How Do You Clean Your Ears?

On an ear exam by an ENT surgeon, he recommended using a mixture of 1/3 boiled/cooled water, 1/3 rubbing alcohol, 1/3 white distilled vinegar on a cotton swab. Since then, I have had my ears syringed twice at my GP where they used Physiohex in water.
Now twice a month, I use a “baby’s nose bulb” to irrigate with a few drops of regular anti-bacterial liquid soap in luke warm water. This is the system that I’ve found to be the most effective – and it has removed some heavy stuff.
I have Meniere’s so there is a lot of activity in there.

I use a different approach, based in reorganizing my life a bit. I ONLY clean my ears if they are itchy, before going to bed, and AFTER A SHOWER, and when I do so, I use cotton tips, soaking one tip in peroxide, and scratching ONE ear only with it. Then a new peroxide-soaked cottonette for the other ear, and then a new, dry one for the first ear, and another for the second.
When my ears are not itchy, I left them alone. I always shower in the mornings, so my ears get very wet. The I drive my car to the office, and then, and only then, I put on my BTE. This allows my ears to dry somewhat, and improved things a lot.
It works very well for me…

I used a drop of mineral oil every week and my audio believes that it caused repeated receiver failure. Any ideas?

Danuta,
Try using the store bought ear wax removal drops or use Hydrogen Peroxide. I use the Hydrogen Peroxide about twice a month and it keeps my ears pretty clean. I use a bulb syringe to fill my ear canal with the Peroxide and let it do its thing for about 5 min then I flush my ears with the bulb syringe and then let them air dry overnight. My wife swears by the store bought system and says it works for her.

…and it works really well on ear wax, too. A few drops in each ear, leave in for several minutes, then flush with warm water. Even “concrete” wax will soften up.
As far as I know it isn’t carcinogenic. People take it daily by mouth for years without any problems.

Maybe I should try the syringe, btw my family doctor told me to put olive oil to clean the wax. My audio told me to put the mineral oil in it. Who I am suppose to listen?

I think this forum is the best:D

People take it daily by mouth for years without any problems.

Uh huh. Ever heard of Black Hairy Tongue?

OMG sorry folks thanks for all the great laughs…:p:eek:

before aids i had to go in for flushing that were extremely painful due to the amount of force pressing on the eardrum from the water gun. I would get BIG quarter size chunks that came out. My eyes bugged seeing how much wax was in there. Hey I was only 4-5 years old!

well when you wear two aids full molds most of the day every day the wax stays soft and moist due to temperature and sweat locked in via the mold.

once a week I use a q-tip and go to town! OHHH MAN am I in euphoria scratching my canal with the q-tip I know how far i can go in and i pinch the q-tip a certain distance from end to ensure I don’t touch the drum unless intentional. it feels like a head orgasm to clean the wax off the drum LOL

curious or is it just me does anyone else feel like they are in euphoria when using a q-tip in the ear canal? especially spinning the Q-tip so it rotates in the ear canal?

@seb said:

Unfortunately, the medical field uses all kinds of products and drugs that are possible carcinogens in the treatment of their patients. My mother worked as an RN at a medical clinic and what they used to clean patients ears was a stool softener and a LARGE syringe to blast out the debris.

NO KIDDING like 7 1/2 hours of constant x-ray
choice is x-ray or die young. hmmmm… I TAKE X-RAY other alternative even worse is meds that harden the arteries :eek:

@DianaS said:

EnglishDispener, you must be thinking of another medication. Docusate, which is what Seb and I were referring to, is not associated with Hairy Back Tongue.

OK what is “Black hairy tongue” or “hairy back tongue”? First I have heard of it.

Hope you didn’t mean “olive oil” based of the note I wrote in previous post

Oil, I was referring to was SKIN oil, the body naturally produces. I changed my note to reflect that.

I would not trust olive oil on the basis of contaminants introduced while it is made. It is not sterilized of possible harmful pathogens.

@corey said:

Hope you didn’t mean “olive oil” based of the note I wrote in previous post

Oil, I was referring to was SKIN oil, the body naturally produces. I changed my note to reflect that.

I would not trust olive oil on the basis of contaminants introduced while it is made. It is not sterilized of possible harmful pathogens.

I would not trust olive oil on the basis of contaminants introduced while it is made.

please get back on your meds!! how much radiation you figure you are exposed to sitting in front of your computer writing this crazy crap?

@lpersons said:

I was told to never use q-tips in the ear…

I also have extremely thick gooey ear wax…and dry ear canals…my ears are itchy all the time, and I was told just to put a couple of drops of mineral oil in the ear…I haven’t done this because I am afraid it may cause more of a wax problem and may hurt the hearing aids…

My son’s ears are incredibly dry with big crusty balls of wax? Is this normal, I’m worried that if I try to take it out with a swab I’m going to push it closer to the eardrum?

We went to the doctors for my son’s ears and he took this huge syringe and blasted the debris out, but this isn’t really doable at home.