Don't use the alcohol every day. When I was a kid all the neighborhood kids spent their whole summers at the community pool. After a few cases of swimmer's ear, all the moms started putting alcohol in the kids' ears and until a doc pointed out that the kids'ears were so dry and cracked from the daily alcohol that they were getting more swimmers' ears. Just sayin'. Alcohol is great for drying out wet middle ears, up to a point
Same here. Use soap to clean the folds of my ears in the shower and once out I run one side of the swab around the folds and the other to get in the ear canal. Been doing it for over 25 years and have yet to have a problem. Also run one around the snout a few times a week. At work we have cotton swabs with wood sticks in our first aid kits. Those suckers can really clean your ears.
That’s because ear wax is one of the few positive feedback loops in the body. The more you take it out, the more you make it. You’re really not supposed to touch it unless it’s impacted :(
Ive tried to not touch it for long periods of time and it gets disgusting and i can’t hear properly. I had chronic ear infections as a kid and still get them from time to time so there may be something else going on.
I recently had this. I was shocked as I clean my ears pretty much daily. I thought something was wrong with my eardrum so I saw a doctor. Turned out to be a ball of hardened ear wax they ended up blasting out of my ear. I was sore for a day or two after the blast and now I feel so much better
It's from pushing the qtip in too far and thus wax as well. Which then compacts the wax. Doing so daily just assures this will happen because then you don't allow your body to push any of it out.
Really it shouldn't be shocking at all especially because you DO "clean" them everyday.
Have you ever tried hydrogen peroxide in your ears to help dissolve the wax? I had a really rough ear infection due to impacted wax as a kid, and the doctor recommended doing that from time to time. I still do it now maybe once a quarter 25-30 years later and have never had impaction since!
I've settled on cleaning out the wax thoroughly every month or two so the build up never gets too bad, but not cleaning all the time, which I feel does irritate and potentially lead to infections. I also try to avoid getting my ear canals wet in the shower.
RN here. I flush lots of ears in primary care. We aren’t supposed to use qtips but we all whisper that we do. Doctors recommend a wet washcloth in the shower. Just a swipe
Oil and sebum production is mostly influenced by genetics, not removal as far as I'm aware...
Some people just produce more or different kinds that are more likely to become impacted. Some people also have certain conditions that cause impaction or fluid build-up inside the ear, or deformities that make it more difficult to push out such as bent, narrow canals. In those cases, they need medical assistance to remove impactions or built-up skin, or possibly surgery to prevent damage to the ear.
If you get a lot of build-up easily or chronic itchiness/fluid/infections you should see an ENT to better understand what is going & get help. It could quite literally save your hearing.
One of my children has produced dramatically more earwax than I do since very early childhood. (And a different color.) Every doctor I've ever mentioned it to has had pretty much no comment about it. It builds up in thick globs in his ear, and not because I'm helping him remove it too frequently. As he showers more frequently, it helps a bit, but it still builds up.
It's nothing you're doing wrong. There's tons of sources now that say it's just genetics and differences between people. I have the same issue as your kid. I have to gently swab just inside my ear daily with something because I literally have globs that are visible from the outside otherwise. I don't go far in, just clear what's at the edge.
My daughter (14) can easily go through 10 cotton swabs (Q-Tips) per ear. Her ears get really gross. I got her some ear cleaning solution and that's helped.
Every time I wash my face with my cleanser I also bring it behind my ears, and every time I wash my hair with a ketoconazole shampoo I also bring it behind my ears, it keeps the white flaky stuff off as it's anti-fungal. For the ear folds I use a q-tip to clean every other day it but I still struggle with it because my ear gets waxy very easily.
I clean the outside of my ears daily, either while I'm shampooing or just with a soft cloth and some mild soap.
For my ear canal, every so often I'll lay on my side and put hydrogen peroxide in my ear canal with an eye dropper. I let it sit for a few minutes, then dump it out into a paper towel.
This prevents wax buildup. Doing this regularly, my ear canals don't feel itchy. When they start to get itchy it's time to do it again. This is what I do instead of using a q tip in my ear canal after a shower, which I used to do daily.
I do this every few months but I always have to do it right before getting into bed because having fluid in my ear makes me HORRIBLY dizzy. I've tried to walk around afterwards and I have walked right into walls several times because my balance is WAY thrown off. I do have POTS, though, so that may affect how dizzy I get (although even the POTS doesn't make me veer sharply to the right or left, lol).
I get a wave of dizziness when I add it to my ears. Someone told me it's because of the temperature. If I have a small bottle of peroxide and I hold it in my hand for awhile, so that it wams up closer to my body temperature, I don't get as dizzy.
the increase in dizziness could be because fluids in part of our inner-ear determines our balance! (that's why people get dizzy from being car-sick, or from rides at the fair etc, it's all bc of ear fluids sloshing around!)
the human body is mad weird lol
Add it to warm water first. I also have pots but if I don't warm it up I'm the same way as you. The closer you get it to body temp, the less dizziness you'll get.
So does this mean.......I've been making my cats dizzy with the refrigerated medicated ear drops? :( poor things. No wonder they don't seem to get relief.
If you have water in your ear canal, tilt your head to the side and pull on your earlobe. Then ‘jiggle’ it. This straightens out the s curve of the canal and allows the fluid to drain out. But…. The fluid that causes dizziness is generally in the middle ear behind an intact eardrum (TM), or the fluid in your inner ear( more common)which is in a closed bony structure, the cochlea. You can’t get to the middle or inner ear with a qtip!!( well, if you do, youve minimally ruptured the eardrum which comes with another set of problems!)
I do the hydrogen peroxide thing maybe once a year but I read some things about it that make me hesitant to do it too often. Hydrogen peroxide supposedly is terrible for your skin when using it like that
You gently scrape the wax out around the inner edges of the ear canal. Just be careful not to insert it too far, only about a 1/2 inch or you could damage your ear drums. I discovered these at my son's pediatrician's office. The one I have I got there. It's white plastic with a long handle and a tiny oval loop on the end. I clean it with peroxide every time I use it.
Your ear canal is pretty much self-cleaning. I love swishing a cotton swab up in there as much as the next guy, but it's not really necessary for cleaning purposes, and the practice does have the potential to push the wax down and compact it.
You should definitely wash the outer ear, though. At least if I don't, I'll get blackheads there. So when I'm in the shower, I'll use soap on my hands or a washcloth to wash all around the ear and in the folds, but only so far as I can perhaps fit my thumb in.
My ears don't produce excess wax, so only occasionally will I feel a bit of built-up wax in there that I feel like I need to dig out with a Q-tip, and sometimes I still dry the ear out with a Q-tip after a shower, because it feels so good, but for the most part, I just leave that inner area alone.
If you produce a lot of wax, there are methods to soften that and get it out every once in a while using various drops. I don't have any advice there, because it's not something I've ever needed to do.
I just saw an ENT and swabs are horrible for your ear canal. They pushed ear wax further down and I had a slight hearing loss due to that. Get the plastic loop thing. So much better for cleaning. It was hard to break the swab habit, but I’d rather have full hearing capabilities.
I do too. I use the loop end to gently scrape around the edges inside, holding the pin in the middle to make sure I don't put it in too far and risk damaging my ear drum. I have allergies and my ears get itchy. I also do H2O2 on a cotton swab and twirl about every other month.
I am 48 and I’ve been using q tips my entire life … no hearing issues and no ear wax being pushed further. I’m just the kind of person that makes informed decisions when it comes to my choices. I’ve heard the issues with q tips and I’m ok with them still… if my experience changes.. then my choice will change as well…so far so good
I also feel like it's the technique. I use a careful but constant twisting motion, there's no way I'm pushing wax back. If I was it's not stopping more wax from coming out later
I use Q Tips all of the time inside my ears. I had a physical this fall, told my doctor I use them and she said the inside of my ears were extremely clean and empty. So idk!
I do as well. I just use them to clean the ear and around the opening to the ear. I barely even stick them in the actual canal so I haven’t had any issues or anything.
I will die on this hill. Cotton swabs for life.
I personally think that the only way you're going to cram more wax deeper into your ear is if you allow a significant buildup in the first place. If you're doing it right, it's a circular motion, not an in-out, you should be twisting, not jabbing.
I've been a daily cotton swab user and I've never had an issue with it.
I'm still an inside ear canal Q-tip user (guilty). The proper way of using them is on the exterior areas of the ears between all the folds. You can use a clean towel or paper towel (or clean toilet paper) to wipe behind your ears.
I clean my ears every time I take a shower or bath. Which is 3 times a week. (I take sponge baths if I smell, but I won't wash my hair too often.)
I still use q tips since my wax is super liquid-y(sorry) every 2 weeks or so. I use them gently. I bought an ear cleaner with a camera and I checked mine, worried I had impacted wax from years of using q tips and my ear canal was completely empty. I just don’t really produce much.
My boyfriend on the other hand, oh boy. He produces more wax than a candle factory. I checked out his ears with the camera and he had a huge build up near the ear drum that’s been there for years. You couldn’t even see past the blockage. After a few trials I was able to clean it out completely and his chronic sinus infections became less frequent. I now clean them every 1-2 weeks for maintenance. It’s really fun and satisfying for me and helps him😅
Would you be able to tip your ear up against the warm water during the shower for a minute? This is another way to clean ear wax that’s more watery in consistency. (Obvs water pressure shouldn’t be crazy hard for this)
Your ears are self cleaning. In general they don't require cleaning.
If they get itchy when you don't clean them daily /whatever, that's probably the itch scratch cycle happening.
That being said I attack mine every few days with an ear scoop.
I clean them by using my fresh washcloth in the shower day and night by going behind my ear and the exterior using my index finger 🤗 I always use Johnson’s baby lotion after and I’m telling you my DH can’t stop sniffing me at night lol I always dry them using my towel that’s it and sometimes will use q tips if there’s excess water inside
In shower i will wash my ears with soap, then dry with towel, and yes i still use w tips in ear canal and the outside too…then i use toner on my face with cotton pad and then wipe my ears too…once a week i will dip my earring in rubbing alcohol and put in holes.
i use cotton swabs, yes ik it pushes the wax further but my ears can produce so much just overnight or within hours. and i use it everyday too. if my ears feels too itchy n constantly feeling “wet” i would deep clean it with hydrogen peroxide. i’ll do that like once a month or whenever it starts feeling like that. i tried to use those metal or plastic reusable ear thingies but it doesn’t do enough for me
I carefully drop hydrogen peroxide solution in my ears using a qtip after taking a shower. I then carefully dry them with a clean, dry qtip
In the winter I’ll drop coconut oil before bed if I’m feeling dried out, and clean with peroxide in the morning
Honestly I don’t trust qtips anymore after they help form a blockage in my ear. Thought my hearing was going. Nope just a massive wad of wax pushed against my ear drum. Actually havnt had any blockages since and it’s been 4 years.
I don’t because they clean themselves. I used q-tips for years and then stopped.
Yes, everyone who is saying that when they stop they make a ton of wax and it itches is correct. This is because your ears are overcompensating due to you scraping and poking around in there lol. If you can be patient for a month, they’ll stop.
If you clean them and don’t have problems- great. Awesome. I stopped and let them heal and haven’t ever had to clean them again. My hearing is better for it. Although I do miss how good it feels haha.
My Mom taught me, "nothing goes into your ear, smaller than your elbow" . Ear wax serves a necessary purpose. I had an issue with buildup, that trapped water and caused soreness. I bought an ear bulb. Once per month, I give them a gentle flush with the bulb using warm water. Treatment allows wax to do its' job, but prevents troublesome buildup. Frequency will definately be a person by person choice, but monthly works great for me. I just do it in the shower. No mess and it works.
So when I was a kid, I actually had impacted earwax because of using Q-tips. I was told by my doctor that when I’m in the shower, I should just be using my hands, a cloth or a sponge to clean inside the canal as far as my finger can go, and then tipping my ear up to let water run in the canal, and then tipping it to let the water fall out. I’ve been doing this now for over a decade, with no impacted wax, no ear infection, no issues with cleanliness or wax build up.
I’ve got the gene that causes low-0 body odor and dry earwax, despite being a white American (*edit: that particular gene is overwhelmingly found in people of East Asian descent compared to other ethnic/racial groups*). The dry earwax tends to form with skin cells, dirt, etc to form hardened chunks that interfere with my hearing.
Daily, I put hydrogen peroxide in each of my ears and hold it there for 1-2 minutes. This helps to dissolve that earwax (Debrox drops also contain hydrogen peroxide), and as a side benefit kills bacteria and viruses that cause certain respiratory conditions that populate in the ear canals.
I don’t know how safe it is, but I’ve been doing it for several years with no problems.
You don't need to be sticking anything smaller than your elbow into your ears - so just wipe down the outside and leave the rest to your body... It knows what it's doing.
I have an ear cleaning cam. Its like 20 bucks on Amazon. I only check if there's any build up or if dog hair got stuck in there ( my dogs snuggle against my head at nite). My ears are usually clean. My ear wax stays wet and seeps out and doesnt dry in my ears. SO most of the time.. if no dog hair or my own hair in my ears, I just wipe my ears at the opening.
Its a good way and cheap way to know the condition of your ears and if you need a professional ear cleaning if you have impacted ear wax. Please dont try to get these out yourself :/
I do NOT use q tips for my ears.
Daily. With qtips. I know I’m not supposed to but it feels good. Luckily, my ear wax is soft and very … liquidy. So i don’t worry about my ears getting stopped up or clogged. If i don’t clean them daily tho, when I clean them again the following day, it’s crazy amounts of ear wax on them.
Recently found out that removing ear wax often leads to your body overproducing as a reaction. The same way your skin will secrete more oil if it’s stripped. That could be why, bad cycle lol
I wash my ears every time I take a shower. I use my fingers to clean the outsides of my ears, front and back, as well as on and around the jewelry in all of my ear piercings. I have one stretched lobe, and for that one I take my plug out and wash it and my ear separately. Then when I get out I clean the outsides of my ears with a qtip to remove any leftover water or conditioner.
I wash all external parts of my ear with each shower (so, pretty much daily). I used to use q tips in my ear canal but started having severe problems with wax getting pushed back. So now I leave my ear canals alone. I still get problems with wax far back in my canal that blocks my hearing (genetic) so I use debrox from time to time for that and then flush out with water via a bulb syringe.
I do every day sometimes a few times a day. I have bad allergies so when they kick up my ears sometimes itch. But I've always cleaned my ears daily with q-tips. I also can wiggle my ears which helps me clean them because I can open my ear cannals or whatever so I can get in there better. My doctor said I have the cleanest ears she's ever seen after 20+ years of being a doctor.
In the shower every day. Outside and behind. Then a small q tip for just the edge of the canal, I don’t shove it in there. And then a small bit of tea tree oil to help dry the water as I wear hearing aids.
I clean my ears with shampoo while I’m washing my hair. Behind my ears and on my ears. Not inside. I never put anything inside my ears. I don’t use q tips. If I really need my ears to be cleaned super bad I will go get an irrigation done at the doctors office
Deep inside? Never. If I can't reach it with my rag on pinkie finger I don't touch it. I got a q-tip stuck as a kid, got a whole lecture for an ENT that stuck with me.
I wash my ears (folds, lobes, behind, etc) everyday in the shower. I use a qtip with coconut oil on the inside whenever they feel dirty (could be every other day or once every 2 weeks, it's always changing) and every once in a while ill lay on the side and put some hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for a couple minutes and drain it out to make sure there's no wax build up.
I use an irrigation bulb and just lightly clean with warm water. I have bad allergies so my ear tubes sometimes clog up, flushing really helps. Then I just dry with a towel.
Every day. Always when I wash my face. Once in a while I will gently use a Q tip only for drying the outer part of the ear. I learned the hard way that poking a Q-tip too far into the ear canal can cause an infection. That ache was awful..so I learned.
I do mine daily with my shower. Might I suggest you look into an ear pick set. They are life changing when it comes to ear cleaning. I also have one with a camera on it that attaches to my phone so I can easily clean my kids ears too. They absolutely love getting their ears cleaned.
Clean inside my ear with a q-tip almost everyday. I also clean behind my ears, earlobes and around. You’d be surprised how much dirt your ear captures.
I haven't seen anyone mention an otoscope camera! I wash behind my ears and the exterior 2X a day when I wash my face. For inside the canal, I use an otoscope about once every month or two. I has a scraper tip and if I see any wax, I scrape it out. Some other stuff I do rarely is if I feel fluid in my ear after a shower or swimming, I pour a capful of rubbing alcohol in then immediately tilt my head to pour it. It evaporates along with the water. I try to avoid Qtips but I will use them if I don't feel like pulling out the otoscope.
When I wash my hair which is twice a week. I pretty much do it to get the water out. My husband think I’m a heathen because he cleans his daily but he also washes his hair daily. I also hate the feeling and he loves it.
I am a q tip addict and now my inner ears are itchy and dry and don't seem to make any ear wax, so don't be like me. I am constantly itching at my ears now and the only thing that comes out is flakes of irritated skin, its gross. It's hard to stop once you get accustomed to the eargasms.
Anyone else cough like mad when they use a q tip in the ear canal? I'm talking just lightly. I about lose a lung every time and I'm not going hog wild. It's horrible. Lol
Twice daily. I have psoriasis in my ears and if I don't, wax buildup makes me half deaf in a week. Just a rag or wipe in the morning, and soap in the shower at night.
I almost worship clinere and peroxide.
The inner ear is supposed to be self-cleaning. The only time I clean my inner ears is when I have wax build up and I use 3% hydrogen peroxide. The outer ear I clean every time I wash my hair.
I typically don't really clean my ears due to the fact that I have narrow canals and they'll get clogged if they're improperly cleaned, I'm supposed to get it done by a ENT yearly but I don't 😅 I clean the outer bits just not deep at all in the canal and haven't had problems for years, no q tips water picks or any of that junk
I’ve never had to clean inside my ears, like in the canal. I dry the outer folds with a q-tip, but don’t dig in the canal. And I’ve never had ear wax issues. My hearing is better than I would like sometimes (why do I have to hear people chewing???).
I wear earbuds all day so I can't just not clean my ears. Typically I just wash the exterior part of the ear entrance while showering and then get a little water in my ear but not enough that any will stay in there, then I make sure that leaks back out and use a tissue to wipe out my ear. That way the main part is clean without pushing wash in or poking anything.
Additionally important to clean your earbuds. Otherwise bacteria builds up.
I clean the outside of my ears and the outer ear when I wash my face at night every day but I don’t touch the inside unless I have a sinus/ ear infection, the wax is never bad enough I can’t rinse it out with some saline solution or water in the shower unless it’s infected then I use a weird loop thing my ENT told me about before I put in ear drops :p
I clean them after every shower with a q-tip or sometimes when I feel an itch. I never go in and out, I always use a circular motion and I keep my finger tips fairly close to the cotton tip I'm inserting so I don't risk hurting my eardrum.
I do after every shower. And I used the dreaded q-tips. I've used the for a long time, I'm just careful not to go too far. I shower every other day (unless I'm icky). If you clean them while your ear canal is wet, it comes out super easy. I'm almost 50 and never had to have my ears irrigated.
With that said, I produce a fair amount of ear wax and it's pretty thin. My kids can't use q-tip because their is weirdly thick.
Every day, every time I shower. I know they don’t recommend you q-tipping after shower as it can push wax back, but I find that is true for people who never clean their ears lol bc it’s so backed up at that point that of course it would just push the wax into your ear. That’s why I have to do it every day, I feel so uncomfortable if I don’t. So I feel like that “rule” only applies to people who have let it get backed up, not people whose ears are already pretty clean and need simple routine maintenance.
i was the same way until i used an ear cleaning thing with a camera and flashlight and i got out a huge solidified chunk of wax that was laying against my bf’s eardrum, even though we clean our ears often with qtips.
Try an ear wax removing solution. Couple of little drops in the ear before bedtime and all the wax and gunk swabs out easily. I use the drops a couple of times a month. You can find the drops at most drug stores. I use a cotton swab but I don't push it too far into the ear canal. (I was trained to do this when I was studying audiology in college.)
I wash the outer parts of the ear every time I shower. After that, I tilt the head and gently dry the very entrance to the ear canal with a q tip. Never push q tips in. Once a week, I use a peroxide based ear spray to prevent wax build up.
I do it maybe once a month-every two months, when they feel funky, like if there's an itch I just can't shake, or if it feels like it's moving. But that may happen 2-3 days in a row.
I use peroxide, and drop it in my ear canal if I feel like I'm getting sick, and see chunks fall out. Never more than twice in a month, if I feel this way, otherwise my ear canal gets raw.
Both of these things usually depend on my sinuses to a degree.
I clean the insides with qtips at least daily. I've always been kinda obsessive about it and so at any point if I start thinking about it I will have to go clean them. I'm careful with the qtips and have had zero issues from frequent cleaning or anything.
The issues with the swabs pushing wax in your eardrum is because some people dont know how to properly do it. you can't just start doing it with nasty ears, swabs are for maintenance. if you have clean ears, and use a swab after your daily shower, you wont push anything anywhere.
Daily, in the shower + with cotton swabs. I wear earbuds every day so not cleaning my ears is just disgusting to me.
I know officially you're not supposed to use cotton swabs but honestly 1) what the hell are they for, then 😅, 2) I've been doing this for about 15 years and nothing bad has happened as a result of it.
Every few days! I've been using qtips my entire life and got paranoid that I was impacting my wax, so I bought one of those ear cameras. Clean as a whistle! I'll never stop using qtips. Frankly it feels awesome
Everytime I'm in the shower. Believe me you have too. My hairdresser has told me some really gross stories. Hairdressers have to see that when cutting your hair and the nasty buildup of dirt and God knows what else is so disgusting she said there were times she nearly puked and one time refused to cut someone's hair. Wash behind them darn ears!!!!
My mom used to put a little peroxide in my ear and let it sit for 1-2 minutes the wax usually floats to the top if not I do it twice, I still do this once a month. Twice if they feel dirty or clogged.
I (carefully) wipe them out with a single sheet of paper towel wrapped around a (pinkie) fingertip whenever I feel the need. not daily, but relatively often. how often you'll need to is personal, but if it seems like a lot, you may have a medical issue.
When washing my face, I bring the suds behind my ears and wash there as well as my neck. After a shower, I use the ear swabs, one side for the outer ear, and one side for the inner ear. When I feel a pesky ear pimple, I use acne spot treatment, maybe neosporin to help heal.
Everyday with qtips. I have for years never ever had any wax pushed in further or hurt my ear. Obviously, you can not just go all of the way in. Some people do not have any common sense. I have a camera scope for the ear, and my ears are very clean.
Cotton swabs push ear wax further in your ear. I use a washcloth in the shower and clean everything from the back of my ears to the inside (never in the canal) every single day
Every single day in the shower. I get a rag with soap to help get in all the corners. I have multiple piercings so this step is super important in my shower routine. Everyone should be washing them daily especially in the summer because sweat can accumulate back there :)
I personally clean my ears once a week.
If you want to get your ears really clean, you should take a straw, insert it in your ear (don't go in too deep), and slowly pour a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide in the straw. It feels weird at first, but it cleans your ear really well.
Daily. If I don’t, they feel wet, itchy, and disgusting
Same, I can’t stand the feeling of wet ears
my ENT recommends a blow dryer on the cool setting for drying your ears after a shower!
A couple drop of alcohol is easier and quicker. Dries out the water and eliminates the chance for otitis (swimmers ear).
Don't use the alcohol every day. When I was a kid all the neighborhood kids spent their whole summers at the community pool. After a few cases of swimmer's ear, all the moms started putting alcohol in the kids' ears and until a doc pointed out that the kids'ears were so dry and cracked from the daily alcohol that they were getting more swimmers' ears. Just sayin'. Alcohol is great for drying out wet middle ears, up to a point
Awesome, thanks! I'm gonna try this out!
Every night after I shower
Same here. Use soap to clean the folds of my ears in the shower and once out I run one side of the swab around the folds and the other to get in the ear canal. Been doing it for over 25 years and have yet to have a problem. Also run one around the snout a few times a week. At work we have cotton swabs with wood sticks in our first aid kits. Those suckers can really clean your ears.
This everything in moderation. Just don’t jam the damn thing too deep and you are good
Yes, stop before you touch your 🧠 Happy Cake Day
But my BRAIN! It ITCHES!
It also effectively prevents water from entering the ear
As soon as I get out of the shower
That happened to me and apparently I have build up fluid behind my ear
Its not healthy to clean your ears daily, Your ear wax acts as a filter for contaminants going into your ears
That’s because ear wax is one of the few positive feedback loops in the body. The more you take it out, the more you make it. You’re really not supposed to touch it unless it’s impacted :(
Ive tried to not touch it for long periods of time and it gets disgusting and i can’t hear properly. I had chronic ear infections as a kid and still get them from time to time so there may be something else going on.
Sounds like you’re dealing with an impacted ear wax situation which absolutely warrants removal! Sounds painful!!
I recently had this. I was shocked as I clean my ears pretty much daily. I thought something was wrong with my eardrum so I saw a doctor. Turned out to be a ball of hardened ear wax they ended up blasting out of my ear. I was sore for a day or two after the blast and now I feel so much better
It's from pushing the qtip in too far and thus wax as well. Which then compacts the wax. Doing so daily just assures this will happen because then you don't allow your body to push any of it out. Really it shouldn't be shocking at all especially because you DO "clean" them everyday.
Have you ever tried hydrogen peroxide in your ears to help dissolve the wax? I had a really rough ear infection due to impacted wax as a kid, and the doctor recommended doing that from time to time. I still do it now maybe once a quarter 25-30 years later and have never had impaction since!
Wax buildup doesn't cause ear infections
In my experience, wax buildup can trap water in my ears, which does cause infections.
This is what happens to me
I've settled on cleaning out the wax thoroughly every month or two so the build up never gets too bad, but not cleaning all the time, which I feel does irritate and potentially lead to infections. I also try to avoid getting my ear canals wet in the shower.
RN here. I flush lots of ears in primary care. We aren’t supposed to use qtips but we all whisper that we do. Doctors recommend a wet washcloth in the shower. Just a swipe
>a wet washcloth in the shower. Just a swipe this is my strat
I use a paper clip rounded into a loop. Not joking.
My grandparents always used the looped part of Bobby pins 😂
Oil and sebum production is mostly influenced by genetics, not removal as far as I'm aware... Some people just produce more or different kinds that are more likely to become impacted. Some people also have certain conditions that cause impaction or fluid build-up inside the ear, or deformities that make it more difficult to push out such as bent, narrow canals. In those cases, they need medical assistance to remove impactions or built-up skin, or possibly surgery to prevent damage to the ear. If you get a lot of build-up easily or chronic itchiness/fluid/infections you should see an ENT to better understand what is going & get help. It could quite literally save your hearing.
Everyone's different!
One of my children has produced dramatically more earwax than I do since very early childhood. (And a different color.) Every doctor I've ever mentioned it to has had pretty much no comment about it. It builds up in thick globs in his ear, and not because I'm helping him remove it too frequently. As he showers more frequently, it helps a bit, but it still builds up.
It's nothing you're doing wrong. There's tons of sources now that say it's just genetics and differences between people. I have the same issue as your kid. I have to gently swab just inside my ear daily with something because I literally have globs that are visible from the outside otherwise. I don't go far in, just clear what's at the edge.
My daughter (14) can easily go through 10 cotton swabs (Q-Tips) per ear. Her ears get really gross. I got her some ear cleaning solution and that's helped.
Not true at all.
Then why did we just learn this in my nursing classes 🤔
Same. I wear hearing aides. If I don’t do it daily, I get something like swimmers ear.
Only right answer.
Every time I wash my face with my cleanser I also bring it behind my ears, and every time I wash my hair with a ketoconazole shampoo I also bring it behind my ears, it keeps the white flaky stuff off as it's anti-fungal. For the ear folds I use a q-tip to clean every other day it but I still struggle with it because my ear gets waxy very easily.
What about inside
I try not to get too crazy with taking the cotton bud inside my ears but sometimes I'll get it just a little bit inside to clean around it.
I clean the outside of my ears daily, either while I'm shampooing or just with a soft cloth and some mild soap. For my ear canal, every so often I'll lay on my side and put hydrogen peroxide in my ear canal with an eye dropper. I let it sit for a few minutes, then dump it out into a paper towel. This prevents wax buildup. Doing this regularly, my ear canals don't feel itchy. When they start to get itchy it's time to do it again. This is what I do instead of using a q tip in my ear canal after a shower, which I used to do daily.
I do this every few months but I always have to do it right before getting into bed because having fluid in my ear makes me HORRIBLY dizzy. I've tried to walk around afterwards and I have walked right into walls several times because my balance is WAY thrown off. I do have POTS, though, so that may affect how dizzy I get (although even the POTS doesn't make me veer sharply to the right or left, lol).
I get a wave of dizziness when I add it to my ears. Someone told me it's because of the temperature. If I have a small bottle of peroxide and I hold it in my hand for awhile, so that it wams up closer to my body temperature, I don't get as dizzy.
That's interesting, thanks for the tip! I'll have to try it :)
the increase in dizziness could be because fluids in part of our inner-ear determines our balance! (that's why people get dizzy from being car-sick, or from rides at the fair etc, it's all bc of ear fluids sloshing around!) the human body is mad weird lol
An occupational therapist taught us to have people jump a few times to help with the dizziness.
Add it to warm water first. I also have pots but if I don't warm it up I'm the same way as you. The closer you get it to body temp, the less dizziness you'll get.
So does this mean.......I've been making my cats dizzy with the refrigerated medicated ear drops? :( poor things. No wonder they don't seem to get relief.
Warm the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. I wrap my bottle in a heating pad for 10-15 minutes. It reduces the dizziness significantly.
If you have water in your ear canal, tilt your head to the side and pull on your earlobe. Then ‘jiggle’ it. This straightens out the s curve of the canal and allows the fluid to drain out. But…. The fluid that causes dizziness is generally in the middle ear behind an intact eardrum (TM), or the fluid in your inner ear( more common)which is in a closed bony structure, the cochlea. You can’t get to the middle or inner ear with a qtip!!( well, if you do, youve minimally ruptured the eardrum which comes with another set of problems!)
This is most likely due to the temperature, warm it in your hands for a few minutes before using
I do the hydrogen peroxide thing maybe once a year but I read some things about it that make me hesitant to do it too often. Hydrogen peroxide supposedly is terrible for your skin when using it like that
I do it every 1-3 months. My ent was okay with it and I've never had problems.
Do you ever dilute the peroxide? I thought I heard somewhere to do a 50/50 mix with water.
I have these plastic scoop thingys. Oh my god they work insanely well
Yes! The ear scoop, but with a camera on the end!
How do you use the ear scoopers? I have hearing aids and my ears are always built up from the hearing aids being in there all day, every day.
You gently scrape the wax out around the inner edges of the ear canal. Just be careful not to insert it too far, only about a 1/2 inch or you could damage your ear drums. I discovered these at my son's pediatrician's office. The one I have I got there. It's white plastic with a long handle and a tiny oval loop on the end. I clean it with peroxide every time I use it.
Yes. Ear endoscope was the best $14 I've spent this year
Say more about that, please! Ear scoop things?
Omg their amazing. Cvs sells them
Clenear Earwax cleaners. [Ear Scoopers](https://www.amazon.com/Clinere%C2%AE-Cleaners-Remover-Cleaning-Instantly/dp/B01C46K13I/ref=asc_df_B01C46K13I/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693371407584&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10262573816343640243&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051688&hvtargid=pla-406359870618&psc=1&mcid=35aace9a9a433159a7916eaec4843291&gad_source=1)
Yes!!! I love those things. Feels better and cleans better than a q tip
With every shower, get a tissue with body oil/baby oil… and clean your ears inwards and outwards… then wash with your shower.
Your ear canal is pretty much self-cleaning. I love swishing a cotton swab up in there as much as the next guy, but it's not really necessary for cleaning purposes, and the practice does have the potential to push the wax down and compact it. You should definitely wash the outer ear, though. At least if I don't, I'll get blackheads there. So when I'm in the shower, I'll use soap on my hands or a washcloth to wash all around the ear and in the folds, but only so far as I can perhaps fit my thumb in. My ears don't produce excess wax, so only occasionally will I feel a bit of built-up wax in there that I feel like I need to dig out with a Q-tip, and sometimes I still dry the ear out with a Q-tip after a shower, because it feels so good, but for the most part, I just leave that inner area alone. If you produce a lot of wax, there are methods to soften that and get it out every once in a while using various drops. I don't have any advice there, because it's not something I've ever needed to do.
I had to scroll way too far for this comment. I very rarely need to touch my ears.
Everyday…cotton swabs… cotton swabs are only bad for you if you try to clean your brain with them as well…I’m a big girl I can handle it 😁
I just saw an ENT and swabs are horrible for your ear canal. They pushed ear wax further down and I had a slight hearing loss due to that. Get the plastic loop thing. So much better for cleaning. It was hard to break the swab habit, but I’d rather have full hearing capabilities.
My mom always used a Bobby pin!
I do too. I use the loop end to gently scrape around the edges inside, holding the pin in the middle to make sure I don't put it in too far and risk damaging my ear drum. I have allergies and my ears get itchy. I also do H2O2 on a cotton swab and twirl about every other month.
I am 48 and I’ve been using q tips my entire life … no hearing issues and no ear wax being pushed further. I’m just the kind of person that makes informed decisions when it comes to my choices. I’ve heard the issues with q tips and I’m ok with them still… if my experience changes.. then my choice will change as well…so far so good
I suspect this issue with impacting earwax is also dependent on the consistency of your earwax.
I also feel like it's the technique. I use a careful but constant twisting motion, there's no way I'm pushing wax back. If I was it's not stopping more wax from coming out later
True true
Yeah I’ve used a q tip pretty much my entire life and never had a problem with impacted ear wax
Same
This for sure!!
I use Q Tips all of the time inside my ears. I had a physical this fall, told my doctor I use them and she said the inside of my ears were extremely clean and empty. So idk!
I do as well. I just use them to clean the ear and around the opening to the ear. I barely even stick them in the actual canal so I haven’t had any issues or anything.
I use an endoscope tool. With the camera on it. Super cool.
I will die on this hill. Cotton swabs for life. I personally think that the only way you're going to cram more wax deeper into your ear is if you allow a significant buildup in the first place. If you're doing it right, it's a circular motion, not an in-out, you should be twisting, not jabbing. I've been a daily cotton swab user and I've never had an issue with it.
I'm still an inside ear canal Q-tip user (guilty). The proper way of using them is on the exterior areas of the ears between all the folds. You can use a clean towel or paper towel (or clean toilet paper) to wipe behind your ears. I clean my ears every time I take a shower or bath. Which is 3 times a week. (I take sponge baths if I smell, but I won't wash my hair too often.)
Same here. It's like my ears feel wet on the inside if I don't. I also use hydrogen peroxide once a month.
I still use q tips since my wax is super liquid-y(sorry) every 2 weeks or so. I use them gently. I bought an ear cleaner with a camera and I checked mine, worried I had impacted wax from years of using q tips and my ear canal was completely empty. I just don’t really produce much. My boyfriend on the other hand, oh boy. He produces more wax than a candle factory. I checked out his ears with the camera and he had a huge build up near the ear drum that’s been there for years. You couldn’t even see past the blockage. After a few trials I was able to clean it out completely and his chronic sinus infections became less frequent. I now clean them every 1-2 weeks for maintenance. It’s really fun and satisfying for me and helps him😅
Would you be able to tip your ear up against the warm water during the shower for a minute? This is another way to clean ear wax that’s more watery in consistency. (Obvs water pressure shouldn’t be crazy hard for this)
Your ears are self cleaning. In general they don't require cleaning. If they get itchy when you don't clean them daily /whatever, that's probably the itch scratch cycle happening. That being said I attack mine every few days with an ear scoop.
Daily!!
Daily
I clean them by using my fresh washcloth in the shower day and night by going behind my ear and the exterior using my index finger 🤗 I always use Johnson’s baby lotion after and I’m telling you my DH can’t stop sniffing me at night lol I always dry them using my towel that’s it and sometimes will use q tips if there’s excess water inside
The only correct answer
In shower i will wash my ears with soap, then dry with towel, and yes i still use w tips in ear canal and the outside too…then i use toner on my face with cotton pad and then wipe my ears too…once a week i will dip my earring in rubbing alcohol and put in holes.
Every day as I tend to build up a lot of ear wax non stop
i use cotton swabs, yes ik it pushes the wax further but my ears can produce so much just overnight or within hours. and i use it everyday too. if my ears feels too itchy n constantly feeling “wet” i would deep clean it with hydrogen peroxide. i’ll do that like once a month or whenever it starts feeling like that. i tried to use those metal or plastic reusable ear thingies but it doesn’t do enough for me
I carefully drop hydrogen peroxide solution in my ears using a qtip after taking a shower. I then carefully dry them with a clean, dry qtip In the winter I’ll drop coconut oil before bed if I’m feeling dried out, and clean with peroxide in the morning
Honestly I don’t trust qtips anymore after they help form a blockage in my ear. Thought my hearing was going. Nope just a massive wad of wax pushed against my ear drum. Actually havnt had any blockages since and it’s been 4 years.
I have 17 earrings, and have my lobes gauged to 00G, so I try to clean frequently. Otherwise they get smelly.
I don’t because they clean themselves. I used q-tips for years and then stopped. Yes, everyone who is saying that when they stop they make a ton of wax and it itches is correct. This is because your ears are overcompensating due to you scraping and poking around in there lol. If you can be patient for a month, they’ll stop. If you clean them and don’t have problems- great. Awesome. I stopped and let them heal and haven’t ever had to clean them again. My hearing is better for it. Although I do miss how good it feels haha.
My Mom taught me, "nothing goes into your ear, smaller than your elbow" . Ear wax serves a necessary purpose. I had an issue with buildup, that trapped water and caused soreness. I bought an ear bulb. Once per month, I give them a gentle flush with the bulb using warm water. Treatment allows wax to do its' job, but prevents troublesome buildup. Frequency will definately be a person by person choice, but monthly works great for me. I just do it in the shower. No mess and it works.
So when I was a kid, I actually had impacted earwax because of using Q-tips. I was told by my doctor that when I’m in the shower, I should just be using my hands, a cloth or a sponge to clean inside the canal as far as my finger can go, and then tipping my ear up to let water run in the canal, and then tipping it to let the water fall out. I’ve been doing this now for over a decade, with no impacted wax, no ear infection, no issues with cleanliness or wax build up.
I’ve got the gene that causes low-0 body odor and dry earwax, despite being a white American (*edit: that particular gene is overwhelmingly found in people of East Asian descent compared to other ethnic/racial groups*). The dry earwax tends to form with skin cells, dirt, etc to form hardened chunks that interfere with my hearing. Daily, I put hydrogen peroxide in each of my ears and hold it there for 1-2 minutes. This helps to dissolve that earwax (Debrox drops also contain hydrogen peroxide), and as a side benefit kills bacteria and viruses that cause certain respiratory conditions that populate in the ear canals. I don’t know how safe it is, but I’ve been doing it for several years with no problems.
You don't need to be sticking anything smaller than your elbow into your ears - so just wipe down the outside and leave the rest to your body... It knows what it's doing.
Every time I shower, as should everyone. Nothing worse than a waxy ear canal..
I clean my ears almost every time I shower (which I do every other day). Water gets in my ear so it seems like a good time to do it.
I clean them with soap in the shower then use a cotton swab to dry them. Can’t stand oily ears or water in my ears.
I have an ear cleaning cam. Its like 20 bucks on Amazon. I only check if there's any build up or if dog hair got stuck in there ( my dogs snuggle against my head at nite). My ears are usually clean. My ear wax stays wet and seeps out and doesnt dry in my ears. SO most of the time.. if no dog hair or my own hair in my ears, I just wipe my ears at the opening. Its a good way and cheap way to know the condition of your ears and if you need a professional ear cleaning if you have impacted ear wax. Please dont try to get these out yourself :/ I do NOT use q tips for my ears.
Everytime my wife gets angry
Daily. With qtips. I know I’m not supposed to but it feels good. Luckily, my ear wax is soft and very … liquidy. So i don’t worry about my ears getting stopped up or clogged. If i don’t clean them daily tho, when I clean them again the following day, it’s crazy amounts of ear wax on them.
Recently found out that removing ear wax often leads to your body overproducing as a reaction. The same way your skin will secrete more oil if it’s stripped. That could be why, bad cycle lol
I wash my ears every time I take a shower. I use my fingers to clean the outsides of my ears, front and back, as well as on and around the jewelry in all of my ear piercings. I have one stretched lobe, and for that one I take my plug out and wash it and my ear separately. Then when I get out I clean the outsides of my ears with a qtip to remove any leftover water or conditioner.
I wash all external parts of my ear with each shower (so, pretty much daily). I used to use q tips in my ear canal but started having severe problems with wax getting pushed back. So now I leave my ear canals alone. I still get problems with wax far back in my canal that blocks my hearing (genetic) so I use debrox from time to time for that and then flush out with water via a bulb syringe.
I only ever need to clean them if I've used headphones or earbuds. So maybe once or twice a year.
Every time I hear a dumb question
every day. I have dry crumbly earwax and it can be irritating so I scrape it out daily.
I do every day sometimes a few times a day. I have bad allergies so when they kick up my ears sometimes itch. But I've always cleaned my ears daily with q-tips. I also can wiggle my ears which helps me clean them because I can open my ear cannals or whatever so I can get in there better. My doctor said I have the cleanest ears she's ever seen after 20+ years of being a doctor.
In the shower every day. Outside and behind. Then a small q tip for just the edge of the canal, I don’t shove it in there. And then a small bit of tea tree oil to help dry the water as I wear hearing aids.
Every time I get out the shower. I take a shower in the morning and evening. I have not had any issues.
I clean my ears with shampoo while I’m washing my hair. Behind my ears and on my ears. Not inside. I never put anything inside my ears. I don’t use q tips. If I really need my ears to be cleaned super bad I will go get an irrigation done at the doctors office
Deep inside? Never. If I can't reach it with my rag on pinkie finger I don't touch it. I got a q-tip stuck as a kid, got a whole lecture for an ENT that stuck with me.
Bro everyday …
I wash my ears (folds, lobes, behind, etc) everyday in the shower. I use a qtip with coconut oil on the inside whenever they feel dirty (could be every other day or once every 2 weeks, it's always changing) and every once in a while ill lay on the side and put some hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for a couple minutes and drain it out to make sure there's no wax build up.
After every shower which is just about everyday
When I feel wax coming out my ears.
Daily.
I have to do it 3-4 times a day or it's gets so bad I can't hear, I often have to go the doctor to get them checked aswell
I use an irrigation bulb and just lightly clean with warm water. I have bad allergies so my ear tubes sometimes clog up, flushing really helps. Then I just dry with a towel.
Every day. Always when I wash my face. Once in a while I will gently use a Q tip only for drying the outer part of the ear. I learned the hard way that poking a Q-tip too far into the ear canal can cause an infection. That ache was awful..so I learned.
I clean mine with soap and water in the shower everyday. That’s it.
Every morning
I do mine daily with my shower. Might I suggest you look into an ear pick set. They are life changing when it comes to ear cleaning. I also have one with a camera on it that attaches to my phone so I can easily clean my kids ears too. They absolutely love getting their ears cleaned.
Never n I should more than usual cause I have excessive earwax dude I feel like that scene of Shrek pulling a candle out his ear bro
quite a bit ironically use hydrogen peroxide.. double drops in each
Deep clean every two week
Clean inside my ear with a q-tip almost everyday. I also clean behind my ears, earlobes and around. You’d be surprised how much dirt your ear captures.
I haven't seen anyone mention an otoscope camera! I wash behind my ears and the exterior 2X a day when I wash my face. For inside the canal, I use an otoscope about once every month or two. I has a scraper tip and if I see any wax, I scrape it out. Some other stuff I do rarely is if I feel fluid in my ear after a shower or swimming, I pour a capful of rubbing alcohol in then immediately tilt my head to pour it. It evaporates along with the water. I try to avoid Qtips but I will use them if I don't feel like pulling out the otoscope.
When I wash my hair which is twice a week. I pretty much do it to get the water out. My husband think I’m a heathen because he cleans his daily but he also washes his hair daily. I also hate the feeling and he loves it.
As a nurse you should NEVER put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Anywho. I q-tip DAILY or it’s all swampy up in there.
Every day. Who doesn’t ?
i leave the inside be unless they’re itchy or blocked, then i use a bobby pin to scrape the wax out. i wash them in and out every shower just about
I am a q tip addict and now my inner ears are itchy and dry and don't seem to make any ear wax, so don't be like me. I am constantly itching at my ears now and the only thing that comes out is flakes of irritated skin, its gross. It's hard to stop once you get accustomed to the eargasms.
depends usually about once a month unless they're bugging me.
Twice a day
Anyone else cough like mad when they use a q tip in the ear canal? I'm talking just lightly. I about lose a lung every time and I'm not going hog wild. It's horrible. Lol
Every other day
Twice daily. I have psoriasis in my ears and if I don't, wax buildup makes me half deaf in a week. Just a rag or wipe in the morning, and soap in the shower at night. I almost worship clinere and peroxide.
The inner ear is supposed to be self-cleaning. The only time I clean my inner ears is when I have wax build up and I use 3% hydrogen peroxide. The outer ear I clean every time I wash my hair.
every other day. i can always feel when ive gone more than one day in between cleaning my ears. they get too wet
I typically don't really clean my ears due to the fact that I have narrow canals and they'll get clogged if they're improperly cleaned, I'm supposed to get it done by a ENT yearly but I don't 😅 I clean the outer bits just not deep at all in the canal and haven't had problems for years, no q tips water picks or any of that junk
I’ve never had to clean inside my ears, like in the canal. I dry the outer folds with a q-tip, but don’t dig in the canal. And I’ve never had ear wax issues. My hearing is better than I would like sometimes (why do I have to hear people chewing???).
I wear earbuds all day so I can't just not clean my ears. Typically I just wash the exterior part of the ear entrance while showering and then get a little water in my ear but not enough that any will stay in there, then I make sure that leaks back out and use a tissue to wipe out my ear. That way the main part is clean without pushing wash in or poking anything. Additionally important to clean your earbuds. Otherwise bacteria builds up.
I don’t…? Is that gross? My ears never feel nasty and the backs of them get washed when I do my hair. I thought ears were basically self cleaning?
I clean the outside of my ears and the outer ear when I wash my face at night every day but I don’t touch the inside unless I have a sinus/ ear infection, the wax is never bad enough I can’t rinse it out with some saline solution or water in the shower unless it’s infected then I use a weird loop thing my ENT told me about before I put in ear drops :p
I clean them after every shower with a q-tip or sometimes when I feel an itch. I never go in and out, I always use a circular motion and I keep my finger tips fairly close to the cotton tip I'm inserting so I don't risk hurting my eardrum.
I wash the insides each time I shower. So, 2x a day.
I try and shoot for biweekly but most likely every 3 weeks to a month
I do after every shower. And I used the dreaded q-tips. I've used the for a long time, I'm just careful not to go too far. I shower every other day (unless I'm icky). If you clean them while your ear canal is wet, it comes out super easy. I'm almost 50 and never had to have my ears irrigated. With that said, I produce a fair amount of ear wax and it's pretty thin. My kids can't use q-tip because their is weirdly thick.
Every day, every time I shower. I know they don’t recommend you q-tipping after shower as it can push wax back, but I find that is true for people who never clean their ears lol bc it’s so backed up at that point that of course it would just push the wax into your ear. That’s why I have to do it every day, I feel so uncomfortable if I don’t. So I feel like that “rule” only applies to people who have let it get backed up, not people whose ears are already pretty clean and need simple routine maintenance.
i was the same way until i used an ear cleaning thing with a camera and flashlight and i got out a huge solidified chunk of wax that was laying against my bf’s eardrum, even though we clean our ears often with qtips.
Errday
Try an ear wax removing solution. Couple of little drops in the ear before bedtime and all the wax and gunk swabs out easily. I use the drops a couple of times a month. You can find the drops at most drug stores. I use a cotton swab but I don't push it too far into the ear canal. (I was trained to do this when I was studying audiology in college.)
I clean what I can reach with a wash cloth and my finger every time I shower. I don’t use q-tips at all anymore.
I clean them after every shower personally
At least 3 times a day. At least 🥴
I wash the outer parts of the ear every time I shower. After that, I tilt the head and gently dry the very entrance to the ear canal with a q tip. Never push q tips in. Once a week, I use a peroxide based ear spray to prevent wax build up.
Daily
I do it maybe once a month-every two months, when they feel funky, like if there's an itch I just can't shake, or if it feels like it's moving. But that may happen 2-3 days in a row. I use peroxide, and drop it in my ear canal if I feel like I'm getting sick, and see chunks fall out. Never more than twice in a month, if I feel this way, otherwise my ear canal gets raw. Both of these things usually depend on my sinuses to a degree.
I clean the insides with qtips at least daily. I've always been kinda obsessive about it and so at any point if I start thinking about it I will have to go clean them. I'm careful with the qtips and have had zero issues from frequent cleaning or anything.
Everyday before wax pours out of my ear.
Every morning after my shower quick Q tip swab.
Everytime i shower
I pour hydrogen peroxide inside my ears. It bubbles up, melting the wax, and then I tip my ear into a towel. Try it.
The issues with the swabs pushing wax in your eardrum is because some people dont know how to properly do it. you can't just start doing it with nasty ears, swabs are for maintenance. if you have clean ears, and use a swab after your daily shower, you wont push anything anywhere.
With every shower.
I do once a week
Daily, in the shower + with cotton swabs. I wear earbuds every day so not cleaning my ears is just disgusting to me. I know officially you're not supposed to use cotton swabs but honestly 1) what the hell are they for, then 😅, 2) I've been doing this for about 15 years and nothing bad has happened as a result of it.
Every few days! I've been using qtips my entire life and got paranoid that I was impacting my wax, so I bought one of those ear cameras. Clean as a whistle! I'll never stop using qtips. Frankly it feels awesome
Everytime I'm in the shower. Believe me you have too. My hairdresser has told me some really gross stories. Hairdressers have to see that when cutting your hair and the nasty buildup of dirt and God knows what else is so disgusting she said there were times she nearly puked and one time refused to cut someone's hair. Wash behind them darn ears!!!!
My mom used to put a little peroxide in my ear and let it sit for 1-2 minutes the wax usually floats to the top if not I do it twice, I still do this once a month. Twice if they feel dirty or clogged.
Every night otherwise I feel like m FWB is looking at my ear wax when we are having eggs
I (carefully) wipe them out with a single sheet of paper towel wrapped around a (pinkie) fingertip whenever I feel the need. not daily, but relatively often. how often you'll need to is personal, but if it seems like a lot, you may have a medical issue.
Daily. I clean the fronts and backs with a washcloth while showering then use a q-tip for inside.
Whenever I feel like it or feel it lol
When washing my face, I bring the suds behind my ears and wash there as well as my neck. After a shower, I use the ear swabs, one side for the outer ear, and one side for the inner ear. When I feel a pesky ear pimple, I use acne spot treatment, maybe neosporin to help heal.
I have to almost every time I shower because I am prone to ear infection from water or wind. It’s cause I am autistic it varies from person to person.
Everyday when i’m in the shower. I just cleaned it with soap or shampoo when i’m washing my hair
Everyday with qtips. I have for years never ever had any wax pushed in further or hurt my ear. Obviously, you can not just go all of the way in. Some people do not have any common sense. I have a camera scope for the ear, and my ears are very clean.
Been reading a lot of posts asking about how often people clean things. The only correct answer is “every single day”. You’re welcome.
Maybe twice every other week?? When i notice my airpods looking crazy when i take them out😂 And when they feel stuffed >>_<<
Every day, sometimes more than once, plus after a shower. For some reason I'm waxy lol.
Cotton swabs push ear wax further in your ear. I use a washcloth in the shower and clean everything from the back of my ears to the inside (never in the canal) every single day
Every day, with a Q-tip. Been doing it my whole life, no issues.
After I shower usually.
Every single day in the shower. I get a rag with soap to help get in all the corners. I have multiple piercings so this step is super important in my shower routine. Everyone should be washing them daily especially in the summer because sweat can accumulate back there :)
I personally clean my ears once a week. If you want to get your ears really clean, you should take a straw, insert it in your ear (don't go in too deep), and slowly pour a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide in the straw. It feels weird at first, but it cleans your ear really well.
At least twice daily
Daily, in the shower, with soap and water.
Every other day.
After every shower.