Hearing Aid Dryers: Cycle, Heat and Upkeep From Each Maker's Manual

How the three dryers in the table dry

The three documents describe three different designs. Dry & Store's operating instructions describe a closed box with a heater, a fan and a desiccant brick; the maker writes that the brick drives the humidity inside the box lower than a heater alone could. The same document says the unit is designed for all types of hearing instruments, implant equipment included.

Flow Med's dry-cap uv 3.1 is not a box. Its guide has you place the cap, hood down, over the charging station that already holds your rechargeable aids, and a fan runs the drying program. The guide names no heater and gives no temperature.

MG Development's datasheet for the PerfectDry Lux describes a forced-air fan with heating, a chamber held at 45 °C (113 °F) by a microprocessor, and a lid sensor that stops the cycle when the box is opened. The table above sets the three side by side, field by field, with a link to each document below.

How often to use a hearing aid dryer, and how long a cycle takes

Dry & Store's instructions are written for daily use. Its cycle lasts about 8 hours, which fits a night, and the maker adds that a period as short as 30 minutes still helps.

Flow Med's dry-cap runs its Dry&Clean program for 2 hours and then drops to stand-by. A separate Clean program lasts 2 minutes and runs the UV-C light alone, without drying. The cap has its own battery: a full charge takes about 2.5 hours, and the guide counts about 5 drying programs per charge.

MG's datasheet gives the original PerfectDry Lux two cycles: 30 minutes for normal conditions, and 60 minutes for unfavorable ones such as heavy perspiration or high room humidity. The Optimized version that followed, in the same document, runs a single 30-minute cycle.

Only Dry & Store's document speaks of daily use. Flow Med's and MG's give a cycle length but no frequency, so the rhythm is yours to set, within what your hearing aid's guide allows.

Hearing aid dryers and rechargeable hearing aids

Rechargeable aids add a second set of rules, and those come from the hearing aid's guide, not the dryer's. Phonak's US guide for the Audéo I-R says the hearing aid must be dry before charging, and that charging should happen between 41 and 104 °F (+5 to +40 °C). Oticon's instructions for the Opn miniRITE give an operating range of +1 to +40 °C, at 5% to 93% relative humidity, non-condensing.

The dryer documents state their own temperatures: 98-104 °F (37-40 °C) for Dry & Store's box when running, 45 °C (113 °F) for MG's chamber, none for Flow Med's cap. Flow Med's design leaves the aids in their charging station under the cap, and its guide says charging continues once the program ends. The same guide asks you to read the care and operating instructions of your hearing aids and charging station too.

No hearing aid guide read for this page names any of these dryers, so this page does not say which dryer suits which aid. Your aid's guide, or the professional who fitted it, is the place to check. More on charging: rechargeable hearing aids.

What the hearing aid makers say about drying

Of the three hearing aid makers whose documents we read, ReSound is the one that names a dehumidifier. Its help FAQ advises letting wet aids dry in a dehumidifier or with a drying agent, and adds that heavy moisture may call for a dehumidifier or a silica-based drying agent from your hearing care professional. For daily care, the same FAQ suggests leaving the battery door open at night so the inside can dry.

Oticon's instructions for the Opn miniRITE cover an aid that got wet: wipe off the water, take out the battery and wipe the drawer, then let the aid dry with the battery drawer open for approximately 30 minutes before putting in a new battery. Phonak's Audéo I-R guide names no dryer; for intensive cleaning, it sends you to your hearing care professional for advice on filters or drying methods.

None of these documents measures how well a dryer works, and we read no independent test for this page. Daily cleaning of the aid itself is covered on how to clean hearing aids.

Desiccant, UV-C and upkeep

Of the three dryers, only Dry & Store's uses a consumable. Its Dry-Brik II desiccant comes in the box, and the instructions say it must be replaced every two months; a card attached to each brick is there for the date it went into service. Flow Med's and MG's documents name no consumable.

UV-C is not on every unit. Dry & Store's instructions say some of its models have no UV-C lamp. MG's lamp runs for the first five minutes of the cycle. Flow Med's runs at the start and end of the drying program, and alone in the 2-minute Clean program. The makers print germ-reduction figures for these lamps; those are their own claims, not results this page reproduces, and they are not presented here as a health benefit.

Three upkeep rules come from Dry & Store's document: you may leave the batteries in, with the battery cover open so air can circulate; the box should not run in a humid room such as a bathroom; and its AC adapter is made for that unit, not to be swapped with another device's.

Warranty and price

Warranty terms belong to the hearing aid maker, not the dryer maker. Phonak's guide gives a one-year limited international warranty from Sonova, and says it does not cover damage from improper handling or care. Oticon's Opn miniRITE instructions give 12 months from the date of delivery. ReSound's FAQ says its aids come with 1 to 4 years of coverage depending on the model. None of the three mentions dryers, for or against, and local terms come from the seller, so the clinic that sold your aids has the full wording.

Our dated price readings hold no hearing aid dryer yet, so this page prints no price. Other accessories, and the codes they are billed under: hearing aid accessories.