The 5-minute rule for Hearing Aid Batteries:
Allow the battery to rest for 5 minutes after removing the sticker. This resting time will enable the air to activate the battery, which can expand its life by days.
An eighth-grader in Rochester, Minnesota, once made a money-saving discovery for hearing aid users: Waiting five minutes to put a newly activated battery in a hearing aid extended battery life by two to three days.
Ethan Manuell, who wears a hearing aid in his left ear, studies the effect of “waiting time” on battery life. To activate a new battery, the user needs to remove a sticker from the battery and allow the oxygen to mix with the zinc oxide inside the battery. Manuell ran a test to see if waiting longer before putting the battery in the device would make a difference.
He found that if the user waits 5 minutes after removing the sticker, the battery will last up to 3 days longer, which is a significant increase over the usual 2 to 7 days of battery life (depending on the model).
Manuell has won several awards, including the U.S. Naval Science Award, and was recognized for his discovery of the “Five Minute Rule.”
Safety tips · Keep batteries and hearing aids out of sight and out of reach
