Ear Wax Removal Remedies: Safe and Effective!

Ear Wax Remedies

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio ) on 10/15/2008
★★★★★

Firstly, I just want to say, NEVER USE Q-Tips. You know the old saying, never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. That's right!

I am a recovering q-tip addict. I have always had a problem with excessive ear wax build-up and itchy ears. Every other year or so, I'll lose my hearing in one ear, and go to the emergency room to have it cleaned, and irrigated. I began using q-tips to help remedy and control the problem. All I did was push the wax further into my ear, and cause more problems, not too mention, I got addicted to it, because it feels so good. I would sometimes get severe ear aches because of it. I ended up causing chronic itching in my ears, the only way to relieve it, was q-tips, I became dependent. It was a vicious cycle of itchiness deep in the ear canal, and pain from the excessive use of Q-tips. I would insert the q-tip way to far, almost puncturing my ear drum, it was terrible. Finally, gradually, I stopped using them, but then, I ended up with rapid, over excessive wax production, because I over stimulated the ear canal.

I started using hydrogen peroxide which is excellent, and a bulb syringe with WARM water. It has to be warm, because you'll make yourself too dizzy,(Inner ear balance, etc) if the temperature is too cold compared to the ear canal. Also use purified water, (Not Tap water)with a small amount of peroxide when you irrigate. If you don't you might end up with an ear infection(I did, one time). Sometimes, I put Castor oil in there, when it feels too dry. Castor oil is a wonderfully healing and lubricating oil. Garlic Oil cured my ear infections, and oregano oil, (MUST be diluted with a carrier oil or it will burn, and be intolerable.) Just apply to the very outside of your ear opening. Needless to say, this summer has been a real battle with my ears. Having your ear canal blocked is the most annoying feeling ever! You feel off balance. Your ears are very important in your sense of balance and equilibrium.


Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil

5 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  60%
1 star (1) 
  20%
(1) 
  20%

Posted by Allennz (Auckland, New Zealand) on 05/28/2013
★★★★★

I had impacted ear wax for the first time ever. I came upon your site 'by accident' (a happy one, thank you) three days ago after rejecting medical syringing, medical suction and after the prescribed ear-drop medication inflamed my ear. This morning I can hear, the wax is gone and I am very excited to have achieved this by myself - and with your help.

I read all of your entries and began with the most intensive - warmed H2O2 for 50minutes, then 30 then 20 throughout one day followed each time by warm water rinsing . While this did dislodge some flaked material it seemed so little and there was no change in symptomology. I guessed that either I had a larger mass and/or it had become stuck near or on the eardrum. I saw that some of you had recommended the use of warmed oil. So I ended the day by proceeding the H2O2 'treatment' with warm oil for five minutes then drained, and a 20min H2O2 session, rinsed, then again applied warm oil 25 min. Overnight I applied oil and a cotton wool 'plug' to keep it in. This morning I repeated the process and when it came to rinsing after the H2O2 a substantial amount of material came out and I could hear. I did apply some more oil and intend to repeat this process again this evening. If all is well then I shall continue with this remedy on a once a week rota as a preventative. My husband, who has had some awful syringe experiences now intends to use this method too. Thank you so much everyone for your contributions.

Replied by Margo
(Tucson, Az)
06/16/2018
★★★★★

This worked best for me: Filled ear up with warmed Olive Oil. Laid down to let it do its job, about 20 minutes. Irrigated with warm Hydrogen Peroxide (H202). Since I had the type of earwax that is a film and sticks to the eardrum it is very stubborn. So I used my water pick to irrigate, very carefully so as not to damage the eardrum, but to get behind the wax to move it (filled up the receptacle with warm peroxide and water, about 2 cups). I could feel the H202 move the wax ever so slightly. Then I took a plastic scoop from Clininere Ear Cleaners to pull it out. This saved me a trip to urgent care. Previously I visited a hospital, who in ER told me to go to an ENT, I visited urgent care, who had to have someone show them how to remove wax, an ended up not being able to do it, and then finally I visited a Naturopath who had it out in 10 minutes. I was dreading spending a week going through this again. So appreciative of this site. Thank you.


Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil
Posted by Gregory (Davis, Ca) on 11/29/2012

I hope you can help with this & I'll keep it short :)

I put H2O2 a few days ago, just a few drops but only stayed on my side for 3 mins or so & then added warm olive oil after. I think I did this for 2 or 3 days, each time for a few mins only. I didn't do your advice well because I saw this article only now. But here's my problem now.

After a few days of doing that, now I experience pain in my jaw when I open & close it say while eating or yawning. Is this because I did the H2O2 treatment for so short a time that the earwax is stuck & bugging me with pain or is it something else?


Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil
Posted by Em072205 (El Cajon, California) on 03/03/2012
★★★★★

Okay I wanted to comment on this because I had once used Marine ear to try to clean my ears. I will never ever go back to q-tips ever again (and I don't use them on my children). Here is my story--I have suffered from chronic ear wax, but never able to fully get it out. I attempted originally with Hydrogen Peroxide by itself and it never worked. I tried Marine ear at the store--nothing worked. After reading this page, I decided to try the hydrogen peroxide the way that was mentioned. Let me tell you, it worked with getting a little bit out of the ear, but my right ear was highly clogged and began ringing and tons of pressure (felt like a balloon was in there). I could not hear properly and figured it would right itself in the morning.

I woke up the next morning only to suffer the same results--I was not going to give up though. I did some reseach and found that Olive Oil softens the wax and along side that, I figured the bulb that I had was not pressure enough to push the wax out. I went out and got Olive Oil and a new bulb (this was actually a baby mucus cleaner). I put the olive oil in--2-3 drops and waited about five minutes. Then I went on with the hydrogen peroxide. Every 2-3 minutes I would put another drop in of peroxide and did this for about 15 minutes. I then went to the sink, made a bowl of warm water and tilted my head and position the bulb to help push the wax out. I had to do this three times (oil, peroxide, syringe) before the syringe blew the wax out. It was such a relief!!

I did this with my other ear (because now that my right ear was clear, I could offically tell it was clogged) and it blew old wax out that was black!! I was amazed. Therefore, if hydrogen peroxide alone will not work for you, get some olive oil to soften the wax because it is too hard for the hydrogen peroxide to break down.

Replied by Carol
(Upper Darby)
11/18/2016
★☆☆☆☆

I was told by my daughter ENT doctor years ago to used warm olive oil or mineral oil a few drop 2 to 3 times a day for the first day, then warm peroxide with distilled water the second day. Repeat for a few days I never did this because my daughter wouldn't sit still long enough, she actually had four set of ear tubes following that first advise. She has a disorder that result with excess ear wax even today she now 28 years old and her ear wax is wet every day.


Mineral Oil

Posted by Konstantine (Nova Scotia) on 10/09/2014

I saw a hearing specialist today, and have a earwax blockage in my ear, he told me to use a bulb dropper with two drops of mineral oil warmed to body temp. Before bed. I've yet to try this and am going to the Dr. this week to have it flushed. The mineral oil should soften and lubricate the obstruction. Good luck.

Replied by Courtney
(Granite Bay, Ca)
10/10/2014

How many nights did the doctor say to do the mineral oil treatment? Just one night?


Olive Oil

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Rich (Florida, US) on 10/29/2014
★★★★★

I also recommend the use of olive oil. I've used hydrogen peroxide for years, but I had a buildup of wax recently and the peroxide just wasn't doing the job. Mineral oil makes my inner ear itch.

After searching the web I found a site that mentioned the use of olive oil. You place a few drops in your ear each day with an eye dropper while you're laying down with your head turned to the side. Let the olive oil soak in for a while. I waited about 20 or 30 minutes. On the 3rd or 4th day you can try gently spraying warm water into the ear with a syringe, but this may not even be necessary. It worked very well for me. My hearing came back in that ear within about 24 hours.


Omega 3

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Mammagrande (Oregon, USA) on 10/19/2019
★★★★★

Please don't ask where I heard this, but excess ear wax is supposed to be caused by insufficient Omega 3s in diet. Bought some capsules today, popped 1 and poured 1/2 into husband's ear then cotton piece for overnight. Will see in the morning what comes of it (out of it).

Replied by Mammagrande
(USA)
12/08/2019
★★★★★

Hi, got too busy to post results: husband took out cotton after 20 minutes not overnight, said he didn't hear me (ha ha).

Good results on bot sides, tho. Big dark wax piece out on 1 side, the rest allwet sand-y like. He can hear better now! He has hearing loss, mild, from untreated earaches when a child. And, the omega3s we used are fishoil derived, so there's a slight odor, but that is gone soon.

I'm impressed, especially we were using some expensive homeopathics with slight results.


Turpentine

1 User Review
4 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Anon (Anon) on 10/24/2017
★★★★☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I applied pure "food grade" turpentine to the insides of both ears with cotton swabs and it was very painful, it felt like an ear infection. After a while the pain went away. And maybe a day or so later a white skin of sorts came out of each ear. It looked like dry skin, so it was probably the ear canal shedding the top layer because of the strength of the oil. It did not appreciably affect the itchiness. Alcohol is said to cure athlete's foot, so it may cure the ear problem.


Warmed Oil

4 User Reviews
5 star (4) 
  100%

Posted by Andrea C (Cardiff, Wales) on 03/04/2012
★★★★★

For ear wax: warm a tea spoon in a cup of hot water, pour olive oil on, lay on your side, and get some 1 to drizzle the olve oil in your ear. MAKE SURE THE SPOON DOES NOT TOUCH YOUR EAR AND THE OIL IS WARM. Lay for a few minutes , then turn over and repeat in other ear. You can also put cotton wool in your ear's and leave it for a few hour's if needed. Be carefull not to push the cotton wool too far into your ear channel, when finish just tilt your head, an let the oil drain. You may have to reapeat this a few time's, but have patience, it works. Love Andrea c x x x x x


Warmed Oil
Posted by Country Woman (Jackson, NY) on 05/31/2009
★★★★★

For ear wax, I have used a base of olive oil...warmed...let sit for a few hrs.......put cotton in it and then flush out....Works for me! Good Luck!


Warmed Oil
Posted by Anna (Philadelphia, PA) on 09/14/2008
★★★★★

I had such a huge earwax builup that eventually I couldn't hear which made me (unwillingly!) go to ENT specialist. He did not recommend using hydr.peroxide (too harsh) or Q-tips (increase the production or earwax)- What I'm using for prevention are oils (mineral, baby, even olive)- I just put few drops in each ear twice a week)- to soften wax so it can be dealt with by the body (ear canal is supposed to be self-cleaning after all). I do not recommend ear candles-they push wax deeper and compact it. Unfortunately that's what they did for me.

Replied by Anna
(Philadelphia)
08/31/2018

I see my post from 2008. Yes, earwax has been my problem for several years...Yesterday evening I used Q-tips soaked with mullein/garlic oils to clean my ears and in the morning I felt as if both of my ears were plugged and I could hear Nothing. So scary. For some reason (instinct?) I decided to take a hot bath. I sat in bathtub up to my waist in hot water for 30 min.! Like in sauna my whole body was sweating. And after that bath my hearing was gradually better and now at 5 pm is normal. I'm so happy!

Replied by Anna
(Pennsylvania)
10/20/2018

The next day I had to take hot bath again because my ears were plugged - but I could VERY slightly hear - unlike the previous day. At noon I could hear normally! Since then I haven't put anything in my ears.


Warmed Oil
Posted by Neil (Fairfield, Iowa) on 02/25/2007
★★★★★

I checked with a good friend who has been an MD in family practice for 35 years, and he recommends Mineral oil combined with irrigation with warm water as the best and safest method of removing hardened ear wax. He does NOT recommend Hydrogen Peroxide--he says it is too strong a substance to put in contact with the highly delicate ear drum. Here is his method: Obtain mineral oil at any drugstore (it is better than other oils because it is quite thin), warm about 2 - 3 tablespoons in a container placed in very warm (but not boiling water) until it is a little above body temp. Lie on your side, with the ear to be de-waxed UP. Fill an eye dropper with the warm oil and fill your ear with it. Lie still for approx. 5 minutes. Get up and empty oil into sink. Do this procedure the following day or two. This will soften the wax and may even dissolve it completely. Now, warm some water, again to just above body temp, or as warm as you can stand, fill a bulb syringe (also readily available at drugstore), and flush out your ear with the warm water. It may take several syringes of water, but his will bring out the wax.



1 2
Advertisement