(In case we didn’t convince you before…)
When finding ways to budget and save money on supplies, reusing eartips is not a clinically acceptable solution! First, they are manufactured to be single use only. The reasons for this go beyond sanitation/ contamination concerns. You can read more details about this in our previous post Why You Should Replace Eartips After Each Use.
But in case you’re still not convinced, here are some more very good reasons not to reuse eartips:
Prevent Probe Damage
Changing eartips between tests reduces the risk of debris, retained cleaning fluid, and wax build up within the ear tip. If not fully sanitized, which generally it’s nearly impossible to do, all of these substances can end up in the probe. When this happens, it can cause permanent probe damage. Not only does probe failure result in needed repairs and delayed testing. But probe damage due to cleaning fluid ingress can be detected upon inspection. For some equipment manufacturers, this could void your probe warranty.
Avoid Inadequate Seal
A fresh pair of eartips minimizes the risk of non-sealing ear tips. Cleaning fluid is generally non-visible and can take over a day to fully dry out. If used too soon, you could have cleaning fluid build-up and debris blocking your seal. Additionally, eartips degrade over time, which can make it more difficult to attain a good seal and could lead to less accurate test results.
Prevent Allergic Reactions
Allergic reactions caused by cleaning residue are rare, but possible. You can protect your patients from this by using a fresh pair of eartips.
Save Time and Maintain Reliable Results
Not only is your staff spending time cleaning eartips when they could be with patients, but they may be putting in all this work and getting less effective results. This is because eartips degrade and become less effective over time. Save time between patients by not reusing your pair of eartips. You can also be assured that your hearing test will be faster and more reliable.
Now that you’re convinced not to reuse eartips, the next question to address is:
“How can I properly budget and save money on eartips?”
Here are some tips and tricks to help you save money when purchasing supplies:
1. Try out Sanibel branded eartips
Sanibel eartips are generally priced less than competing brands and are a compatible alternative to Grason & Associates IA series eartips. If you’ve never tried Sanibel ADI mushroom eartips before, now is the time. We recommend that you go up a size from what you are used to in order to ensure optimal fit and seal to what you’ve accustomed to. View the collection HERE!
Plus, every time you order Sanibel eartips, a portion of your order will be donated to a good cause through our e3 Cares program.
2. Take advantage of mye3shop.com monthly promotions
For the month of June, you can take advantage of 10% off your order of $150 or more when you use the coupon code E3HAPPY10 on mye3shop.com.