How to Clean Your Ears Safely: Earwax, Cotton Swabs and Blocked Ears

Short answer: Healthy ear canals usually do not need routine internal cleaning. Earwax is protective and normally migrates outward on its own. Clean only the outer ear that you can see. Do not insert cotton swabs, hairpins or other objects into the canal, and do not use ear candles.

If you have ear fullness, hearing loss, tinnitus or discomfort, do not assume the cause is earwax. The same symptoms can come from middle-ear pressure, infection, eardrum problems or other conditions. An ear examination is often the simplest way to tell the difference.

What earwax is for

Earwax, or cerumen, is a normal part of the ear canal’s defense system. It helps trap dust and debris, lubricates the canal skin and slows the growth of microorganisms.

In most people, wax gradually moves toward the canal opening as the skin migrates and the jaw moves. It then falls out or can be wiped away from the outside.

The older version of this article gave a precise monthly earwax-production amount. That number was not well supported and is unnecessary for deciding how to care for the ear.

How should you clean a healthy ear?

Usually, you only need to wash the outer ear gently during normal bathing and dry the opening with a towel.

You do not need to insert a finger, cotton pad, antiseptic, hydrogen peroxide or another object one centimeter into a normal ear canal as routine hygiene. The goal is not to make the canal wax-free.

Over-cleaning can irritate the canal, push wax inward and increase the chance of impaction or injury.

AAO-HNS Clinical Practice Guideline: Cerumen Impaction.

Why cotton swabs are a bad ear-cleaning tool

Cotton swabs often remove a little wax from the opening while pushing deeper wax farther into the canal. They can also scratch the canal skin or, if inserted far enough, injure the eardrum.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery specifically advises against putting cotton swabs, hairpins, keys or similar objects into the ear canal.

A useful rule is simple: do not put an object into the ear canal to remove wax.

Ear candles do not remove earwax safely

Ear candling has not been shown to remove impacted wax and can cause burns, candle-wax obstruction and eardrum injury. It should not be used for ear cleaning.

What does earwax impaction feel like?

Impacted earwax can cause ear fullness, reduced hearing, earache, itching, tinnitus, dizziness, odor or discharge. But these symptoms are not specific to wax.

Mayo Clinic emphasizes an important point: there is no reliable way to know that symptoms are caused by excess wax without looking in the ear. Hearing loss or fullness can have another cause that needs treatment.

Mayo Clinic: Earwax blockage.

Can you soften earwax at home?

Some people with known or recurrent wax buildup can use earwax-softening drops. Options used clinically include commercial carbamide-peroxide products, saline, mineral oil, glycerin or other cerumenolytic preparations.

But home drops and irrigation are not appropriate for everyone. Do not put liquid into the ear if you may have a perforated eardrum, ear tubes, active ear infection, ear drainage, significant ear pain, or certain previous ear surgeries unless a healthcare professional has told you it is safe.

For people with diabetes, immunocompromise, recurrent ear-canal infections or altered ear anatomy, professional assessment is especially sensible before home irrigation.

Mayo Clinic: Earwax blockage diagnosis and treatment.

Should you flush your own ears?

Home irrigation can work in selected people with an intact eardrum and uncomplicated wax impaction, but it is easy to use too much pressure, the wrong temperature or irrigation when a perforation or infection is present.

The safest option when you are unsure of the diagnosis or anatomy is professional removal. A clinician can inspect the canal and eardrum first and then choose irrigation, suction, a curette or another method based on what is actually there.

A “blocked ear” is not always earwax

This was a major source of confusion in the older version of this article. Earwax blockage occurs in the external ear canal. Pressure problems after flying, diving, a cold or nasal congestion usually involve the middle ear and Eustachian tube.

They can feel similar, but the treatment is different.

What can help pressure-related ear fullness?

For mild pressure imbalance during flying or altitude change, swallowing, yawning or chewing can help the Eustachian tube open.

A gentle Valsalva maneuver — closing the mouth, pinching the nose and gently trying to exhale — can sometimes equalize pressure. It should not be forceful. Stop if it causes significant pain or dizziness.

The previous article suggested having another person blow air into your nose while you swallow. I would not recommend that as a home method. It is uncontrolled and unnecessary.

If ear fullness persists after a cold or flight, is one-sided, is associated with hearing loss, severe pain or discharge, or repeatedly returns, the ear should be examined rather than repeatedly “popped.”

When should you see a doctor?

Seek medical assessment if you have sudden or substantial hearing loss, significant ear pain, pus or bloody drainage, persistent dizziness or vertigo, fever with ear symptoms, or symptoms after inserting an object into the ear.

Symptoms such as pain, hearing loss, tinnitus or drainage can be caused by wax, but they can also indicate infection, eardrum perforation or another ear disorder.

If you suspect a ruptured eardrum, keep the ear dry and do not place drops into it unless a clinician specifically recommends them.

How a clinician removes impacted earwax

After examining the ear, a clinician may soften the wax, irrigate it when appropriate, remove it with a small curette, or use suction under direct visualization.

The best method depends on the consistency and location of the wax, the condition of the ear canal and eardrum, prior surgery, infection risk and available equipment.

Bottom line

Healthy ears are mostly self-cleaning. Wash the outer ear; do not routinely clean inside the canal.

Do not use cotton swabs or sharp objects. They can push wax deeper or injure the canal and eardrum.

Do not use ear candles. They do not have evidence of benefit and can cause harm.

Do not assume every blocked feeling is wax. Middle-ear pressure, infection and other problems can produce similar symptoms.

Home wax-softening treatment is only for selected situations. If there may be a perforation, tubes, infection, drainage, previous ear surgery or an uncertain diagnosis, get the ear examined first.

Sources

1. American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Clinical Practice Guideline: Earwax (Cerumen Impaction).

2. Mayo Clinic. Earwax blockage: symptoms and causes. Updated 2025.

3. Mayo Clinic. Earwax blockage: diagnosis and treatment.