4 Tips to Clean Your Ears (2025)

FAQs

4 Tips to Clean Your Ears? ›

Tips to maintain healthy ears

Ears usually maintain themselves, but here are a few ways you can protect them from infection: Use a washcloth to wipe and clean the outside of your ears. Never put cotton swabs (Q-tip), hairpins or any small objects into your ears.

Tips to maintain healthy ears

Ears usually maintain themselves, but here are a few ways you can protect them from infection: Use a washcloth to wipe and clean the outside of your ears. Never put cotton swabs (Q-tip), hairpins or any small objects into your ears.

If the aim is to completely break down the wax, waxsol, peroxide 3% or a sodium bicarbonate solution (which can be prepared by your local pharmacist) is effective.

Just use a washcloth. You also can try putting a few drops of baby oil, hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, or glycerin in your ear to soften the wax. Or you can use an over-the-counter wax removal kit. Besides cotton swabs or any other small or pointy objects, don't use ear candles to clean your ears.

The salinity in the water is effective in breaking up and earwax and removing it with ease. You can buy an irrigation kit, which is a combination of water and saline solution, or make a saline solution at home.

Ear irrigation

Another option is irrigating or syringing your ear. This involves using a syringe to rinse out your ear canal with water or saline solution. Generally, you should soften the wax first by using a cerumenolytic solution. Then, you'll gently irrigate your ear with a bulb syringe.

The Lengin Otoscope Ear Cleaner is our best overall pick because it comes with a camera and light on the end, which makes it a safer approach. You an see exactly what your ear canal looks like as you clean it by connecting the cleaner to your phone via the Soulear app, which is compatible with Android and iOS devices.

Your provider can also flush out the wax using a syringe filled with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide. Medicated ear drops may also be recommended to help soften the wax, such as carbamide peroxide (Debrox Earwax Removal Kit, Murine Ear Wax Removal System).

Purchase a soft rubber bulb syringe made for ear cleaning, and fill it with warm water. Tilt your head to the side with a thick towel or basin below the ear. Gently squeeze the bulb so that the warm water shoots into your ear. Allow the water to run down into the towel or basin.

You can buy over-the-counter eardrops that break up earwax. The water-based ones contain ingredients such as acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. Oil-based products lubricate and soften the earwax.

How to get something deep out of your ear? ›

By placing the affected ear down and gently wiggling the ear pinna, you may be able to shift the object enough to cause it to fall out. If an object becomes lodged in the ear and this technique fails, it is usually best to have it removed by a doctor who can view the object with proper lighting and instruments.

Hold the nozzle inside the ear canal (not too deeply) and gently squirt the water from the bulb syringe into the ear. You can gently squirt more water into the ear if needed. Leave the water in your ear for 1-3 minutes to soften the wax. Tilt your head over the sink so the water can fall out.

Hydrogen peroxide is a solution (liquid) that can be used to treat ear infections or the build-up of wax. It is generally safe to use in all ears.

If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.

One teaspoon of salt per half a cup of warm water is all you need for this natural wax removal remedy. Once all of the salt has dissolved, tilt one ear upward and use a cotton swab to gently rub the solution around your ear, allowing water to drip inside your ear canal.

Vicks VapoRub should not be used in the ear. If Vicks VapoRub gets in your ear, you should immediately rinse the ear with room-temperature tap water.

Like cotton buds (but much safer!) the most recommended cleaning method for your ears is to use tissue twirls. All you need to do is twist or 'twirl' a piece of tissue, dip it in water, and wipe around the outside of the ear canal.

Wash behind the ears during every bath or shower. People with sensitive skin or eczema should use sensitive skin soap, which is available online. Wipe the area behind the ears with a warm, wet washcloth after intense physical activity. Keep ear piercings clean.

All you have to do is use a warm and wet washcloth and clean the outside part of your ear. Once you are finished, use another washcloth to dry your ears. This is a good, proactive way to keep your ears clear and help prevent an ear infection.

Irrigation of the ear can lead to otitis externa, vertigo, perforation of the tympanic membrane, and middle ear damage if the tympanic membrane is perforated. These complications are less common with the syringe and IV catheter technique than with the pulsating water device technique.