Dirt and oil accumulate in the outer portion of the ear due to exposure to environmental pollutants, sweat and other substances. The inner ear produces earwax that washes dirt out of the ear, but this wax sometimes hardens and fails to serve its purpose. Use safe methods to clean your ears, and avoid sticking a cotton swab into the ear canal, as this can push earwax further into the canal or damage the inner ear.
Vinegar
The skin inside the ear usually grows outward, pushing earwax out along with trapped dirt. As humans age, this skin grows more slowly, giving earwax time to harden. When the earwax hardens, it does not leave the ear canal easily, trapping dirt and causing ear pain, dizziness, mild hearing loss, ringing of the ear and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Dr. Terence Davidson of the University of California, San Diego, recommends using a mixture of vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water to moisten the impacted earwax. Combine one part water with one part rubbing alcohol and one part white vinegar. Do not administer this treatment to anyone with a perforated ear drum or middle ear infection.
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil softens and dissolves hardened earwax, clearing impactions and resolving the symptoms of hardened wax in the ear. This substance, produced from petroleum, acts as a lubricant. Columbia University Student Health Services recommends using a few drops of mineral oil no more than once per week. Put the drops in your ear, wait 15 minutes and lie down on an old sheet or towel and let the mineral oil and earwax drain out.
Washcloth
Sometimes, dirt and oil accumulate on the inner ear lobe. Use a damp washcloth to gently wipe any debris out of this portion of the ear. Do not attempt to insert the washcloth into the inner ear canal, as this pushes debris and wax further into the ear.
Peroxide
Another irrigation solution for the ears includes peroxide. Dr. Douglas Hoffman, an otolaryngologist in Santa Rosa, California, recommends using a solution of two parts peroxide, one part water and one part vinegar. Warm this solution and apply it to the ear canal to make earwax softer. If your ear blockage is the result of skin flakes accumulating in the ear canal, do not use peroxide to irrigate the ear. Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson of Harvard University reports that peroxide dries the skin and may result in more skin flakes to block the ear canal.
