Your ears are one of the few places on your body that you cannot directly see. Despite this, we have lots of love for our ears. After all, they’re quite cute and a great place for accessories. Keeping them clean is important for preventing infections, but it can be challenging to clean them properly. In fact, cleaning your ears can be tricky because there are few openings in them and all the dirt gets caught in the small crevices. Until recently, the general advice from doctors was that if you could not see your own eardrum then you shouldn’t attempt to clean your ears; leave it to the professionals instead. However, we now know that cleaning your ears is an essential part of keeping them healthy: excess wax builds up over time in any case, which can cause hearing difficulties and lead to itchiness and irritation.
Why is it Important to Clean Your Ears?
Ear wax is a natural substance that has been found in the ears of every human being throughout history, including ancient mummies. Most people have some wax build-up in their ears as part of a natural cleaning process. Wax protects the inside of your ear from dirt and germs. However, too much can lead to itchiness, hearing loss, and infection. Depending on your individual situation, it may be necessary to clean your ears on a regular basis. If you are experiencing itching or pain in your ears, it could indicate that you have too much earwax build-up. Cleaning your ears can prevent this from happening and help you to stay healthy.
How to Clean Your Ears?
There are two options for cleaning your ears – using earbuds or a washcloth. It’s important to note that using cotton swabs is one of the most common causes of ear damage.
Using Ear Buds – Earbuds are designed for cleaning the inside of your ears. Make sure you select a pair that is specifically designed for this purpose. Many people report that they find earbuds to be simpler and more effective at cleaning the inside of their ears than washcloths.
Using a Washcloth – It’s recommended that you use a clean washcloth to clean your ears. You don’t want to introduce bacteria into your ears from the washcloth.
Things You Should Avoid When Cleaning Your Ears
Using Cotton Swabs – Cotton swabs are designed for other purposes, and they are very dangerous for use inside your ears. Cotton swabs push the earwax further into your ear canal, which can cause infections, breakage of the eardrum, and hearing loss.
Using Alcohol-Based Cleansers – Alcohol-based cleansers are commonly found in commercial cleaning solutions. While they can be effective at removing earwax, they can also be damaging to your skin.
Tips for keeping your ears clean
Invest in a good cleaning solution. It is important that you invest in a good ear-cleaning solution that works for you. This will make the process much easier and more efficient.
Clean your ears once a week. You don’t want to clean your ears too frequently, or it can lead to irritation. You want to be careful about cleaning them too often.
Try to avoid sleeping on your side. If you are a side sleeper, you are more likely to have earwax buildup.
Put a cotton swab in your ears before swimming. This will help keep the water out of your ears.
Stay hydrated and avoid using headphones for too long. This will reduce your risk of earwax buildup.
If you are experiencing ear pain or itching, visit your doctor. It is important that you get help as soon as possible if you think you have an ear infection.
You can also learn more about how to properly clean your ears by reading our article with simple tips to clean your ears naturally.
Proven Methods to Clean Your Ears
1. Use Baking Soda to Clean Your Ears
Baking soda is a great tool for cleaning your ears. It gently cleans out the wax but can be used safely on the inside of your ears. Baking soda is great for cleaning your ears because it is pH neutral, non-drying, and has a low irritation rate. It’s also very cheap and easy to find. Baking soda cleans your ears by drawing out the moisture from the wax and softening it so it is easy to remove.
2. Use Natural Oils to Help Dry Out the Ear Wax
Ear wax grows best in a moist environment. If you want to dry out the ear wax, you need to create a dry environment. Boric acid is a naturally occurring substance that is often used to kill pests like cockroaches. Boric acid is a powerful desiccant, which means that it is great at drying things out. Boric acid can be especially helpful to people who have a build-up of earwax in their ears due to water in the ear.
3. Add vinegar to the mix
Vinegar is a great way to naturally clean your ears, fight bacteria, and remove excess earwax. Vinegar is a common ingredient in many homemade recipes for cleaning your ears. When cleaning your ears, add vinegar to baking soda to create a potent cleaning solution.
4. Toss in some dry coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are a very cheap and easy way to naturally clean your ears. Coffee grounds are a great desiccant that can help to dry out the ear wax. Coffee grounds are also great for odor control, which can be helpful for those who frequently experience earwax buildup due to excess ear wax production.
Conclusion
Keeping your ears clean is essential for staying healthy and avoiding infections. If you’re trying to clean your ears, avoid cotton swabs and alcohol-based cleansers. Instead, try one of the above methods to clean your ears naturally with simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen. Now that you know how important it is to keep your ears clean, you’ll hopefully be more motivated and inspired to do it. Keeping your ears clean can take a bit more time than you might be used to, but it’ll be worth the effort. Your ears will thank you!