Stop cleaning your ears wrong

Whether shouted at you by an angry schoolteacher or said as a gentle reminder by a cautious parent, “Clean your ears” is something most of us know we should be doing regularly. That’s why it’s so shocking that so few of us know how to actually do it.

Case in point: According to industry analysts, the cotton swab market grew from $795 million in 2024 to $828 million in 2025, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 3.8 percent. And yet, ask any doctor and they’ll tell you that sticking a Q-Tip (or equivalent) into your ear canal is the single worst thing you can possibly do.

Why is there such a disconnect? We have to clean our ears, yet there doesn’t seem to be a clear sense of how to do it effectively. Some of it has to do with confusion around what “cleaning your ears” means in the first place, and some of it has to do with a general misunderstanding of the role and function of ear wax.

So to help, here are some tips on how to effectively and safely clean your ears:

1. DON’T

In general, your ears are pretty self-sustained. Tiny hairs in your ear (known as cilia) work with ear wax (technical name: cerumen) to keep debris from entering your ear canal. These hairs can also help to clear your ear of wax buildup, moving the wax through the inner parts of the ear to keep your ear canal open. In most cases, your ear is protecting and cleaning itself, so you really don’t have to stress about getting in there and “helping.”

As Dr. Olivia Ginty, an ear, nose, and throat specialist who recently appeared on an ear-cleaning-centric episode of the Talking with Docs YouTube channel, put it, “It’s normal to have ear wax, we like it there, it’s good for the ear – keeps it moist, keeps it healthy.”

Using cotton swabs or any device that actually enters your ear canal is dangerous, because rather than removing excess wax, it’s simply pushing it further into the ear. If the wax is pushed beyond the cilia, the two elements are no longer working together, and that causes wax to build up. Cotton swabs can also compact the wax so that it’s no longer soft, mushy and helpful, it’s now rock-hard and dangerous.

Not to mention that any time you are putting something into your ear, you run the risk of puncturing your eardrum, which can lead to permanent hearing loss.

2. Warm Wet Cloths

However, you have free rein to clean and wash the outside of your ear! If you’re concerned about hygiene, simply washing the exterior of the ear (and behind the ear, as mother always said) with a washcloth, gentle soap, and warm water is safe and beneficial. Let the ear take care of the inside itself.

3. Cotton Balls

Some people do naturally produce an unusual amount of ear wax, and they may need to give the inner workings a little help. The idea here, again, is to be gentle and as non-invasive as possible.

Rather than jamming a cotton swab in there, simply soak a cotton ball in warm, plain water, a simple saline solution, or hydrogen peroxide, and use that to drip a few drops into your ear, while your head is tilted to one side so the opening of the ear is pointing up. Be sure to just let a few drops in, as too much water could get into the middle ear, where it has the potential to cause infection.

Keep your head tilted in that position for a minute to allow gravity to pull the fluid down through the wax, then tilt your head the other way and let the fluid and wax drain out. A bulb syringe can also be safely used to swish out the ear, but it should not be used by anyone with a damaged eardrum, as it could make things worse.

If you are prone to ear wax buildup, the Mayo Clinic suggests techniques such as using over-ear headphones rather than ear buds, to help avoid causing more ear wax production.

4. Ear Drops

There are over-the-counter eardrops that can help break up excessive earwax. Water-based options contain ingredients such as acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. Oil-based products lubricate and soften the ear wax. Studies haven’t shown that one type is necessarily better than the other.

5. Get Help

Finally, if you find you have earaches, itchiness, or even some diminished hearing, the best thing to do is get professional help. An ENT has specialized equipment such as small, curved instruments called curettes, light suction devices, and even microscopes meant specifically for looking into the ear canal. They will be able to irrigate your ear canal safely to remove wax build-up (without damaging cilia or your eardrum), while also assessing the general health of your ear’s inner workings.