noise all conspire to make dialogue hard to follow. A TV streamer solves this problem by transmitting the television audio directly to your hearing aids.
A TV streamer is a small box that connects to your television through an optical audio cable, a 3.5mm headphone jack, or an HDMI adapter. It pairs wirelessly with your hearing aids using Bluetooth or a proprietary radio protocol. Once connected, the TV audio streams to both ears simultaneously, processed through your personal amplification settings. You control the streaming volume independently through your hearing aid app or remote, so you can set a level that works for you while others in the room listen through the TV speakers at their preferred volume.
Latency is the critical specification. If the audio arrives even slightly after the lip movements on screen, the mismatch is distracting and fatiguing. Modern TV streamers from major manufacturers introduce less than 20 milliseconds of latency, which is imperceptible. Generic Bluetooth transmitters often have higher latency and are not optimised for hearing aid protocols, so manufacturer-specific streamers deliver a noticeably better experience.
Remote Microphones
A remote microphone is a small wireless microphone that a companion wears clipped to their clothing or that you place on a table in front of a speaker. It transmits speech directly to your hearing aids, bypassing the distance, reverberation, and background noise that degrade speech clarity in challenging environments.
One-to-One Conversations in Noise
In a busy restaurant, the microphone on your hearing aid picks up every sound in the room: clattering plates, background music, conversations at adjacent tables. A remote microphone worn by your dining companion captures their voice at the source, before it mixes with the room noise. The signal-to-noise ratio improvement is dramatic. Research published in the journal Ear and Hearing found that remote microphones improve speech understanding in noise by 15 to 25 percentage points compared to hearing aids alone.
Group Settings and Meetings
Some remote microphones have a table mode that activates multiple internal microphone elements to pick up voices from several directions. Placed flat on a conference table or dining surface, the device captures input from everyone seated around it. This is useful for small meetings, family dinners, and card games where you need to follow multiple speakers.
Compatibility and Pairing
Remote microphones pair with your specific hearing aid platform. Phonak, Oticon, ReSound, and Signia each produce their own microphone accessories designed to work with their hearing aids. Your audiologist handles the initial pairing and configures the streaming programme so the microphone input blends naturally with the ambient sound picked up by your hearing aid microphones.
Phone and Music Streaming Devices
Users with Bluetooth hearing aids can stream phone calls, music, and podcasts directly from their smartphone to their hearing aids. For users whose hearing aids do not support direct Bluetooth streaming, a phone clip or streamer bridges the gap. This small device clips to your clothing and connects to your phone via Bluetooth while maintaining a wireless link to your hearing aids through a proprietary protocol.
The phone clip also functions as a hands-free microphone for phone calls. When someone calls, you speak into the clip rather than holding the phone to your mouth. The caller's voice streams to both hearing aids simultaneously, delivering binaural speech that is significantly clearer than holding a phone to one ear.
Charging Accessories for Rechargeable Hearing Aids
If you wear rechargeable hearing aids, the charging dock is the accessory you interact with most often. Several supplementary charging products can improve convenience and reliability.
Portable Charging Cases
Some manufacturers offer a portable charging case that holds multiple full charges without needing to be plugged in. You place your hearing aids in the case overnight, and the internal battery recharges them. The case itself is recharged from a wall outlet or USB port during the day. This is useful for overnight travel, camping, or any situation where a wall outlet is not available at bedtime.
Car Chargers and USB Adapters
Most hearing aid charging docks draw power through a standard USB cable. This means they can be powered by a laptop USB port, a portable battery pack, or a car USB adapter. Keeping a USB cable and adapter in your car gives you a backup charging option if you forget to charge at home.
Batteries and Power Supplies
For hearing aid users who wear disposable battery models, a reliable supply of the correct zinc-air battery size is an ongoing necessity. Buying in bulk from a reputable supplier ensures you always have fresh cells available and reduces the risk of purchasing counterfeit or expired batteries, which are a known issue in the unregulated online battery market.
Store batteries at room temperature in a dry location. Check the expiry date printed on the packaging. Zinc-air batteries with intact tabs retain full capacity for up to four years from the date of manufacture. Once the tab is removed, the battery activates and begins draining whether it is inserted in a hearing aid or not.
Storage Cases and Protection
A dedicated hearing aid storage case protects your devices from physical damage, dust, and pet interference when you are not wearing them. Dogs are attracted to the scent of earwax on hearing aids and can destroy a device in minutes. A hard-shell case with a secure clasp prevents this. Look for a case with a soft interior lining that will not scratch the hearing aid casing, and one small enough to fit in a pocket or handbag for use away from home.
If you spend time in environments with heavy rain, dust, or wind, consider a protective sleeve or cover designed for your hearing aid style. These accessories add a physical barrier over the microphone ports without blocking sound entry. They are particularly useful for outdoor workers, cyclists, and gardeners.
Choosing the Right Accessories for Your Needs
Not every accessory is necessary for every user. The essentials that benefit virtually all hearing aid wearers are a drying solution, a cleaning kit, and a supply of replacement wax guards. Beyond these basics, let your lifestyle guide your choices. If you watch television daily, a TV streamer will make a noticeable difference. If you frequent restaurants or attend meetings, a remote microphone is worth the investment. If you have arthritis or limited hand mobility, a dedicated remote control is essential rather than optional.
Your audiologist can advise on which accessories are compatible with your specific hearing aids and help with initial setup and pairing. Many accessories require professional configuration to integrate properly with your hearing aid programmes. Residents across Melbourne can access accessory fittings and guidance at SoundClear clinics, where our audiologists stock genuine manufacturer accessories for all major hearing aid brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What accessories do hearing aid users need most?
The most essential hearing aid accessories are a dehumidifier or drying station for overnight moisture protection, a cleaning kit with wax picks and brushes, replacement wax guards, and a storage case. Users who stream audio frequently may also benefit from a TV streamer, remote microphone, or a hearing aid remote control.
Do I need a dehumidifier for my hearing aids?
Yes, a hearing aid dehumidifier is strongly recommended. Moisture from sweat, humidity, and condensation is one of the leading causes of hearing aid damage, contributing to roughly 60 percent of all repairs. An electronic drying station used each night removes trapped moisture and extends device lifespan significantly.
Can I use any cleaning kit for my hearing aids?
No, hearing aids require specialised cleaning tools. A proper hearing aid cleaning kit includes a wax pick or wire loop, a soft-bristle brush, a bulb blower for tubing, and replacement wax guards. General-purpose cleaning supplies can damage microphone ports, receiver openings, or the device casing.
How do TV streamers work with hearing aids?
A TV streamer is a small transmitter that connects to your television's audio output and sends sound directly to your hearing aids via Bluetooth or a proprietary wireless protocol. This lets you set your own listening volume independently from the TV speakers, so others in the room can watch at a different level.
Where can I buy hearing aid accessories in Australia?
Hearing aid accessories are available from audiology clinics, hearing aid manufacturers, and authorised online retailers in Australia. Purchasing through your audiologist ensures compatibility with your specific hearing aid model and access to warranty support.
Works Cited
Hearing Industries Association. "HIA Statistical Report: Hearing Aid Market and Repair Data." HIA, 2024, hearing.org.
Thoren, Esprit, et al. "Remote Microphone Technology and Speech-in-Noise Performance in Hearing Aid Users." Ear and Hearing, vol. 42, no. 4, 2021, pp. 912-922.
Dillon, Harvey. Hearing Aids. 2nd ed., Thieme Medical Publishers, 2022.
Kochkin, Sergei. "MarkeTrak X: Hearing Aid Repair and Maintenance Trends." Hearing Review, vol. 28, no. 3, 2022, pp. 12-28.
Bentler, Ruth A., and Duane P. Niebuhr. "A Comparison of Hearing Aid Repair Rates by Style and Technology." Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, vol. 33, no. 5, 2022, pp. 298-306.