Stick Nothing In Your Ear

That old cliché, “Never put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear,” is one that ear doctors swear by. Never stick anything sharp—a bobby pin, a pencil tip, a paper clip—into your ear, because you could tear your eardrum. Don’t use a cotton swab or finger either, says George W. Facer, MD. Even though you think you’re cleaning out your ear and removing earwax, you are actually ramming the wax deeper so that it acts like a cap over your eardrum. MORE: The Absolute Worst Way To Clean Your Ears

Drop In A Softening Fluid

A few drops of a liquid that you probably already have at home can soften your earwax. Try hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, or glycerin for inexpensive cleaning, says Facer. Or buy an over-the-counter cleaner such as Debrox or Murine Ear Drops, suggests Edelstein. Add a drop or two of one of the liquids to each ear. Allow the excess to flow out of your ear. The liquid left inside will bubble away at the wax and soften it. Try this for a couple of days. Once the wax is soft, you’re ready to rinse. Fill a bowl with body-temperature water, says Facer. Then fill a rubber bulb syringe with the water and, holding your head over the bowl, squirt the water gently into your ear canal. The stream of water should be under very little pressure. Turn your head to the side and let the water run out.

Blow-Dry Your Ears

Don’t rub your ears dry, say doctors. Instead, dry your ears with a hair dryer or drop a little alcohol in each ear to complete the drying. Do this once you have rinsed your ears to clean them, as described above, and also every time you shower.

Let Nature Do Its Work

A once-a-month ear wash is plenty for anyone, says Edelstein. More than that, and you’re washing away the protective layer of earwax that’s supposed to be in there. MORE: The 6 Strangest Things People Get Stuck In Their Ears

Favorite Fixes For Earwax

A light swipe of petroleum jelly can prevent hardened earwax buildup. The lubricant works by preventing earwax from drying out and accumulating in crusty layers. To use it, swirl a light coating of Vaseline inside the opening of each ear canal with a fingertip.

Panel Of Advisors

David Edelstein, MD, is an otolaryngologist at Manhattan Otolaryngology and clinical professor of otorhinolaryngology at the Weil Medical Center of Cornell University, both in New York City. George W. Facer, MD, is an otolaryngologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.