Make a Homemade Ear Cleaner

Earwax — medically known as cerumen — acts to protect and lubricate the ear. [1] Cerumen impaction, or the accumulation of earwax at the eardrum, can sometimes occur even though the ears are normally "self-cleaning." Symptoms of this include ear aches, partial or complete hearing loss, ringing in the ears, itchiness, ear odor or discharge, and a feeling of fullness in the ears.[2] There are a number of commercial products that can help cleanse your ears and remove excess earwax, including both drops and solutions as well as devices that use mild suction to draw out earwax and dirt particles.[3][4] You should never attempt to remove earwax by placing instruments (such as Q-tips) into your ears — instead, soften the wax by using a few drops of your own ear cleaner made right at home.

Ingredients

Oil-Based Cleaner

  • Ear dropper bottle or bottle with eye dropper cap
  • Olive or mineral oil
  • Additional oils (St. John's wort, mullein, garlic, etc.) (optional)
  • Cotton ball (optional)
  • Ear wash bulb (optional)

Saline Solution

  • ½ cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt or table salt)
  • Cotton ball or ear dropper
  • Ear wash bulb (optional)

Hydrogen Peroxide Solution

  • Equal parts warm water and hydrogen peroxide
  • Cotton ball or ear dropper

Steps

Making an Oil-Based Cleaner

  1. Get a small bottle. You can either get an ear dropper bottle or a small (1 oz) brown bottle with an eye-dropper cap.
  2. Fill the bottle with your chosen oil. Use either mineral oil or olive oil.[5]
    • Oil-based cleaners have the advantage of lubricating the ear canal. Because earwax is a wax, a type of semisolid oil, the oil-based cleaners are better able to dissolve the earwax.[5] Remember the old chemistry saying "like dissolves like"? This holds for getting rid of earwax. The best way to dissolve oils and waxes is to use other oils.[6]
    • Add any additional oils to the solution. If you have an earache, add five drops of mullein oil and three drops of St John’s wort for every ounce of olive/mineral oil.[7] St John’s wort oil has pain-relieving properties,[8] while mullein oil protects the skin of the ear canal and has anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory (pain relief) and anti-viral properties.[9] Check with a knowledgeable healthcare professional before using St John’s wort because it can interact with a variety of prescription medications.[10]
    • Garlic oil can also be used in an oil-based solution as an anti-bacterial agent. If you want to add garlic oil to your olive/mineral oil, decrease the mullein oil to three drops and the St John’s oil to two drops. Then add three drops of garlic oil.[11]
  3. Warm the oil in your hands. You want the oil to be around body temperature to prevent dizziness.
    • You can also warm the oil by placing the bottle in very hot water for about five minutes.
    • Do a test on your wrist to be certain it is not too hot.
    • Do not use the microwave to heat the oil. It can be difficult to evenly heat oils to the proper temperature in microwaves.[12]
  4. Saturate a saturate a small piece of a cotton ball with the pre-warmed oil. Place the cotton piece in your ear.
    • Alternatively, tilt your head and using an ear dropper, place one to two drops of the pre-warmed oil into your ear.
    • As the oil enters the ear canal, it may give you a bit of a chill. This is completely normal and will pass quickly. It may mean that you need the oil slightly warmer.
  5. Keep your head tilted for the three to five minutes. This will ensure that the solution does not drain out too much. Do make sure that you have tissues nearby to catch any drainage, though, especially if you used drops. Then, remove the cotton ball if used.
    • You could try lying down on your side, with the non-affected ear and side of your face on a pillow. This will enable the solution to sink in to your affected ear without straining your neck by trying to hold it tilted while sitting or standing.
  6. Repeat the procedure three to five times a day. This should remove any earwax over time.
    • You can also follow up this "ear soak" with a rinse, using an ear wash bulb. Fill the bulb with plain warm water. After the three to five minute soak (as described above), tilt your head again and gently place the end of the bulb near the opening of the ear. Do not place it in the ear canal. Gently squeeze out the water around the opening of your ear. Repeat this rinse two to three times. Most of the time, two to three treatments (oil soak plus the water rinse) are sufficient to remove most of the earwax.[5]
    • Avoid having your ears irrigated if you have diabetes, a perforated eardrum, a tube in the eardrum, or a weakened immune system. In these cases, irrigation should be done under the care of a medical professional.[13]

Making a Saline Solution

  1. Warm ½ cup of water. The water should be warm but not hot. You could boil water in a kettle and pour out the required amount and let it stand until its temperature lowers.[14] Alternatively, you could also run your tap until the water is quite warm (i.e., not tepid).
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Sea salt is best but table salt will work fine as well.[14]
    • This combination of warm water and salt is what gives the saline solution its name. "Saline" means containing or impregnated with salt.
  3. Soak a piece of a cotton ball in the saline solution. Place the cotton in your ear for three to five minutes.
    • You can also use this solution without a cotton ball. Tilt your head and using an ear dropper, place one to two drops of the prewarmed saltwater into your ear.
  4. Keep your head tilted for the three to five minutes. This will ensure that the solution does not drain out too much. Do make sure that you have tissues nearby to catch any drainage, though, especially if you used drops. Then, remove the cotton ball if used.
  5. Repeat the procedure three to five times a day. This should remove any earwax over time.
    • A warm saline solution will work to dissolve the earwax like an oil-based one. However, you may have to repeat the process a few more times than you would using oil because the warm saline does not dissolve the earwax as well as oils do.
    • You can also follow up this "ear soak" with a rinse, using an ear wash bulb. Fill the bulb with saline solution. After the three to five minute soak (as described above), tilt your head again and gently place the end of the bulb near the opening of the ear. Do not place it in the ear canal. Gently squeeze out the saline around the opening of your ear. Repeat this rinse two to three times. Most of the time, two to three treatments (saline soak plus the water rinse) are sufficient to remove most of the earwax.[5]

Making a Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner

  1. Buy 3% hydrogen peroxide. You can usually find this at your local drug store.
  2. Mix equal parts very warm water and hydrogen peroxide. Drop a few drops of the solution on your wrist to make sure it is the right temperature.[14]
  3. Follow the same method as given for the oil and saline solutions. Use a cotton ball or ear dropper to apply the solution to your inner ear. Wait several minutes with your head tilted.

Warnings

  • If after two to three days of cleaning out your ears at home, the symptoms of earwax buildup have not improved, consult your physician. Your doctor will be able to diagnose whether the accumulation of earwax is the cause of these symptoms and will also be able to effectively remove accumulated earwax.
  • Avoid using ear candles to clean out the ears. Ear candles have have been associated with a number of injuries, including burns, perforation of the eardrum, and the entrance of candle wax into the ear canal. In addition, there are no studies indicating that ear candling is effective. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also pointed out that your risk of ear injury is higher with ear candling than with other methods.[15][3]
  • If you notice ear discharge, contact your physician right away. Do not attempt to clean your ears yourself.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.entnet.org/content/earwax-and-care
  2. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/earwax-blockage/basics/symptoms/con-20018904
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm201108.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/earwax-blockage/basics/treatment/con-20018904
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072538/
  6. ↑ http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/bonding/LikeDissolveslike.htm
  7. ↑ http://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hn-2168009
  8. ↑ Sardella, A., Lodi, G., Demarosi, F., Tarozzi, M., Canegallo, L., and Carrassi, A. Hypericum perforatum extract in burning mouth syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled study. J.Oral Pathol.Med. 2008;37(7):395-401.
  9. ↑ Tadeg, H., Mohammed, E., Asres, K., and Gebre-Mariam, T. Antimicrobial activities of some selected traditional Ethiopian medicinal plants used in the treatment of skin disorders. J Ethnopharmacol 8-22-2005;100(1-2):168-175
  10. ↑ Markowitz JS, Donovan JL, DeVane CL, et al. Effect of St. John's wort on drug metabolism by induction of cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme. JAMA 2003;290:1500-4
  11. ↑ Ross, Z. M., O'Gara, E. A., Hill, D. J., Sleightholme, H. V., and Maslin, D. J. Antimicrobial properties of garlic oil against human enteric bacteria: evaluation of methodologies and comparisons with garlic oil sulfides and garlic powder. Appl.Environ.Microbiol. 2001;67(1):475-480.
  12. ↑ http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/12/microwaves-that-heat-unevenly-can-pose-food-safety-problems/index.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.entnet.org/?q=node/1254
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 http://www.homeremedyshop.com/6-home-remedies-for-safe-ear-wax-removal/
  15. ↑ http://www.audiology.org/news/ear-candles-and-candling-ineffective-and-dangerous
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