Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Preliminary preparation
• Method 2 of 3: Cleaning your ears
• Method 3 of 3: Using Peroxide Safely
• Tips
• Warnings

For natural reasons, earwax builds up in everyone's ears, and excessive amounts of it can lead to plugging, impair hearing, cause discomfort, and increase the risk of ear infections. Many people use cotton swabs to clean their ears, but this will push the earwax deeper into the ear canal, which can damage the ear. It is better to use hydrogen peroxide for these purposes. With proper precautions, cleaning your ears with peroxide is safe and effective.

Attention:the information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any methods, consult your doctor.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Preliminary preparation

1. 1 Check with your doctor before cleaning your ears at home. All people produce earwax, which protects the ears from bacteria and fungi. Occasionally, this can lead to ear plugs - if you experience pain, fullness, pressure in the ear, or hearing impairment, check with your doctor to make sure excess earwax is causing the problem.
   • It is best if the earwax is removed by a healthcare professional.
   • If the problem isn't due to excess earwax, hydrogen peroxide can damage your ear.
   • If approved by your doctor, hydrogen peroxide can be used at home. Talk to your doctor about the appropriate materials and methods for cleaning your ears at home.
2. 2 Consider purchasing an ear cleaning kit. Pharmacies sell pre-made earwax removal kits that are specifically designed for home use. Often these kits include earwax softening drops such as Debrox or Murine, which contain diluted hydrogen peroxide. The kit may also include a syringe with a spray can and other necessary tools.
3. 3 Stock up on everything you need. You can use materials at hand that are already in your home. The cleaning process takes about 30–45 minutes. Before you start cleaning your ears, get everything you need ready. You will need the following:
   • oil to soften earwax, such as mineral oil, baby oil, olive oil, or glycerin
   • hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide solution, which can be purchased at your nearest pharmacy;
     • peroxide must be diluted - make sure that its concentration does not exceed 3%;
   • two medium bowls;
   • pipette;
   • syringe with a can;
   • clean towel.
4. 4 Heat oil and peroxide. It can be unpleasant when cold liquid gets into your ear, so warm up the oil and peroxide before using. Pour hot water into both bowls. Place a bottle of peroxide in one bowl and a bottle of oil in the other. Soak them in water for a few minutes to warm them up. You can also put butter and peroxide in two small bowls and put them in hot water.
   • Before using the oil and peroxide, drip them into the palm of your hand to check their temperature. They should be warm, but not hot.

Method 2 of 3: Cleaning your ears

1. 1 Get into a suitable position. Tilt your head to the side so that the ear you are going to brush is on top. Place a clean towel under your head (or on your shoulder under the ear to be cleaned, whichever is more convenient for you) so that the liquid drips onto it.
2. 2 Soften your earwax with oil. Put some warm oil in a dropper and put about two drops into your ear. Sit with your head tilted to the side for about 3 minutes to allow the oil to flow into your ear.
   • Do not insert the pipette deep into the ear canal. Insert the dropper gently into your ear and let the oil flow down your ear canal.
3. 3 Add warm peroxide. Take a few drops of peroxide into the pipette and carefully place it in the same ear. Then wait about 10 minutes.
   • You may experience gurgling, tingling, or itching as the peroxide takes effect. Also, you may have a crackling sound in your ear.
4. 4 Wash your earwax with warm water. After about 10 minutes, the gurgling will end. After that, draw some warm water into a syringe with a spray can. Lean over so that the ear to be washed is over the sink. Point the syringe at a 45 ° angle to your ear and gently inject warm water into your ear canal. With your free hand, pull the auricle back and up - as a result, the ear canal straightens and allows water to pass through more easily.
5. 5 Dry your ear well. Let the water, peroxide, and oil drain into a sink or towel. You may see earwax come out with the fluid. Pull the pinna back and up to allow the fluid to drain more easily from the ear canal, and wait for it to drain completely.
6. 6 Dry your ear gently. Blot your ear with a towel. To dry your ear canal, you can use a hair dryer cold or slightly warm.
7. 7 Rinse your other ear. Do the same for the other ear. Heat the peroxide and oil again if cool.
8. 8 Repeat the procedure as needed. You may need to do this several times to get the earwax softened enough to wash out all or most of the earwax. You can repeat the procedure for several days. If your symptoms do not improve after several attempts, see your doctor.
   • After the first cleaning of the ears, this procedure can be repeated once a month.
   • If you often have excess earwax or other ear problems, you can soften the wax with oil once a week. Place 2-3 drops of oil in each ear and rinse with warm water. Weekly use of peroxide can lead to dry ears.
9. 9 Use peroxide once a week for swimmer's ear. The so-called swimmer's ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the outer ear (outside the eardrum) and often occurs in those who swim. If a swimmer's ear frequently catches you and your doctor has diagnosed it in the past, periodically flush your ears with peroxide to help prevent infection.
   • As a protective measure, you can also put 2-3 drops of oil in each ear before swimming.

Method 3 of 3: Using Peroxide Safely

1. 1 If you have sensitive skin, add mineral oil or baby oil to the peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide can be too harsh for sensitive skin. Peroxide dries out the skin, which can cause irritation if you are sensitive and prone to acne. If the peroxide dries out your ear canals, try adding a few drops of mineral oil or baby oil to it. If that doesn't work, try another method for cleaning your ears.
   • Try rinsing your ears with warm water or saline instead of peroxide. Prepare a saline solution by dissolving ½ teaspoon (3-4 grams) of salt in a glass (250 milliliters) of boiled water.
2. 2 See your doctor if you have symptoms of an ear infection. If you have an ear infection, do not try to flush your ears with peroxide. See a doctor who can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment - depending on what is causing the infection, you may need antibiotics.
   • Ear infections may be indicated by ear pain (especially when lying down), hearing impairment, and fluid discharge from the ear. There may also be a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear and fever.
   • Look for possible signs of an ear infection in your baby, such as frequent crying, ear pulling, poor sleep, impaired hearing and impaired response to sound, temperature 38 ° C or higher, poor balance, refusal to eat, and complaints of headaches.
3. 3 If you have a punctured eardrum, keep your ear clean and dry. If the eardrum is punctured or ruptured, no liquid should enter the ear. A ruptured eardrum is indicated by increasing pain and pressure in the ear, then the pain quickly passes, fluid is released from the ear and hearing disappears. See a doctor right away - usually the eardrum will heal on its own, but surgery may be necessary. When doing this, keep your ear clean and dry.
   • Do not use peroxide with tympanostomy tubes. For some children with frequent ear infections, small, hollow tubes are implanted into the eardrum. Do not use peroxide if you have ever had ear surgery.

Tips

• Clean your ears after taking a warm shower, when the earwax softens slightly.
• Do not use peroxide and antibacterial drops at the same time. Peroxide interacts with antibiotics. At least 30 minutes should elapse between the use of peroxide and antibiotics.

Warnings

• If using hydrogen peroxide at home hasn't helped clear your ears, seek medical attention. You may be referred to an otolaryngologist.
• Never put objects of any kind, including cotton swabs, into your ears. Do not use paper clips or a pencil to pick out the earwax. You can push the ear plug deeper and severely damage the eardrum.
• Do not use ear candles. They have not been proven effective and can damage the ear.
• If using peroxide increases symptoms or causes pain, stop immediately and see a doctor.
• See your doctor if you experience any discharge from your ear or if your ear pain is severe.