Put down the Q-Tips: You've been cleaning your ears all wrong !!

There is the correct and incorrect way to clean ears and dissolve ear wax.
Most of us settle for the most convenient way to clean our ears. Using q-tips is the number one choice for adults and even children.

But if you have any willpower, wean yourself off cotton swabs. They do much more harm than good, and excessive ear cleaning will almost certainly land you in the doctor's office, says Leon Chen, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat doctor at Manhattan's ENT and Allergy Associates.

Earwax is one of those annoying facts of life, and for many of us, Q-tips are a satisfying way to get the gunk out.

Earwax also holds antibiotic and antifugal properties, and too much cleaning can lead to ear and skin complications down the road, from ear infections to eczema in the outer ear, says Dale Tylor, M.D., a pediatric and general otolaryngologist at Washington Township Medical Foundation in Fremont, CA. Even more concerning, she adds it's pretty common to see patients who’ve poked a hole through their eardrum after using cotton swabs.

Your ears can become clogged when too much earwax (cerumen) accumulates inside them. While it's an important part of your body's natural defense system for keeping dirt, bacteria and other things out of your ears, too much earwax can decrease your hearing ability.

But we’re not exactly known for our willpower. So if you really, truly can’t cut it cold turkey, limit your cleaning to three times per month, Tylor says. To avoid any Horvath-like mishaps, only clean after a shower since the heat causes the wax to melt. Line up a fingernail at the point where the cotton meets the Q-tip stick—this will be your safeguard to make sure you don't go too deep. Gently wipe inside your ear, and try not to obsess over whether there’s any earwax left.

To avoid the scenario altogether, she advises people ditch Q-tips and go for an oil and hydrogen peroxide routine instead. Once a week before bedtime, fill an eyedropper with olive, mineral, or baby oil. Put up to three drops inside each ear, and massage the triangle of cartilage that covers your ear to coat your ear canal. Follow up with a cotton ball to keep the oil off your pillowcase. The next day when you're in the shower, place hydrogen peroxide on your hand and rub it into your ear. The peroxide will bubble out, taking the softened wax with it and leaving you wax- and worry-free.


For effective ear cleaning at home, all you need is a syringe or bulb of some kind (available at any pharmacy) and a special solution with which to rinse out the ears. You can purchase a carbamide peroxide solution at the drug store, or mix your own solution using equal measures of 3 to 4 percent, mineral oil and glycerin.

To make use of the solution, gently squeeze the solution into the ear with the syringe or bulb. It often works best to lay down on your side with a towel on hand to catch any drips. Try to avoid touching the ear with the syringe or bulb if you can. The solution takes time to work, so keep it in each ear for a couple minutes, and then repeat for the other ear.

After this rinse solution has softened and loosened the ear wax, rinse your ears with lukewarm water, and then dry your ears completely with a soft towel, being careful not to stick it into the ear canal. If your ears still seem blocked, repeat a couple of times a day for 2-3 days. Talk to your an audiologist or hearing specialist if the problem continues