How Dry & Store removes moisture It takes three things to effectively dry a hearing instrument: 1. heat, 2. moving air, and 3. a charged desiccant.

Heat - Weakens the surface tension of the water molecules. Surface tension is what causes moisture molecules to lock onto one another like magnets and ultimately to form droplets. Surface tension is also what binds water molecules to the inside of the hearing aid like glue. As the temperature is raised, the surface tension decreases. Caution: The heat must be gentle. Too much heat can be harmful. That’s why hair dryers and microwave ovens should never be used to dry a hearing aid.

Click here for more information about the air circulation inside Dry & Store  Moving air - Helps the moisture escape from inside the hearing aid. Once the moisture molecules are "unglued" from the hearing aid by virtue of controlled heat, they won't leave the hearing aid on their own. Moving air is the motivator to get them into the air stream where they can be circulated past the desiccant. (Imagine drying laundry on a clothesline. Laundry dries faster on a warm day than a cool one, and it dries even better and faster when there's a breeze. Same thing with removing moisture from hearing aids.) Caution: Again, the air inside Dry & Store is not "hot," and it does not blow air directly at or through the aids. Instead, it draws air down around the aids.

Desiccant - Captures the moisture so it won't re-settle in or on the hearing aid. A desiccant is a substance that has a high affinity for water and is used to absorb moisture. In a process known as "diffusion," moisture will move from wet areas to dry areas. Aided by the continuous flow of warm air inside Dry & Store, moisture will move from the hearing aid to the dry air outside of the aid. The desiccant is positioned in the midst of the air flow, so it can permanently remove the moisture from the air. Caution: Dry & Store should never be operated without a desiccant. If it weren't for the desiccant, the moisture released during conditioning would simply re-settle on and in the hearing aid.

Click here for more information about the germicidal lamp including dosage requirements for specific bacteria and mold spores.  How Dry & Store kills germs A germicidal ultraviolet lamp operates during the first few minutes of the conditioning cycle. The lamp used in Dry & Store is a 4-watt germicidal ultraviolet lamp, not a standard fluorescent lamp, sun lamp, or heat lamp. The UV-C primary radiation generated by the lamp consists almost exclusively of a spectral line at 254 nm, which is close to the wavelength of 255 nm that yields maximum germicidal effect. To the user, this means less itching and irritation, and fewer recurring infections of the external ear canal. Note: The only function of the UV lamp is to kill germs; it does not heat the unit. The unit is heated by other mechanisms that precisely control the heat.