Should you use cotton buds in your ears?

Your ears clean themselves

The ear canal is self-cleaning. The skin inside grows outwards, very slowly, like a conveyor belt, and earwax travels with it. Movements of your jaw help it along. By the time wax reaches the opening of the ear, it is dry and flaky, and simply falls out or is washed away when you shower.

Earwax is not dirt. It protects the delicate skin of the canal, traps dust, and has mild antibacterial properties. Ears that are scrubbed clean are more prone to itching, dryness and infection, not less.

What cotton buds actually do

• They push wax deeper. A bud removes a little wax from the surface but pushes most of it further in, packing it against the eardrum where it cannot clear.
• They scratch the canal. The skin is very thin. Small scratches itch, which makes you reach for another bud, and they let bacteria in.
• They can damage the eardrum. A slip, a bump of the elbow or a child walking into you can push a bud through the eardrum. It happens more often than you might think.
• They remove protective wax. Leaving the canal dry, itchy and more prone to infection.

In our clinic, packed-in wax from cotton bud use is one of the most common things we see.

How to keep your ears clean safely

• Wash the outer ear with a flannel when you shower. Do not go inside the canal.
• Let the shower water run briefly over the ear, then tilt your head to drain and dry the outside with a towel.
• If wax tends to build up, use olive oil drops once or twice a week to keep it soft.
• If you wear hearing aids or earbuds, clean them regularly, as they can push wax back in.

The old saying holds: never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.

When you need wax removing

If your ear feels blocked, your hearing is muffled, or your hearing aid starts whistling, wax may need removing. Do not try to dig it out. Try olive oil drops for a few days, and if that does not work, microsuction clears it safely. Read our guide to using olive oil for earwax.