… but there is a smart way to do it. You don’t just jam it in there you go as far to one angle/corner/side as you can and scrape while pulling back the Q-tip while rubbing it on the outer walls of the inner ear while pulling back can also remove a lot of wax buildup. Yes overtime and depending on the type of wax you have it can definitely cause problems but if you don’t go in there Like the scene from predator where they mow down the jungle and actually play it smart you’ll be fine.
EDIT – yes I also twist a bit.
The safest home option is using an eye dropper to add a bit of mineral oil (or baby oil, which is mineral oil with perfume) into the ear canal.
The oil will soften & loosen the wax, it may take a few times but you avoid all risk of ear drum damage.
If you need a medical clinic to water flush out your ear, they often require you to use oil beforehand so the wax is not too hard to flush out anyways.
I always love the pictures on a 500 q-tip box of someone polishing something small or…poking a baby’s face for some reason.
You really think that’s why I bought 500 q-tips, huh? Cause I’m going to polish my tiny silver replica tea set every day for a year and a half? They know! We all know!
OK, like one time, I was out in the parking lot
Tryin’ to remove my excess earwax with a golf pencil
When I see this guy Marty tryin’ to carry a big ol’ sofa up the stairs all by himself
So I, I say to him, I say, “Hey, you want me to help you with that?”
And Marty, he just rolls his eyes and goes
“No, I want you to cut off my arms and legs with a chainsaw.”
Just get one of those gentle water pick things made specifically for ears. If you have chronic ear wax buildup like I do, it’s the only way to go. After one too many infections from sticking things in there, it’s all I will ever do.
Hello all, I’d like to impart my unsolicited advice through dumbass life experience:
Always, and I mean *always* use the brand name for ear cleaning.
I am a grown woman, a mother, and also a dumbass who shops at dollar stores. A couple years ago I bought some cheap knock of q-tips aaaand the cotton slipped off deep in my ear.
I tried everything, but had to sheepishly go to the urgent care the next day for help.
Surprise! I have such tiny ears and ear canals that the tools were too big and couldn’t reach, and irrigation was useless. I had to go to an ENT practice that could use pediatric tools.
The doctor there obviously told me not to do it again.
Did I listen?
Obviously not, I did it again, assuming it was a one off. About 2 months later it happened again.
This time I went straight to the ENT office. I had a different doctor this time.
She definitely made fun of me a bit (not in an unprofessional way, I came in joking about how embarrassed I was for doing this again, and inviting her to join in at laughing at my idiocy).
She asked if I was using the cheap brands. I admitted I was. She said, if you *have to* clean your ears, always use the brand name!
I now manage to only clean my ears with q-tips around once a week (instead of my multiple times per day habit I once had. It’s an OCD thing for me, as in I actually have OCD and ear picking/ear cleaning is a problem of mine). I haven’t had a problem since I’ve stuck to brand names!
i just find it funny that the #1 use of cotton swabs is something the packaging has to tell people not to do, but the business model probably relies on people doing it anyway. incredible stuff.
I’ve worn hearing aids my whole life and I use q-tips to clean my ears and I’ve told my audiologist that I do. The thing is that most people don’t know is that it’s mainly dangerous due to wax being pussed back if you clean your ears while the wax is wet like after a shower you are actually doing it the smart way and safer way which is why my audiologist doesn’t get mad that I do it and many actually told me it’s fine that I do it that way because I negate the risk.
I’ve used a bobby pin to clean my ears for years. That little loop is perfect for grabbing the wax, and it’s not thick enough to compact the wax either. As long as you’re not jabbing that drum with it, it works wonders.
I have that liquid goop instead of earwax.
If I don’t clean them ears with a q-tip for a couple of days it feels as if a miniature butthole was not wiped
I’m not cleaning them. I’m scratching an itch.
Well, it’s better than cleaning them with the store brand generic cotton swabs.
Stick it
Deeper
Deeeeeper
… but there is a smart way to do it. You don’t just jam it in there you go as far to one angle/corner/side as you can and scrape while pulling back the Q-tip while rubbing it on the outer walls of the inner ear while pulling back can also remove a lot of wax buildup. Yes overtime and depending on the type of wax you have it can definitely cause problems but if you don’t go in there Like the scene from predator where they mow down the jungle and actually play it smart you’ll be fine.
EDIT – yes I also twist a bit.
It’s the most efficient method for getting isopropyl in my ear without spilling.
The safest home option is using an eye dropper to add a bit of mineral oil (or baby oil, which is mineral oil with perfume) into the ear canal.
The oil will soften & loosen the wax, it may take a few times but you avoid all risk of ear drum damage.
If you need a medical clinic to water flush out your ear, they often require you to use oil beforehand so the wax is not too hard to flush out anyways.
I always love the pictures on a 500 q-tip box of someone polishing something small or…poking a baby’s face for some reason.
You really think that’s why I bought 500 q-tips, huh? Cause I’m going to polish my tiny silver replica tea set every day for a year and a half? They know! We all know!
I clean my ear wax with my headphones
OK, like one time, I was out in the parking lot
Tryin’ to remove my excess earwax with a golf pencil
When I see this guy Marty tryin’ to carry a big ol’ sofa up the stairs all by himself
So I, I say to him, I say, “Hey, you want me to help you with that?”
And Marty, he just rolls his eyes and goes
“No, I want you to cut off my arms and legs with a chainsaw.”
been using q-tips after a shower over 40 years without any issue, doc says it’s clear.
I snap off the swab and stick the stick in my ear.
Just get one of those gentle water pick things made specifically for ears. If you have chronic ear wax buildup like I do, it’s the only way to go. After one too many infections from sticking things in there, it’s all I will ever do.
Doctor: You shouldn’t clean your ears out with Q-tips, it can damage your hearing
Me: What?! I can’t hear you, I need to clean my ears out! Do you have a Q-tip?!
Question, isn’t the wax supposed to protect your ears canal agains the elements ? You can use cotton swabs, but only to clean the outside.
^Psst ^Keep ^this ^a ^secret ^but ^we ^medical ^people ^do ^it ^too
It just feels SO GOOD tho
Q-tips have to be the only product where its main purpose is explicitly forbidden by the manufacturer.
Hello all, I’d like to impart my unsolicited advice through dumbass life experience:
Always, and I mean *always* use the brand name for ear cleaning.
I am a grown woman, a mother, and also a dumbass who shops at dollar stores. A couple years ago I bought some cheap knock of q-tips aaaand the cotton slipped off deep in my ear.
I tried everything, but had to sheepishly go to the urgent care the next day for help.
Surprise! I have such tiny ears and ear canals that the tools were too big and couldn’t reach, and irrigation was useless. I had to go to an ENT practice that could use pediatric tools.
The doctor there obviously told me not to do it again.
Did I listen?
Obviously not, I did it again, assuming it was a one off. About 2 months later it happened again.
This time I went straight to the ENT office. I had a different doctor this time.
She definitely made fun of me a bit (not in an unprofessional way, I came in joking about how embarrassed I was for doing this again, and inviting her to join in at laughing at my idiocy).
She asked if I was using the cheap brands. I admitted I was. She said, if you *have to* clean your ears, always use the brand name!
I now manage to only clean my ears with q-tips around once a week (instead of my multiple times per day habit I once had. It’s an OCD thing for me, as in I actually have OCD and ear picking/ear cleaning is a problem of mine). I haven’t had a problem since I’ve stuck to brand names!
i just find it funny that the #1 use of cotton swabs is something the packaging has to tell people not to do, but the business model probably relies on people doing it anyway. incredible stuff.
Feel so good to hit that Q spot though
I’ve worn hearing aids my whole life and I use q-tips to clean my ears and I’ve told my audiologist that I do. The thing is that most people don’t know is that it’s mainly dangerous due to wax being pussed back if you clean your ears while the wax is wet like after a shower you are actually doing it the smart way and safer way which is why my audiologist doesn’t get mad that I do it and many actually told me it’s fine that I do it that way because I negate the risk.
I’ve used a bobby pin to clean my ears for years. That little loop is perfect for grabbing the wax, and it’s not thick enough to compact the wax either. As long as you’re not jabbing that drum with it, it works wonders.
My wife bought a q-tip that was over a foot long. I told her how dangerous it was but it just went in one ear and out the other.
You can use a paper clip as a scoop if you really want to go deep in there.
I got a few really bad back to back ear infections. I started using q-tips after every shower to dry them out, no more ear infections.
I have that liquid goop instead of earwax.
If I don’t clean them ears with a q-tip for a couple of days it feels as if a miniature butthole was not wiped