SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/no-cotton-swabs-in-ears

For healthy ears, what's the best routine way to clean wax from the ear canal?

Leave it alone. Ear canals clean themselves; swabs can cause damage.

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The Just Right card

Too littleNever wash your outer ears at all
Too muchDig in with a cotton swab every day
Just rightWash the outside, let the canal clean itself

Huh, didn't know that: Earbuds and hearing aids can trap earwax, so clean the devices regularly instead of your ear canal.

The dad joke
What do you call someone with a banana in their ear? Anything you want. They can't hear you.
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References

Answer: Nothing, ears clean themselves. Old earwax slowly moves out on its own, and new wax helps protect your ears. Sticking swabs inside can cause damage and make your ears produce more wax.

  1. Cleveland Clinic: Earwax my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24624-earwax
    Usually, there’s no reason to remove earwax. Your ears are self-cleaning and your body gets rid of it regularly.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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That's stuff everyone should know.