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Your ears are supposed to clean themselves, but sometimes they don’t get the memo. Earwax builds up, everything sounds muffled, and you’re stuck resisting the urge to jam a Q-tip in there (which we’ll get to).
Most earwax issues happen because you’re either producing too much or your ear canal’s self-cleaning system got lazy. Either way, here’s how to fix it without rupturing anything important.
1. Check for Infections First
Before you pour anything in your ear, make sure there’s no infection happening. If you’ve got pain, discharge, or fever, that’s not just wax buildup. Get that checked before you start home treatments, because putting liquid in an infected ear is a terrible idea.
If it’s just wax and everything feels normal (just muffled), you’re good to proceed.
2. Saline Solution
Mix a teaspoon of salt in half a cup of warm water. Soak a cotton ball in it, tilt your head, and squeeze a few drops into your ear. Let it sit for a few minutes, then tilt your head the other way to drain.
The salt water softens the wax without being harsh. Repeat daily until things clear up.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
The bubbling stuff. Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide (3%) and water. Put a few drops in your ear, let it fizz for 5 minutes, then drain it out.
The fizzing breaks down the wax. It sounds dramatic but it works. Don’t use it if your eardrum’s perforated or you’ve got tubes.
4. Vinegar and Alcohol Mixture
Equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. A few drops in the ear, wait a few minutes, drain.
The vinegar dissolves wax, the alcohol dries out the ear canal. Swimmers use this trick to prevent buildup in the first place.
5. Baby Oil
Warm (not hot) baby oil. A few drops, let it sit for 10 minutes, drain. You can also use mineral oil or glycerin.
This softens stubborn wax over a few days. Slower than peroxide, gentler if your ears are sensitive.
6. Don’t Use Q-tips
Q-tips push wax deeper. That’s not paranoia, that’s physics. You’re packing it against your eardrum instead of removing it.
If you absolutely need something physical, use a damp washcloth on your finger to clean the outer ear only. Nothing goes in the canal.