Hydrogen Peroxide is an interesting compound.

At moderate to high concentrations, it is extremely dangerous. A powerful oxidiser, it is even used to propel rockets into space due to its highly reactive nature.

But at low concentrations, it is actually quite useful and even beneficial in some cases.

It is used in gardening to promote seed germination, to protect roots from rot, and even to clean and disinfect gardening tools.

But one of the most useful ways that hydrogen peroxide can be used, is in cleaning ears.

Cleaning Ears

Normally, ears produce earwax which can sometimes build up and cause irritation or even blockage. Using hydrogen peroxide regularly in the ears can be a helpful way to reduce excess earwax and maintain healthy hearing.

For cleaning ears, you want to use purified food-grade hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at 3% concentration or lower. Anything higher than 6% can actually start to become corrosive and harmful to the skin. So staying around 3% concentration is a safe bet.

If you have never done H2O2 ear cleaning before, or never had your ears microsuctioned before, it is possible that there may be too much earwax build up or blockage for the at-home H2O2 treatment to be effective. In which case, you may want to consider getting ear microsuction done at a clinic first, as they can clear out any larger blockages or build up first and even check on the health of your eardrums.

Then, at-home H2O2 cleaning can be done as an ongoing maintenance treatment. I personally do this every few months. H2O2 must be stored safely away from children as even low concentrations can be harmful if ingested.

How to use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean ears?

First, make sure that you have food-grade H2O2 at 3% concentration, or less. 

Lie on one side, and using a dropper, or the lid of the bottle, slowly drop (or pour) the hydrogen peroxide into the ear.

You will probably only need a small amount, and you should be able to feel if you have filled your ear too much. With practice, you should be able to estimate how much you need.

Then you will feel the hydrogen peroxide begin to bubble, it may even start to foam and rise up out of the ear canal. This is normal. Any excess you can wipe away with a tissue.

Ideally, you should leave the H2O2 in the ear for as long as it takes to stop bubbling, or for around 5 minutes.

If you feel any sharp pain or serious discomfort, then stop immediately and drain the hydrogen peroxide out of your ear.

Once the hydrogen peroxide has stopped bubbling, hold a tissue to your ear and rotate your head to drain the liquid out. This may take a while and you may need to use a tissue to help clean the outer ear.

Repeat for the other ear.

Once done, your ears may feel slightly sensitive and it may take a day or so for your ears to feel dry and normal again. But they should definitely feel clearer and less “full”.

If you find that your ears feel more blocked after the treatment, it may be that there was too much earwax in the canal to begin with, and the hydrogen peroxide may have softened the earwax to drop further into the ear canal. If so, ear microsuction done in a clinical setting, may be the best way to remedy this.