Airtight waterproof hearing aid dryer (or, really, for any other small items)

My young son uses hearing aids, and has since he was a baby. We learned early on that moisture is the worst thing for the aids -- if they get too damp because of sweat or splashing water, they'll simply stop working. And then, if you don't have backups, you're out of luck!

We like to swim at the beach in the summer, and the YMCA pool in the cooler weather. But what to do with his hearing aids when he wants to go in the water? Just toss them into the bottom of a purse (eek! no way!)? And when he gets sweaty from running around at camp, what do you do if the aids short out? Also, when we travel, my guy needs a place to keep his hearing aids overnight -- a place that will make them dry and fresh for the next day.

There are commercial drying kits that cost a lot -- up to a couple hundred dollars! But I figured there had to be a more affordable solution, so here's what I came up with. This drying pouch with desiccant is not very expensive at all to make, and it works great to keep hearing aids safe and dry. You can also use it for watches, cell phones, or anything else that you also want to stay safe and dry. Plus, it's a heck of a lot more attractive than just a plastic bag, and it keeps your (potentially expensive) items out of sight of prying eyes.

What you'll need (sources for these items are linked in later steps):

plastic zipper lock baggie
two pieces of fabric a bit bigger than your baggie
half-inch double-fold bias tape
thread
desiccant packs
iron
sewing machine
scissors or a rotary cutter

(Also, this item is listed for sale on Etsy, for eight dollars.)

Step 1 Get a zipper-lock baggie

This is a 4" x 6" heavy-duty plastic zipper baggie. (The plastic's weight is six millimeters, which is a bit heavier than a freezer baggie.) I got a pile of the bags from Royal Bag. You could probably use a small freezer baggie, too, if that's what you've got. (Nickel added for scale.)

Comments

[student133]

Try uncooked white rice in a sealable zip lock bag or plastic container. Works well!

[peepla]

my hearing aid is currently doing the distored buzz thing. I couldnt figure out when it got wet cuz I take it off when it rains and when i shower, didnt realize sweat could cause the problem...learned something there. desiccant packs...found in any box of new shoes...its that little white pack that says 'do not eat'. with my old car we used to save them cuz the head lights would cloud over every time it rained and that was a quick way to dry them out. then i got tired of ALL the issues that car had adn bought a new one, but we still have a shoe box full of those packs, now i know what to do with them. thanks.

[AznPanda]

NiCe :O

[superwater]

That is awesome! Though not free, there is a thing similar to this one called a dri-keep at www.drikeep.com. I was looking at it before i found this one! w00t! Well done Instruct-o! I am totally making this!

[medicationreqd]

i wear hearing aids also and i use an altoids tin with some fabric and dessicant, only i use the type of dessicant that can be redryed and reused.

[kimchal]

Hooray for medical devices! - I could make this for my insulin pump when I'm swimming....great idea!

[AlisonEtsy]

Great idea. Nice visuals!

[briwei]

Simple, elegant, and a ingenious! The instructions are clear and concise and the end product has a wide array of uses beyond the suggested. I want one! ;-)

[kerri9494]

Well, then go to Etsy and buy one! :-)

[camiller]

Nice. My sons hearing aids cam with a red vinyl pouch and little tin of desiccant for this purpose bu if it ever gets lost or damaged this would be handy.

[cp21]

Very nicely done! Instructions are done so anyone can understand exactly what to do!