Cleaning your ears is a relatively common thing to do, but there’s rarely any information about it because it’s not something that’s very intricate or requires much detail.

People also generally don’t talk about cleaning their ears, but with how important our hearing is and how easy it is to damage our ears with improper cleaning methods, it’s very important to learn how to properly clean your ears.

In this article, you’ll discover a bit of basic information on how you should really be cleaning your ears.

Should you actually clean your ears?

The short answer is; not really. Your ears have their own self-cleaning methods which essentially make your ear wax fall out as it builds up. This means that you’ll never get a buildup of wax unless something has happened.

For instance, you might have impacted ear wax or you might be facing an infection that is causing your ears to produce more wax than usual. There’s also the issue of cerumen impaction which means that the earwax has completely filled your ear and you may need to speak to a doctor. If you believe you have excess earwax then you should seek professional help to safely remove earwax and don’t attempt to do it yourself.

In short; you ears don’t really need much cleaning at all. Of course, you can always use a wet cloth to clean around the edges of your ear and the outside for cosmetic and hygiene purposes, but the inner canal usually doesn’t need to be cleaned.

Read on to discover the proper way to clean your ears.

A word on cotton swabs

Proper ways to clean your ears Canva

Cotton swabs are very common for cleaning your ears, but they’re actually not a very good choice. This is because the cotton swabs don’t do much to get rid of the wax outside of dislodging it, but the way most people use the cotton swab means that they’re actually pushing the ear wax further into the ear. This can lead to impacted ear wax and can be troublesome to deal with.

Read on to discover how to safely use cotton buds when cleaning your ears.

The proper way to clean your ears

So to conclude the article, let’s take a look at a couple of proper ways to clean your ears.

Ask your doctor to remove the wax using microsuction. This is generally only needed if you have a lot of excess ear wax in your ears.
Use a damp cloth in the shower or in the morning to clean your ears as well as your face. Make sure you do not insert your finger into your ear as it could damage your ear if you force it in.
If you do want to use cotton swabs, then make sure you’re only cleaning the edge of the ear canal and do not insert it too deeply.
You can use irrigation to clean your ears, but this may require the assistance of a doctor.
An ear wax softener can also be used to soften the wax so that it is removed more easily.

How do I clean my ears?

I use a wet flannel in the shower to wipe all around my ears to clean them. After showering I will use a cotton bud around the tricky to get to parts of the ear that are on the outside and the edge of the ear canal. I don’t stick the cotton bud in the ear canal. Never ever stick a cotton bud in the ear canal as you could damage your ear!

How can I naturally clean my ears at home?

To naturally clean your ears at home, simply follow the above advice. Use a wet cloth in the shower to clean the outside of the ear. Running your ears under the running shower water or submerging them in water in the bath will also help to remove any wax that has come to the surface.

If you use cotton swabs then make sure you buy plastic free cotton swabs that are made with sustainable bamboo or paper.

To conclude, you shouldn’t be trying to remove the wax that’s deep in your ear. It should naturally fall out but if it does start to pile up, then asking a doctor for advice is the safest solution.