Caring for your ear mould

Who is this leaflet for?

This leaflet is for hearing aid users. It aims to advise on cleaning
and re-tubing ear moulds.

Retubing your ear mould

When / why

Your ear mould comes with a tube in place which connects the
ear mould to the hearing aid. This tube requires replacing every
four to six months as it hardens and discolours, reducing the
quality of the sound travelling through it. The tube can also
become blocked with wax or dry skin, replacing the tube may be
the only way to completely clear this.
Tubes can be replaced by the Audiology Department repairs
service and at local hearing help sessions (see the leaflet ‘Local
Hearing Help Sessions’). However, you may wish to re-tube the
ear moulds yourself.
Re-tubing your own ear moulds saves the time and expense of
attending a hospital repair session or going to a local hearing
help session.
Instructions for re-tubing your ear mould
Ask Audiology or Cambridgeshire Hearing Help for some
tubes. Using a pair of scissors taper the edge of one end of
the new tube. Do not cut too close to the bend.

1. Pull the ear mould off your hearing aid, then pull the old tubing out of the ear mould. It may help to use a pair of pliers.
2. Thread the new tube into your ear mould from the outside. Tubing threaders can be purchased to help with this; see reference section for details.
3. Pull the tubing through the ear mould so that the remaining tubing is facing upwards at approximately a 90 degree angle.
4. Using a razor blade or pair of scissors carefully cut the tapered end of the tube so that it is flush with the end of the ear mould.