Ears do not need frequent cleaning to remove ear wax; in fact, ear wax is an important part of your body's system for keeping dirt, bacteria and other things from causing hearing problems. However, you may occasionally find it necessary to clean your ears. These instructions will help you do it safely.


Steps

1. Talk to your physician or an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (ENT) if you have frequent and troublesome buildups of ear wax.
2. Obtain an ear syringe and hydrogen peroxide, or ear wax removal kit, from a drug store.
3. Fill the ear syringe with room-temperature hydrogen peroxide or cleaning solution, 3% or 4% solution (dilute with water as needed).
4. Tilt your head back and to the side, allowing the ear to face upward.
5. Carefully insert the end of the syringe into the ear and squirt a few drops. You should hear (and feel) fizzing or popping. This sound is the hydrogen peroxide reacting with the wax.
6. After the fizzing has stopped, tilt your head to allow the liquid to drain out into a tissue.
7. Repeat the process for the other ear.

Tips

• According to Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists, cotton swabs are the last thing you should be putting in your ear. Cleaning your ears with q-tips may cause more problems. Instead, use a moist cloth to wash the external part of the ear or rinse your ears out during a shower.
• Clean ears after taking a shower. It's much easier.
• The hydrogen peroxide technique should not be used more than once or twice per week at most. More than this can cause the ear canal to dry up too much.
• Do not use the hydrogen peroxide technique if you have a perforated eardrum or a history of ear problems.
• If you're not sure about any of this, consult your physician.
• For problematic earwax, consult an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Specialist.
• If you find your ear canals are drying out too much from the hydrogen peroxide, put a couple drops of oil (toasted sesame, olive, baby) into your ear. Toasted sesame is best, as it is slightly warming and has anti-fungal and anti-parasitic properties.
• Foreign objects, such as Q-Tips, should not be placed in the ear canal.