How to Rinse Out Your Ears

There are many reasons to clean out your ears--if you have ear wax blockage, a minor ear infection or excess water in your ears after swimming. Cleaning out your ears with warm water and a wax softener is safe, but it's important that you don't put anything inside your ear canal like a washcloth, cotton swab or ear dropper. For severe infections, or if your hearing continues to worsen after cleaning, make an appointment with a professional.

Things You'll Need

• Washcloth
• Dropper
• Wax softener
• Cotton balls

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Instructions

• 1

  Clean the exterior and lobes of your ears using a damp washcloth before you rinse inside the canal.

• 2

  Fill a small dropper with an over-the-counter wax softener such as mineral oil, baby oil or nonprescription earwax remover, and then add at least two drops into each of your ears. Let the substance sit in your ears for 30 minutes.

• 3

  Place a cotton ball near the edge of both ears and lie down. Lie on each side for at least five minutes to drain some of the liquid.

• 4

  Add warm water to the dropper and squirt the water into the opening of each ear. Do not push the dropper into your ear. Continue washing with warm water until all excess wax is removed from your ears.

• 5

  Dry the outside areas of your ears with a clean washcloth to removes any small pieces of wax that weren't flushed out with the water. Repeat the entire process by using drops of wax softener again if you still have wax buildup in your ears.