How Do You Clean Your Ears?

I would think that the danger level of Qtips depends a lot on your technique. I’d never take one and shove it into my ear canal, but what I do generally do is go only just into the bit you can’t see in the mirror, maybe 3mm, and go around the skin on the outside with a kind of rotating brush action. Either the wax is caught up on the brush or absolutely nothing at all happens, but I don’t ever end up pushing it back down again because I’m not cleaning with a pushing action. My hearing aid goes way further into my ear canal than the QTip, so it’s a little patronising for them to say I shouldn’t put anything in there, it’s already in there!

My husband will take the same thing and jam it practically into his brain and “clean” with a sawing action, which I guess is what they have in mind when they tell you to leave well alone!

Clean your ears everday with alchohol and q tip. Just dip the q tip into the alchohol and swab the inside of your canal in a circular motion, do not twist the q tip, and then flip the q tip and dry the canal. Do not go in any farther then the cotton part of the q tip. Finish up with a tissue with a little achohol on it and swab from the helix down to the bowl of your ear and dry. Do not use water!! Water can cause yeast infections in your ear and for anybody who wears ITCs, it can cause soreness, think chaffing. Alchohol cuts the skin oil and evaporates quickly. Do not use Hydrogen poroxide, it turns to water. For itchy ears, try straight up distilled vinegar, nothing fancy, just white vinegar. Itchy ears can be caused by to must yeast in the ear and the vinegar helps keep it down. Wax starts farther in the your ear canal and works its way out, thats why you only go in as far the cotton part of the q tip, you really shouldnt go past the first bend in your canal to much, youll just push the wax in farther and get it compacted.

“do not twist the q tip”

… but that feels so good!.. Dang, another of life’s pleasures taken from me!

For years I have been using and equal mixture of vinegar and alcohol. I keep it in a bottle with a dropper. I put a few drops in right after I take a shower and when I go to bed. My ENT Dr told me to do this and I haven’t had any problems. My mother was having issues with her aids then she started doing what I do and now she doesn’t have any problems.!

Its good way to clean your ears by using ear buds daily or at least after 2/3 days on regular basis. How ever for more extensive cleaning other techniques will also be helpful.

Q-tip IN ear = very dangerous. Can you say ruptured timpanic membrane? I would never advise that. Q-tip on the outside of the canal is fine. Remember the old saying, “Never put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow”. Except your hearing aids, of course!

The best way to clean ears was written by the person who started the thread. Oil (warm or not doesn’t matter) in the ear with a dropper, then cotton in the ears, then fall asleep. The cotton will more than likely fall out as you sleep, but by then it has served its purpose.

This method works because the wax in your ears is oil soluable and dissolves in the oil. The oil is then absorbed by the cotton swab and your skin.

Of course, you can use scented oils and then your ears will smell nice too!!!

@jchunter said:

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the ERO Ear Wax Removal System (~$5 at Walmart). Put 5 drops in the ear and lay down on your side for 5 - 10 minutes. Flush the ear canal with warm water using syringe (included). Works great. Distributed by Sherer Labs Inc.

I use a product called Debrox which comes with a bottle of drops and a small bulb syringe.:eek:

Hi everyone!

I see many people are using the hydrogen peroxide to get wax out.

how much? Or if you dilute it (which I have seen recommended before) with water what are the ratios you use??

Thanks very much.

I used once before to get wax out of my ear when those drops don’t seem to budge anything. I think I did half and half but i wanted to check with others because I am nervous about using cause I read in a few places it can damage your hearing - and I definately don’t want to do that!!!

I weare the CIC aids and my wax is kind of liquidy.

Oh, also. I recently had a dr tell me that one of my eardrums had scar tissue on it. That ear I don’t like to get water in because I get ear infection quick if i do (even if I use the swimmers ear stuff) I am thinking it is because of the scarring??? because it never did that before and this is recent.

I guessing NOT a good idea to use anything in that ear than to remove wax - so far it doesn’t seem to have as many problems as the other ear.

I am sure this is wrong wrong wrong but my nails grow super long and my pinky nail is very long and thin and I will sometimes use it to remove some wax near the front of the canal opening and it removes some like a little scooper but I know it is probably dangerous so I am very careful when I this and would prefer to use different method.

I wish I could afford to go to the audiologist and have them remove it -but no health insurance and no job.

Oh, I also forgot to ask - for those who use the hydrogen peroxide - did your doctors (ents or audiologists) say it was safe to use and did they recommend it to you? Just checking, because mine never did - just getting a consensus on dr. safety here.

Sorry I rambled but thanks!
queen

@queenfluff said:

Hi everyone!

I see many people are using the hydrogen peroxide to get wax out.

how much? Or if you dilute it (which I have seen recommended before) with water what are the ratios you use??

Thanks very much.

I used once before to get wax out of my ear when those drops don’t seem to budge anything. I think I did half and half but i wanted to check with others because I am nervous about using cause I read in a few places it can damage your hearing - and I definately don’t want to do that!!!

I weare the CIC aids and my wax is kind of liquidy.

Oh, also. I recently had a dr tell me that one of my eardrums had scar tissue on it. That ear I don’t like to get water in because I get ear infection quick if i do (even if I use the swimmers ear stuff) I am thinking it is because of the scarring??? because it never did that before and this is recent.

I guessing NOT a good idea to use anything in that ear than to remove wax - so far it doesn’t seem to have as many problems as the other ear.

I am sure this is wrong wrong wrong but my nails grow super long and my pinky nail is very long and thin and I will sometimes use it to remove some wax near the front of the canal opening and it removes some like a little scooper but I know it is probably dangerous so I am very careful when I this and would prefer to use different method.

I wish I could afford to go to the audiologist and have them remove it -but no health insurance and no job.

Oh, I also forgot to ask - for those who use the hydrogen peroxide - did your doctors (ents or audiologists) say it was safe to use and did they recommend it to you? Just checking, because mine never did - just getting a consensus on dr. safety here.

Sorry I rambled but thanks!

queen

The few times that I have used hydrogen peroxide I just had someone pour it in straight while I laid on my side. Felt like a million ants crawling around in my ear canal, but it sure did get 'em clean!

@wired said:

The few times that I have used hydrogen peroxide I just had someone pour it in straight while I laid on my side. Felt like a million ants crawling around in my ear canal, but it sure did get 'em clean!

Ok, so I did my one ear and I think it helped. But I think the not-to-sharp hearing is my aid not doing good (they are super old) because I tend to get more of a sharper sound if I try to switch ears (I have cic so I can’t really completely switch them).

But I am SCARED to do my other ear - the doctor said I have scarring (scar tissue) on my eardrum and I am nervous to put anything in that ear. I usually wear a cotton ball in it in the shower so not to tell too much water get in there because I notice if I get water in it it gets infected fast.

Anyone know if I should not use hydrogen peroxide if my eardrum is scarred?

This thing can’t be pushed in too far:

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/ototek-loop-ear-wax-removal-tool/ID=prod359743-product3

For many years, I worked in a very noisy factory(120db) and we had to wear ear plugs. I had a lot of wax that got shoved back into my ear and an ear doctor told me to use baby oil every few days. The baby oil makes the wax soft and soluble. I am still doing that 35 years later. Every couple days, I use a q-tip with baby oil before showering.
My only concern is what the oil might do to the Agil Pro ear piece. Recently the chimes became faint in one and they replaced it. I don’t know if the oil played any part in that or not.

So many new ways of cleaning the ears here) I just clean mine with a cotton bud with some hydrogen peroxide on it couple of times a week.

Main rule is don’t use cotton buds, this will compact the wax leading to blockages