Please log in with your username or email to continue. By ear wax removal videos our site, you agree to our cookie policy. How is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Shari Forschen is a Registered Nurse at Sanford Health in North Dakota.
She received her Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s from the University of North Dakota and has been a nurse since 2003. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 164,203 times. Contrary to popular belief, earwax has a lot of health benefits! The substance actually protects and lubricates the ear. As helpful as it may be, it’s possible to have too much. If a lot of earwax accumulates at your eardrum, it can be difficult to hear and just plain uncomfortable.
Luckily, there are several DIY solutions you can try to get rid of that extra wax. Regardless of what method you choose, remember this golden rule: never remove earwax by placing a cotton swab in your ear. Fill an ear dropper with mineral or olive oil. Both substances lubricate the ear canal and dissolve ear wax. Though this method is medically approved, do not irrigate your ears yourself if you have a perforated eardrum, have recently had ear surgery, or if you are experiencing any ear pain or drainage.
Remember the old chemistry saying “like dissolves like”? This applies to getting rid of earwax as well. The best way to dissolve oils and waxes is to use other oils. Hold the bottle in your hands to warm it up. You want the oil to be around body temperature.
Oil that is too cold or too hot can make you dizzy due to the temperature change in your ear. Holding the bottle in your hands should warm it up! You can also warm the oil by placing the bottle in hot water for about five minutes. Do a test on your wrist to make sure it’s not too hot. Don’t use the microwave to heat oil. It can be difficult to evenly heat oils to the right temperature in microwaves.
Tilt your head to drop the fluid into your ears. Use the ear dropper to drop 1-2 drops of oil into your ear. As the oil enters your ear canal, keep your head tilted to let it drip down to the earwax. It may feel a little chilly.
This is completely normal and will pass quickly! Keep your head tilted for 1 minute to let the oil break up the wax. This gives the substance enough time to drip into your ear and dissolve the wax. After 1 minute, tilt your head to the other side and let the fluid drain out the opposite ear.
Keep a tissue handy to clean up any excess fluid that drips down your face and neck! Rinse your ears using an ear wash bulb to wash out any excess fluid. First, fill the bulb with warm water. Next, tilt your head again and place the end of the bulb near the opening of your ear.
Gently squeeze the water near the opening of your ear. This gets rid of any additional earwax and helps wash out the oil! Avoid placing the bulb in the ear canal. Near the opening of the ear is close enough!