The safest ways to clear out your ear canal and prevent infection

If you catch yourself asking “What did you say?” after a relaxing afternoon in the pool, you probably have some water in your ear that’s causing some problems. Getting water stuck in your ear canal happens to everyone sometimes, and most of the time it comes out with a little tilt or shake of your head. If you’ve tried everything to get the water out and it’s still not budging, it may be time to try something new. We’ve put together the best, safest ways to get pesky water out of your ear so you can hear clearly and prevent an infection. If you’re ready to unclog your ears and stop saying “Huh?” when someone says something, read on!

Things You Should Know

  • Try to drain the water naturally first. Tilt your head, lie down, chew gum, yawn, or use the Valsalva maneuver to dislodge stuck water from your ear.
  • Try over-the-counter ear drying drops or a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and distilled, white vinegar to dry out water and prevent infection.
  • See a doctor if the stuck water causes pain, redness, fever, or drainage from your ear.
5

Make a vacuum in your ear with your palm.

  1. Creating a temporary vacuum will pull water out from your inner ear. Tilt your ear down and cup your palm against it for a few seconds. Press hard to get a good seal that will remove any fluids from your ear. Remove your hand while your head is still tilted to let the water drain out.[5]
    • Make extra sure to tilt your ear down. If it’s facing up, you’ll wind up pushing the water deeper into your ear canal.
    • Try rubbing your hand in a circular motion while you’re holding the vacuum to massage the liquid out (especially if you’re hearing is muffled by the water).
    • Alternatively, move your finger in and out of your ear rapidly for a few seconds. Just be careful not to scratch your ear canal, since this could cause an infection.
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6

Do the Valsalva maneuver.

  1. Try to exhale through your closed mouth and nose to create pressure. Sit down or lie on your back and gently pinch your nose closed. Take a deep breath and close your mouth, then try to breathe out against your mouth and nose. Hold the position for 15-20 seconds.[6]
    • Tilt your head to the side if the maneuver doesn’t work upright. The light pressure will force liquid out through your middle ear.
    • Try blowing your nose for a similar effect.
    • The Valsalva maneuver helps remove liquid or small objects from your middle ear that shouldn’t be there (and can slow your heart rate, too).
7

Evaporate the water with a hair dryer.

9

Make ear drops with rubbing alcohol and vinegar.

  1. Use alcohol to evaporate the water and vinegar to kill bacteria. Make a 1:1 mix of rubbing alcohol and distilled, white vinegar in a small bowl, then aspirate the mixture into an eye or ear dropper. Tilt your head and put a few drops in the waterlogged ear, then let it sit for 3-5 minutes before draining it out.[9]
    • Use this method to treat frequent swimmer’s ear (an infection in the outer ear canal from water sitting in your ear).
    • The rubbing alcohol mixes with the water and evaporates it quickly. The vinegar breaks down earwax and kills bacteria to prevent an infection.
    • Don’t use this method if you’ve got a punctured eardrum or ear tubes. Rubbing alcohol is meant for external use only.
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12

Check with a doctor if you notice infection symptoms.

Expert Q&A
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  • Question
    Can you just use rubbing alcohol if you don't have vinegar?
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
    Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
    Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    Not according to clinical guidelines we use in family practice when we advise patients in preventing water in the ears that can lead to infection such as Swimmer’s ear. The best prevention is to keep ears dry and prevent infection by instilling 2-3 drops of equal part of white vinegar, isopropyl alcohol and water after each contact with water. This kind of solution is beneficial for prophylaxis as well as for those with persistent Swimmer’s Ear infections.
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About This Article

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
Medically reviewed by:
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006. This article has been viewed 6,498,023 times.
4 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 158
Updated: January 5, 2023
Views: 6,498,023
Categories: Cleaning Ears

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

Article SummaryX

If hopping up and down isn't helping to remove water from your ears, the next best thing you do is to yawn or chew gum, since the motion your jaw makes can jar the water free. Own a hair dryer? Put it on the lowest setting, hold it a foot from your ear, and blow it into your ear. If nothing’s working, you can try using alcohol in your ear, which will help the water evaporate faster. Just make a half-and-half rubbing alcohol-white vinegar solution and put about a teaspoon in your ear, then drain your ear completely. For more information from our Medical reviewer on removing water from your ears, including when to see a doctor, read on!

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