Tips for Cleaning Your Ears Safely

Earwax, or cerumen, is a self-cleaning agent your body produces. It collects dirt, bacteria, and other debris. Usually, the wax works its way out of the ears naturally through chewing and other jaw motions.

Earwax Removal 101: The Best (and Safest) Ways to Clear Clogged Ears

Trouble hearing? Or did you push that cotton swab a little too deep this time? A clogged ear from earwax buildup is at best annoying and at worst a prelude to hearing loss.

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But earwax, also known as cerumen, is not only normal, it’s necessary.

“People think that earwax is dirty and needs to be cleaned, but earwax has both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties,” says ear, nose and throat specialist Anh Nguyen-Huynh, MD. “It also protects ears from things that could hurt the eardrum, such as dust, hair or small insects.”

Factors that can affect your amount of earwax include previous ear surgery or trauma, recurrent ear infections, or wearing hearing aids or deep earplugs.

How to remove earwax safely

So how can you best handle earwax woes?

“Sometimes, trying to clean them causes more problems than it’s worth,” says Dr. Nguyen-Huynh. “Ears are like self-cleaning ovens. When the outer layer of skin in the ear canal sheds, the wax will fall out with it.”

If earwax is becoming a nuisance, Dr. Nguyen-Huynh recommends several easy ear cleaning methods:

Over-the-counter ear cleaning drops

If you have a small amount of wax, over-the-counter ear cleaners work well. Look for drops that contain hydrogen peroxide or other kinds of peroxide. The peroxide does a good job of breaking up earwax.

Here’s how to use ear cleaning drops:

1. Lay sideways: Make sure the ear you’re cleaning faces up and add the drops as directed.
2. Let it sit: Allow the cleaning solution to sit in your ear for around five minutes. This lets the liquid soak in and soften things up.
3. Grab a tissue: When you sit up, the liquid should come out along with the earwax that broke loose. Have a tissue ready to catch it all.

Ear cleaning drops may not work if you have too much earwax or a condition called impacted cerumen (when there’s a firm wax plug blocking your ear canal).

“When it’s a plug, putting peroxide in your ear may make things worse because you’re softening the plug but not dissolving or removing it,” Dr. Nguyen-Huynh says. “Then the softened plug becomes like a wall of mud that can plug your ear even more.”

A bulb syringe

If ear cleaning drops don’t work, the ears might need flushing with a bulb syringe, which are available at drug stores or grocery stores. You’ll want to fill the syringe with warm water, place it near your ear opening, and carefully squeeze the bulb. The warm water will flood your ear and break up the wax. Turn your head to the side over a sink or bathtub to let the water (and, ideally, wax) flow out.

However, there are a few caveats:

• Be gentle: Flush your ear gently to avoid harming your eardrum.
• Watch the temperature: The water should not be too cold or too hot. If it is either, the temperature difference could make you dizzy.
• Avoid if necessary: Don’t use the flushing method if you have a hole in your eardrum or if you’ve ever had eardrum surgery. Flushing may damage your eardrum repair.

If you are not comfortable flushing your own ears, says Dr. Nguyen-Huynh, you might want to check with your primary care provider’s office to see if there is a nurse who can do it for you.

Mineral or olive oil

Anecdotally, Dr. Nguyen-Huynh says people who put olive oil in an ear before getting a cleaning seem to get wax out more easily. “It lubricates the ear canal,” he explains. “But I’m not sure it’s any better than what we usually recommend, which is mineral oil.”

Earwax removal methods to avoid

All earwax removal hacks are not created equal. Dr. Nguyen-Huynh recommends steering clear of these two remedies:

Cotton swabs

A manufacturer’s warning on the package says it all: Do not insert swab into the ear canal. Dr. Nguyen-Huynh explains: “A cotton swab acts like a ramrod in an old-style cannon. The tip pushes the earwax in deeper, so the more you use it, the more earwax you push in. Plus, you may rupture your eardrum if you push too far. Or if you scratch your ear canal, it can get infected because now dirt and bacteria can penetrate under your skin.”

Earwax removal candles

Dr. Nguyen-Huynh says you should doubly stay away from this method: These candles don’t work, and they may burn you.

Why and when you should clean out earwax

While earwax is generally more annoying than dangerous, sometimes you need a doctor to clear it. Dr. Nguyen-Huynh says it’s smart to seek medical evaluation if home remedies don’t work, your ear hurts or you have trouble hearing.

“Someone needs to look in and see if the ear canal is open or if the wax is plugging it up,” he says.

Symptoms of a clogged ear include:

• Pain
• Your hearing becomes muffled
• A feeling like your ear has something blocking it
• Dizziness
• Tinnitus

If the situation is minor, you may be able to get your ears unblocked right then and there. If not, a doctor can use operating microscopes to magnify inside the ear canal, loosen the wax and vacuum it out.

And a clogged ear may have other causes. “It could be a middle ear infection with fluid filling up the space behind the eardrum,” Dr. Nguyen-Huynh cautions. “Or you could have a viral infection that affects the inner ear. In those cases, a doctor can diagnose and treat you to prevent permanent hearing loss.”

But like most things in life, it’s all about balance — too much wax can block your ears and cause temporary hearing loss or infections. “A small number of people will need cleaning if they produce too much wax that jams up the ear, especially if they have a smaller-than-average ear canal,” Dr. Nguyen-Huynh explains.

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Tips for Cleaning Your Ears Safely

You can clean your ears at home with a damp washcloth or over-the-counter drops. If your ears are impacted, a doctor can remove wax buildup.

Do your ears feel blocked up? Excess wax can accumulate sometimes and make hearing difficult.

At the same time, you’ve probably read that using cotton swabs isn’t a safe way to remove the wax. Here are some tips on how to safely clean your ears, what not to do, and when you should contact a doctor.

Earwax, or cerumen, is a self-cleaning agent your body produces. It collects dirt, bacteria, and other debris. Usually, the wax works its way out of the ears naturally through chewing and other jaw motions.

Many people never need to clean their ears. Sometimes, though, wax can build up and affect your hearing. When earwax reaches this level, it’s called impaction.

If you have impaction, you may experience symptoms like:

• aching in the affected ear
• fullness or ringing in the ear
• impaired hearing in the affected ear
• an odor coming from the affected ear
• dizziness
• a cough

You may be more likely to develop excess wax if you use hearing aids or earplugs. Older adults and people with developmental disabilities are also at higher risk. Your ear canal’s shape may make the natural removal of wax difficult.

The safest way to remove wax buildup from your ears is to visit a doctor. At your appointment, your doctor can use special instruments, like a cerumen spoon, forceps, or suction device, to clear the blockage. Many offices also offer professional irrigation.

If you choose to try to remove wax at home, the following are the safest methods to try on your own:

Damp cloth

Cotton swabs may push wax deeper into the ear canal. Use cotton swabs only on the outside of your ear or, better yet, try wiping the area with a warm, damp washcloth.

Over-the-counter ear cleaning drops

Many pharmacies sell over-the-counter (OTC) eardrops that soften wax. These drops are typically a solution. They may contain:

• mineral oil
• baby oil
• glycerin
• peroxide
• hydrogen peroxide
• saline

Place the specified number of drops into your ear, wait a certain amount of time, and then drain or rinse out your ear. Always follow the instructions on the package. Contact a doctor if your symptoms continue after treatment.

Bulb syringe

You may also choose to irrigate your ears using a syringe. In this process, you’ll gently rinse out the ear canal using water or a saline solution. This method is often more effective if you first use some type of wax softener 15 to 30 minutes before irrigating.

It’s best to warm the solution to your body temperature to avoid dizziness.

Safe ways to remove earwax

1. Ask your doctor to remove the wax in their office.
2. Clean the outside of your ear with a damp cloth.
3. If you choose to use cotton swabs, don’t insert them into the ear canal.
4. You can use earwax softener to soften earwax for easier removal.
5. You can use a syringe to irrigate your ears.

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Some earwax is completely normal and good to have in your ear canals. That said, if it builds up and starts causing symptoms, like muffled hearing or dizziness, it’s important you clean it out.

When earwax builds and gets impacted, you may develop ear infection. Additionally, if you’re experiencing symptoms of impaction, you want to be sure it’s just wax and not something (like fluid or hearing loss) that requires more medical attention.

You don’t want to clean your ears too often. Doing so may irritate your ear canal or even lead to more impaction if done incorrectly.

Experts share that people may not need to clean their ears unless they develop issues like blockages regularly. Instead, your ears clean themselves on their own.

If you don’t deal with buildup, wash only the outer part of your ears by wiping them with a wet washcloth. Washing the outer ear should clean away any wax that has moved out of the ear canal on its own.

If you experience symptoms of wax buildup, you might consider using an OTC kit to clean wax from your ears. Follow the package directions and be sure to contact a doctor for further guidance.

A doctor can also tell you whether you should have your ears cleaned professionally or do it on your own. Some people, like those with holes in their eardrums or tubes, should not clean their ears at home using OTC kits or other home methods.

Many people don’t need to clean their ears routinely. The wax should take care of itself. If you’re using small items, like bobby pins, cotton swabs, or napkin corners, you may push the wax deep into the ear canal. Once wax builds up, it can become impacted.

The rule you’ll hear from most doctors is to not put anything smaller than your elbow inside of your ear. In other words, don’t use sharp objects, cotton swabs, or anything else that could potentially injure your eardrum and permanently damage your hearing.

You shouldn’t attempt to irrigate your ears if:

• you have diabetes
• you have a compromised immune system
• you may have a hole in your eardrum
• you have tubes in the affected ear

Ear candles are another option you should avoid. The long, cone-shaped candles are inserted into the ear canal and then lit on fire to draw wax upward with suction. The fire can injure you, or you can accidentally get wax from the candle inside of your ear.

If you develop a blockage and don’t treat it, your symptoms can get worse. You may develop further ear irritation and even hearing loss. The wax may also accumulate to such a level that it may become difficult for your doctor to see inside of your ear and diagnose other issues.

The symptoms of earwax blockage include:

• feelings of fullness in the ear
• reduced or muffled hearing
• an earache

They may also signal another medical problem, like an infection. A doctor can look inside of your ears to determine whether your symptoms stem from wax buildup or something else.

The signs of ear infection in adults include:

• pain in the middle ear
• fluid drainage
• impaired hearing

Ear infection symptoms typically develop rapidly. If you notice pain and drainage from your ears, don’t try to treat it on your own. Make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible to get a proper diagnosis and, if necessary, medication.

If you experience earwax impaction more than once per year or have certain risk factors, tell the doctor. You may want to schedule routine professional cleanings every 6 to 12 months.

Earwax may seem dirty to you, but it’s actually a natural cleanser for your ears. Wax generally moves from the inside of your ear canal to the outer part of your ear. Along its journey, it picks up dead skin cells, dirt, and even hair.

Tests show that wax may boast antibacterial and antifungal qualities that aid even more with this cleanup act.

Beyond keeping your ears clean, follow these tips to protect them and ensure good hearing for years to come:

• Don’t insert small objects into your ears. You shouldn’t put anything smaller than your elbow inside of your ear canal because it can cause injury to your eardrum or wax impaction.
• Limit your exposure to loud noises. Wear protective headgear or earplugs when the noise gets too loud.
• Take periodic breaks from using your headphones, and keep the volume low enough that no one else can hear your music. Don’t raise the volume in your car’s sound system up too high.
• Dry out your ears after swimming to prevent swimmer’s ear. Use a cloth to wipe the outside of the ear, and tilt your head to help remove any additional water.
• Pay attention to any hearing changes that occur with the use of certain medications. If you notice changes, balance issues, or ringing in your ears, contact a doctor.
• See a doctor as soon as possible if you notice sudden pain, a loss of hearing, or if you have an ear injury.

Last medically reviewed on February 28, 2022

How we reviewed this article:

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