You may have been taught to clean your ears with a Q-tip or cotton swab -- and even enjoy how satisfying it can be -- but Q-tips aren't the safest method and can actually harm your ears. After all, earwax is essential to your ear health, so it's not something you want to remove entirely.
To help you quit Q-tips and prevent hearing loss, we outline safer methods below. Your ears will thank you.
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The problem with Q-tips
The cotton swab, also known as the Q-tip, is the most common device used for cleaning your ears. But their shortcomings highlight the fundamental problem with using these kinds of instruments for earwax removal.
Because of their long, narrow shape, Q-tips are more likely to push earwax deeper into your ear than remove it. Using one to clean your ear canal can compact the wax instead, creating a blockage that makes it harder to hear.
Worse still, if you push a Q-tip too hard or too far into your ear canal, you may actually puncture your eardrum. The ear canal is only about an inch (2.5 centimeters) deep, so there's not a lot of margin for error. One ear, nose and throat specialist CNET previously spoke with has treated patients who seriously damaged their eardrums by answering the phone with a Q-tip still in their ear. That's a phone call that can truly ruin your day.
In general, it's best to use cotton swabs -- or even just a tissue or damp, clean rag -- to clean the outer portion of your ear, outside the canal.
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How to safely clean your ears
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