# So, I want to get my ears cleaned **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209 "2004-12-30T04:32:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/21 "2004-12-30T14:22:25Z")
One reason that q-tips are bad is that they leave fibers that can help the earwax hold together so it won’t work its way out by itself. I use a tweezerman blackhead extractor. It is sturdier and less scratchy feeling than a bobby pin. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/22 "2004-12-30T14:31:44Z")
The master speaks re: ear candling. What’s that? I can’t hear you… I’ve got candles in my ears! I said… [The Master Speaks!](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_098.html) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/23 "2004-12-30T14:45:40Z")
Ick. Now I have to go clean out my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/24 "2004-12-30T15:52:31Z")
Keep at it with the OTC ear cleaner stuffs. In my case, it took several treatments a day for several days. The end result was worth it, though, and pretty amazing. All at once, during the cleaning-out irrigation after peroxide treatment, the clogged ear released a HUGE football-shaped lump of wax. It looked like an entire earplug made of solid, dark brown wax. I’m amazed that I could hear at all with such an obstruction. The other ear gave it up the next day. So, keep with the program, and you WILL see results. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/25 "2004-12-30T16:03:39Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > Keep at it with the OTC ear cleaner stuffs. In my case, it took several treatments a day for several days. The end result was worth it, though, and pretty amazing. All at once, during the cleaning-out irrigation after peroxide treatment, the clogged ear released a HUGE football-shaped lump of wax. It looked like an entire earplug made of solid, dark brown wax. I’m amazed that I could hear at all with such an obstruction. The other ear gave it up the next day. > > So, keep with the program, and you WILL see results. Holy crap - not _The Max Torque_? Blonde, six foot something? Yer a lawyer? And married? Congrats? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/26 "2004-12-30T19:10:03Z")
I guess I should weigh in with the expert opinion here. The OTC ear cleaner meds are great. They are usually hydrogen peroxide dissolved in mineral oil and even if they don’t work, they can loosen the wax so it is much easier for a doctor or nurse to irrigate. Don’t use Q-tips. DONT use bobby pins! It’s very very easy to scratch your ear canal with a bobby pin, which is just asking for an infection. Also, most of the wax is much further in than you think and if you try to stick something in that far you run the risk of puncturing your eardrum. Let me finish by listing some of the things I’ve had to remove from people’s ears when they ignored the above advice: -the cotton top from a Q-tip (lost count of how often this happens) -the little insert from the top of a bic pen (don’t clean your ears with pens!) -an insect (OK, she didn’t actually know it was there-I was doing a random ear check and noticed it) -a variety of unrecognizable objects used to clean the ears Oh, and the ear candling is crap. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/27 "2004-12-30T19:26:12Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > There are several stool softeners out there, the one in Colase is docusate sodium. It’s available in tablets, gel-caps, liquid and syrup, under several brand and store names. > > But what do I do with it? Is it taken orally? Disolved into the water/hydrogen peroxide mixture? Apply it directly to the stool for best results. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/28 "2004-12-30T19:30:46Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Colace is available by prescription, but when I went to the pharmacist at Walgreens after WhyKid’s surgery this summer, he told me he’d fill it for $40 if I wanted, but that a $6 bottle of stool softener in aisle 4 was exactly the same thing, and even the same dosage. There are several stool softeners out there, the one in Colase is docusate sodium. It’s available in tablets, gel-caps, liquid and syrup, under several brand and store names. > > But what do I do with it? Is it taken orally? Disolved into the water/hydrogen peroxide mixture? 3 drops in each ear, leave for 15 minutes, then rinse out with the water/hydrogen peroxide (50/50) mixture. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/29 "2004-12-30T21:25:39Z")
> [@Mynn](#): > > Holy crap - not _The Max Torque_? Blonde, six foot something? Yer a lawyer? And married? Congrats? > > [/hijack] Yeah, that’s me in a nutshell. I’m not around as much as I used to be, but I’m still breathing. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/30 "2004-12-30T21:38:56Z")
I’ve had this three times in the past 18 months. Each time I’ve ended up having the ear syringed (actually it’s an electrically driven pump, they don’t seem to use the syringe any more) after dropping the solution in there for a week. On the last two occasions they said don’t use the propriatory things like Earex, they don’t recommend them any more as they can use ear-drum damage, use olive oil from an eye dropper. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209/31 "2004-12-30T21:44:10Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > Yeah, that’s me in a nutshell. I’m not around as much as I used to be, but I’m still breathing. Well, hidey-ho, former neighbor. Glad to hear you are well. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-want-to-get-my-ears-cleaned/282209.md?page=1)