# For the love of god, PLEASE clean your ears!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238 "2002-05-22T03:40:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/1 "2002-05-22T03:40:36Z")
I’m so sick of sitting next to someone and glancing over to see they have big gloppy orange wax hanging out all over. You wouldn’t walk around with boogers all over your nose, so clean that wax out of your ears! PLEASE! that is all. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/2 "2002-05-22T04:01:28Z")
And for that matter…make sure your KIDS are cleaning their ears! I do vision screenings on about 60 students every day, so I get an up-close-and-personal view of some really, reeeeeallly nasty ear goo way too often! So mommas and daddies–check dem ears! ::running off just to take a quick look at my own:: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Regina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@Regina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regina)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/3 "2002-05-22T16:16:37Z")
What about the adage, presumably originated by a militantly anti-Q-tip faction, don’t stick anything bigger than your elbow in your ear? Granted, you can clean that outer goo off with a kleenex or something but I got to have my Q-tips for those inner reaches. And while we’re at it, how about (yuk) hair sticking out of the ears? ---
**Author:** ![Lisa\_Ann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lisa\_Ann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa_Ann)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/4 "2002-05-22T16:39:59Z")
I Q daily and remove hubby’s hair growth on a regular basis. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/5 "2002-05-22T16:49:22Z")
Oh, for the love of Pete. Yes, clean the _exposed_ part of the ears during your morning routine or whatever, but– _Do not_ clean the ear canal with a Q-tip. You’re pushing more wax further into the canal with that Q-tip than you are removing with it. You can buy drops at the drug store that soften the wax and then you rinse it out. The world is full of ugliness. I guess some of us deal with it a little better than others. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/6 "2002-05-22T16:51:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AlaItalia \* > **What about the adage, presumably originated by a militantly anti-Q-tip faction, don’t stick anything bigger than your elbow in your ear? Granted, you can clean that outer goo off with a kleenex or something but I got to have my Q-tips for those inner reaches.** Me too, but they do sell those little scoop things that have the guard to prevent you from jamming it too deep… Also, a few drops of peroxide work wonders to zap some ear wax. ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/7 "2002-05-22T17:01:20Z")
::sigh:: I get it from both sides. On one hand, my SO is screaming the same thing as the OP. On the other, my doc is going tsk-tsk-tsk as he spies all the impacted wax caused by too much Q-tip usage. I’ve yet to come up with a successful way of balancing between keeping my ears looking spiffy and the risk of jamming things in there to extricate all the offending wax. I’m thinking a Water Pick may be a good investment, if they still make those. ---
**Author:** ![Killerjoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/51bf81/32.png) [@Killerjoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Killerjoke)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/8 "2002-05-22T17:17:08Z")
> [@](#): > > From **AlaItalia** > And while we’re at it, how about (yuk) hair sticking out of the ears? Sorry, I simply cannot let this go. With all of the big brains on the board I am surprised I had to de-lurk to post this, heck, I thought it was common knowledge. Hairy ears is a sign of intelligence. Simply put: Big brain == Hairy ears, non-hairy ears == not-so-big brain I’m glad I could clear that up for you. Big Brained and with the hairy ears to prove it, I am your friend in science, KillerJoke 😃 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/9 "2002-05-22T23:29:33Z")
Something else that you men over the age of 50 need to check periodically: eyebrow hair. Blond men generally don’t have to worry about this, but dark-haired men seem to suddenly sprout patches of steel wool over their eyes as soon as they hit 50. Think of this as a public service, much like trimming ear hair on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/10 "2002-05-22T23:40:05Z")
As an audiologist, I’ve looked into lots of ears. I’ve seen some _horrendously_ impacted ear canals. Hearing aid users are quite prone to blockage of their ear canals due to ear wax, and it’s astounding how bad it gets sometimes. **Delta-9** is right…do _not_ use a Q-Tip. You may get some wax out that way, but you’ll run the risk of pushing any other wax further into the ear canal, and it could be hell getting it out. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/11 "2002-05-23T01:05:43Z")
So what’s the best way to clean 'em? Seems like sucking the wax out with a bulb syringe after a long hot shower would be safe, as long as I don’t: 1. jam it in so far that the opening of the syringe is directly against my eardrum, or 2. create too strong of a vacuum in there. ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/12 "2002-05-23T01:34:15Z")
If you swab the outer ears after you shower the wax has softened and is much easier to clean out. Now about those dirty butt cracks… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/13 "2002-05-23T01:43:26Z")
Apply warm water to the q-tip. This will dissolve the wax nicely. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/14 "2002-05-23T01:55:27Z")
Hey ! There’s nothing wrong with a little natural growth. How about the hair that grows _out the top of the nose_, right on the bulbous part. Most guys I see with this tend to have one extra special thick hair – kind of a mini unicorn thing going on. Can’t wait 'till I get older !! London-‘waxing lyrically’-Calling ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/15 "2002-05-23T02:36:13Z")
**Caution!!** For anyone thinking to woo OpalCat with their clean-enough-to-eat-off-of ear canals (shudder), DO NOT make the mistake I did. I found that I could really clean out my ears with a Q-tip after showering. What I didn’t realize was that while removing the wax, I was also allowing water to seep deep into my ear canals where it could sit, warm and stagnant, and breed some very nasty bacteria. I had the worst ear infection of my life. For over a week I was practically deaf in both ears and I had to stay on antibiotics for about 4 months to clear it up completely. I’m lucky that my hearing is still intact. I’m dead certain that Cecil did a column on ear-wax candling several years ago, but I don’t know how to find it without losing my post:confused: I’m sure one of you ever so clever dopers can lead us all to it. ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/16 "2002-05-23T03:14:10Z")
Well, I used Q-Tips twice a day, and ain’t nobody making me stop. The few times the carton of Q-Tips ran out and I was unable to clean my ears, it was the dirtiest, nastiest feeling ever. Also, when I get out of the shower, my ears are all wet, so I swab them. I cannot live with that feeling, it’s too too disgusting. As for the outer ear, don’t parents teach their kids to use soap anymore? Jesus, I’ve seen some funk-ass ears on otherwise clean people - in the outer rims, particularly. Hopefully, we’re all sopaing up the washrag or pouf anyway, for our necks and faces - how does it not occur to people to scrub their ears as well? I actually had a friend at my old work, who was very clean but had nasty ears, comment that she wondered how I got my ears so clean. Astounded, I said, “I wash them with soap!” She replied, “But soap dries and leaves crust on your ears.” I was so horrified - I just said, “Um, not if you rinse the soap off,” and refrained from telling her that either way, soap scum is probably better than bacterial rot. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-god-please-clean-your-ears/110238/17 "2002-05-23T04:16:41Z")
[How do ear candles work](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_098.html)?