Cleaning the ears is one task that a lot of people are confused about, especially since experts advise against making use of cotton buds or Q-tips. You however don’t have to sweat it as we bring to you expert advice and tricks for cleaning out your ears without causing any damage.
The right way to clean your ear is to employ a method known as irrigation. Irrigation is a great way to remove any foreign body or wax buildup in the ear.
All you need to do is pour clean, lukewarm water into a bowl. Ensure that you use water that’s not too hot or cold, as that can stimulate the auditory nerve—which also controls your balance—and cause dizziness. You can add a few drops of household-strength hydrogen peroxide if you wish.
Hold a towel or another bowl under the affected ear to catch the water as it comes out.
Using the water in the bowl, fill up a bulb syringe, a medical syringe without the needle, or a plastic bag or bottle with a pinhole in the bottom. With the arm that’s opposite the ear (for example, your left arm if you’re irrigating your right ear), reach around the back of your head, grab your ear, and pull back and slightly upward.
Squeeze the bag, bulb, or whatever you’re using so the water squirts into the ear canal with steady pressure.
You will know that you are done once the object or glob of wax in your ear comes out. You should however note that you should stop if the irrigation hasn’t worked within about five minutes or if you have pain or dizziness. You can try again in a few hours. By that time the wax, if that’s your problem, should be even softer.
After you’re done, put a couple of drops of alcohol in your ear to help dry up excess water.
And there you have it. You don’t have to stress yourself with cotton buds and Q-tips while also worrying about damaging your ears. Use the irrigation method and thank us later for it.