# Ear Wax Candles **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2004, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792 "2004-07-19T11:02:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/41 "2004-07-19T19:28:47Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > Your doctor can remove excess ear wax; in addition, you can buy ear wax-removal kits for yourself at most any pharmacy. > If you’re interested in using a home kit, and since you’ve (possibly) damaged your ears somewhat, you should talk with your doctor before using that home kit. Ear wax removal kits? Wow I never heard of this. I think my ear cilia are surpassingly lazy, they push the wax to just outside my inner ear and then leave it there. Whereas my boyfriend’s ear cilia are overachievers who push it all the way out. I’ll have to ask my doctor! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/42 "2004-07-19T19:46:31Z")
**MightyGirl** : Yep. Warm tap water. If you want, you can include a splash of hydrogen peroxide in the mix if you feel adventurous, but make sure you don’t get it in your eyes (you’d probably want to practice for a while with plain water until you get the hang of it). ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/43 "2004-07-19T20:05:33Z")
I would also reccomend using hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a bulb. An ear wax removal kit I have from the drugstore just has Carbamide peroxide, which only works slightly better. But remember that earwax is there for a reason, and a little bit in there is okay :). You only need to remove it if there’s an excess that’s impairing your hearing or coming out of your ear. When I went to the doctor and had it done for the first time, it was a very unpleasant experience. The nurse actually used some sort of high-powered contraption and when I got home my ear was bleeding and in pain. I’ll be doing it myself from now on. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/44 "2004-07-19T20:31:26Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > Ear Candling is quack science, which simply means that it doesn’t work, it’s claims are silly and unproven, and–worst of all–it could damage your ears. > [Cite](http://www.skepdic.com/coning.html) and [cite](http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html). Ear Candling proponents are living proof that all the loonies haven’t been binned. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/45 "2004-07-19T21:06:31Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Ear Candling proponents are living proof that all the loonies haven’t been binned. Wait until you get a load of those who believe in homeopathy… ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/46 "2004-07-19T21:28:15Z")
If the purpose of the candle is to gently warm the ear canel and thus provide relief for an earache infection, then it may not be quackery. But if they say that the candle is drawing inpurities out of your ear…quack…quack…quack!!1 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/47 "2004-07-20T02:44:04Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > **MightyGirl** : Yep. Warm tap water. If you want, you can include a splash of hydrogen peroxide in the mix if you feel adventurous, but make sure you don’t get it in your eyes (you’d probably want to practice for a while with plain water until you get the hang of it). I would like to report that everything went right. Nothing came out of my ears and I have no disconfort, in fact I feel great with the neighborhood going so quiet suddenly and all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Daftbugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Daftbugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daftbugger)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/48 "2004-07-20T14:38:07Z")
The nurse in my clinic recommended using olive oil or a sodium bicarbonate solution to soften wax before getting my ears syringed. She also said that those home ear cleaning kits don’t actually work. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792/49 "2004-07-20T14:48:29Z")
Well, my nurse said that even if they don’t actually remove the wax, they soften it enough that it can be rinsed out with warm water, so nyah. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax-candles/255792.md?page=2)