[TheUbiquitous]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and I'd like to bother you with a little question.
What's the best way to clean up your ears?
I do it regularly but I don't a verified system, and I wonder how much can ear wax affect hearing.

 

[sidel]

ear syringe (sounds scarier than it is) + luke warm watered down hydrogen peroxide solution is the best way.   If you go into a doctor's office around here with a hearing problem due to an earwax buildup that's exactly what they'll do for you.
 
Q-tips are generally a bad idea.

 

[strannik]

Just get some IEMs with triple flange sleeves 

 Jokes aside, god knows how those things manage to drag out all sorts of dirt when you take them out even from 'clean' ears.

 

[TheUbiquitous]

I hadn't heard about ear syringes. I'll look into the method.
 
If your ear gets filled with wax you¡ll definatelly notice it, but does it affect hearing whent there isn`t that much of it?
I'd say that it has to have some effect

 

[Willakan]

Just had my ears syringed this morning after they were blocked for about a week. Nurse said that it was the largest plug of wax she'd ever seen. Eardrops softened the wax, but didn't remove it - syringing actually got it out.
Regarding hearing impact, I was about 75% in the blocked ear...but then it turned out my "good" ear was basically blocked as well. Suffice to say the world now seems incredibly loud, and I thought I had quite good hearing to start with...

 

[Confispect]

A machine gun. 

 
Warmed up oil, doctor, or pharmacy kits.

 

[TheUbiquitous]

That's interesting
 
What are Q-tips?

 

[Happy Camper]

That's interesting
 
What are Q-tips?

The very tips of the letter Q.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:White_menbo.jpg

 

[TheUbiquitous]

I see, those things would push the wax in, right?

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Ive been told some doctors recommend not to clean the ears.. specially deep inside.

 

[Happy Camper]

I use a swab to dry my outer ear in the crevices but stay out of the canal.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Earwax thread!

I've got the dry, flaky Asian-style earwax despite being of European extract. Go figure.

Anyhow, I use a Japanese mimikaki tool to get a lot of it out. The flakes rattle around in there, but the tool gets them out. It's common for doctors to tell you not to, but inserting a contact lens is pretty delicate, too. Also, consider Japan's ear cleaning culture. Laypeople clean ears constantly and there's no widespread ear damage over there. Fascinating. I don't think it's much different from flushing something out of your eye or flossing. A matter of hygiene, not a serious medical procedure.

Usually, I run water in my ears during showers and then use Q-Tips to remove softened wax. You can't push a wax plug further in if there isn't a plug to begin with. Every few months I'll pour hydrogen peroxide in my ears for a good cleaning. Then I thoroughly rinse with water, usually with a shower right after. My ears are clean and I can still hear 20kHz test tones at (almost) 39.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Use Q-tip previously wet in snake oil.

 

[TheUbiquitous]

I thought I had to avoid Q-tips

 

[kiwirugby]

I have been using Q-Tips daily for 42+ years and never had an earwax problem.   Never had to go to an ENT.  When I got fitted for the some customs six months ago that required the audiologist to check my ears before taking impressions, she remarked that she had never seen ears so clean.  She was pretty surprised when I told I used Q-Tips daily.  She did not approve!