Home care and prevention
How to use ear drops to soften ear wax
The right way to put drops in your ears, which drops to choose, how long to keep using them and the signs that softening alone is not going to be enough.
In short
- Warm the bottle in your hand, lie on your side with the blocked ear facing up and let the drops run down the side of the canal.
- Stay lying down for 5 to 10 minutes, then sit up with a tissue ready to catch any drips.
- With olive or almond oil, the NHS suggests 2 or 3 drops, 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days. With pharmacy drops, follow the leaflet.
- Hearing can seem worse for a day or two as the wax softens and swells. That is expected.
- Don't use drops if you have, or might have, a perforated eardrum, grommets, an ear infection or fluid coming from the ear.
To use ear drops for wax, lie on your side with the blocked ear facing up, gently pull the outer ear to straighten the canal and let 2 or 3 drops fall in. Then stay lying down for 5 to 10 minutes so they can soak in. The NHS suggests doing this 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days with olive or almond oil. If you use drops from a pharmacy, follow the leaflet instead.
Which ear drops soften ear wax?
Wax-softening drops come in two broad kinds: oils, which soak in and lubricate the wax, and water-based drops, which help break it apart. You can buy all of them from a pharmacy without a prescription.
| What it is | Good to know | |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | Oil made for use in the ear, in a dropper bottle or spray | The NHS suggests trying it first. Gentle and inexpensive |
| Almond oil | A similar softening oil | Don't use it if you are allergic to almonds |
| Sodium bicarbonate | Water-based drops that help break wax down | Can leave the canal feeling dry or sore in some people |
| Urea hydrogen peroxide | Drops that fizz as they release oxygen and loosen wax | The fizzing is normal. Some people find them irritating |
Research hasn't shown any one type to be clearly better than the others, so choose what suits you and ask a pharmacist if you're unsure.
Most people start with olive oil because it is gentle and cheap. Our guide to olive oil for ear wax looks at what it can and can't do, and when a spray might suit you better than a dropper.
How to put ear drops in, step by step
Technique makes more difference than which drops you choose. The aim is to get the liquid down to the wax and keep it there long enough to work.
- Read the leaflet and wash your hands. Pharmacy drops each have their own dose and course length.
- Warm the drops in your hand for a few minutes. Cold liquid in the ear can make you feel dizzy. Never heat drops in a microwave or hot water.
- Lie on your side with the blocked ear facing the ceiling. A towel under your head saves the pillow.
- Straighten the canal. Gently pull the top of your outer ear up and back. For a young child, gently pull the earlobe down and back instead.
- Let 2 or 3 drops fall in, aiming at the side of the canal rather than straight down it. Keep the dropper tip just outside the ear so it stays clean.
- Press the small flap in front of the ear (the tragus) a few times to help the drops move down.
- Stay lying down for 5 to 10 minutes. Then sit up with a tissue held to the ear and wipe away anything that runs out. Wipe the outer ear only.
If you need both ears doing, finish one before you start the other. Some people rest a small piece of cotton wool loosely in the entrance to the ear to catch drips. That is fine, as long as it stays at the entrance and isn't pushed in.
Make it easier on yourself
- Make the last dose of the day at bedtime, so the drops can work overnight while you lie down.
- Ask someone else to put them in. It is much easier to aim when you can see the ear.
- If you struggle with a dropper, an olive oil spray with a nozzle may be simpler to use.
- Don't share drops, and keep the dropper tip away from fingers and ears.
How often and how long to use them
For olive or almond oil, the NHS advice is simple, and it is the same for most adults.
| Olive or almond oil | What the NHS suggests |
|---|---|
| How many | 2 or 3 drops in the blocked ear |
| How often | 3 to 4 times a day |
| For how long | 3 to 5 days |
| Lie down for | 5 to 10 minutes after each dose |
| What to expect | Lumps of wax coming out over about 2 weeks, often at night |
Pharmacy drops usually have a shorter course, and the leaflet tells you how many days to use them. More isn't better. Using drops for longer than advised can irritate the canal skin without shifting any more wax.
If you have an ear wax removal appointment booked, the clinic may give you its own instructions. Irrigation works best on softened wax, so you will usually be asked to use drops for a few days beforehand. For microsuction it varies between clinics.
When not to use ear drops
Drops are safe for most people, but there are times when putting anything in the ear can do harm.
Don't use ear drops if
- you have, or might have, a hole in your eardrum (a perforated eardrum)
- you have grommets, or have had ear surgery, unless your surgeon has said drops are fine
- your ear is painful, swollen or discharging, which may mean an infection
- you are allergic to any of the ingredients, or to almonds if you are using almond oil
Stop using drops and get advice if your ear becomes painful, very itchy or red, or starts to leak fluid.
For children, speak to a pharmacist or GP before using drops. Children rarely need wax treating at all, and our guide to ear wax in children explains what to look out for.
What to expect, and what to do if drops don't work
Don't be put off if your ear feels more blocked after the first day or two. Softened wax swells slightly and can close up the small gap that was letting sound through. You may also hear popping or crackling as it moves. After that, most people find the blocked feeling eases, and lumps of soft brown wax turn up on the pillow or in the shower over the following couple of weeks.
Drops alone don't always clear a blockage. In the one trial that compared drops with no treatment at all, about 1 in 5 treated ears were completely clear after 5 days, against 1 in 20 of the ears left alone. That isn't a reason to skip them: softened wax is far easier for a clinician to remove, and sometimes the drops are enough on their own. Wax that is packed hard against the eardrum is the most likely to need help. Our guide to impacted ear wax explains why.
If your ear is still blocked after 5 days of drops, the NHS advises seeing a nurse at your GP surgery. Many surgeries no longer remove wax, though, so you may be pointed to a community service or a private clinic. Our guide to ear wax removal on the NHS explains what is still available. Private clinics mostly use microsuction or electronic ear irrigation.
Get help from NHS 111 or an urgent GP appointment if
- you suddenly lose hearing in one or both ears
- you have severe ear pain, or pain with a high temperature
- blood, pus or fluid is coming out of your ear
- you feel very dizzy or sick, or the side of your face feels weak
Find a clinic
Still blocked after 5 days of drops?
A clinician can look in your ear, confirm it is wax and usually clear it in one appointment. Search by town or postcode.
Whatever you do, don't follow a course of drops with a cotton bud or a home tool. Our guides to why cotton buds make ear wax worse and home ear wax kits and camera tools explain the risks.
Common questions
Can I put drops in both ears?
Yes, but do one ear at a time. Put the drops in the first ear, stay lying on that side for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn over and do the other. Doing both at once means sitting up too soon, and most of the drops run straight back out.
Should I use ear drops before a microsuction appointment?
Ask the clinic when you book. Irrigation works best on softened wax, so you will usually be asked to use drops for a few days beforehand. Many microsuction clinics also like very hard wax softened first, while others prefer you come as you are. Their instructions come first. Our comparison of microsuction and irrigation explains why.
Can I use ear drops if I wear hearing aids?
Yes. Take the hearing aid out before putting drops in and leave it out while you lie down, then give the ear some time to settle before you refit it so oil doesn't get into the aid. Doing the last dose at bedtime makes this easier. See our guide to ear wax and hearing aids.
Can I keep using drops for longer than 5 days?
Not without advice. If your ear is still blocked after a full course, more of the same is unlikely to help, and weeks of drops can leave the canal skin soggy and irritated. It is time to see a pharmacist, practice nurse or ear wax removal clinician, who can look in the ear and decide what it needs.
Is it normal for ear drops to fizz or crackle?
Yes. Drops containing urea hydrogen peroxide release oxygen when they meet wax, which causes a fizzing or crackling sound. Oil drops can make popping noises as the wax shifts. Both are harmless. Stop using them and get advice if you feel pain, a burning sensation, or dizziness that doesn't pass.
Treatments mentioned in this guide
Do It Yourself Methods
Drops, oils and what to avoid
Ear Irrigation
Warm water from an electronic pump
