Q-Tips are an essential in every bathroom. They’re compact, easy to maneuver, and always seem to get the job done when we need to clean our ears.
[Photos: Shutterstock]
But, this beloved ear cleaner is actually do more harm to your ears than it is good. Don’t freak out, but it may be clogging your ears instead of cleaning them.
“The head of a Q-tip is about the diameter of an ear canal, so anything that’s in front of the Q-tip is going to go deeper into the ear canal,” neurologist Dr. Felipe Santos told Boston Magazine. “Over time, more and more accumulates in the deeper ear canal, and that’s when patients develop impactions.”
So, what should you be using instead? First of all, Santos says that cleaning your eyes isn’t actually necessary because the wax is good for them. But if you feel like you really must, you should go to a specialist. If you don’t have the time for that, there are other safe ways to clean your ears.
He recommends using Cerumenolytics, which is an effective over-the-counter ear drop. Also, a few drops of mineral oil should do the trick, too. “It’s lubricating the wax and softening it, so it doesn’t harden in the ear canal and stick,” he says. Hydrogen peroxide is another good way to clean your ears, just be careful because it can dry your skin.
Oh, and no ear candling! Santos says it’s dangerous and can result in burning the ear canal and eardrums!
