Advice from an ear, nose and throat specialist on how to clean your ears at home, what tools to use and what to watch out for. Jesse Orrall (he/him/his) is a Senior Video Producer for CNET. He covers ...

Maintaining ear health involves understanding safe cleaning practices and avoiding harmful methods. Earwax protects the ears, but buildup can cause impaction, leading to discomfort and hearing issues.

Putting a cotton swab in your ear is a terrible way to clean it, since the swab may remove a little bit of earwax but tends to shove the rest in deeper. But if you’ve a developed a q-tip habit, it can ...