Health

Blocked with earwax? What is safe to do at home, and what to avoid

Put 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil in the blocked ear while lying on your side, stay there 5 to 10 minutes, and repeat 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days (NHS). Never use cotton buds or fingers. Skip the drops if you have a hole in your eardrum.

By Abu Bakar Saadat · Publisher: Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · Published 27 October 2026

Drops: 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil (NHS)
Lie on your side: 5 to 10 minutes, affected ear up
How often: 3 to 4 times a day, for 3 to 5 days
Expect: Lumps of wax fall out over about 2 weeks
Advice from: NHS and MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine), read 27 October 2026
Checked: October 2026

Reviewed by Dr Aiman Umer, BDS (Army Medical College, Pakistan), on 27 October 2026.

Illustration of a person on a sofa cupping one ear, with a small bottle of oil and a dropper on the table — Illustration

Before you start

Only do this if your ear feels blocked with wax and you have no ear pain, no fluid coming out and no known hole in your eardrum. The NHS says not to use drops if you have a perforated eardrum, and that a pharmacist can help if you're not sure.

Step 1: get olive or almond oil and a dropper

Illustration of a small bottle of oil and a dropper on a bathroom shelf — Illustration

Plain olive or almond oil is what the NHS suggests. Don't use almond oil if you're allergic to almonds (NHS).

Step 2: lie on your side, blocked ear up

Illustration of a person lying on their side in bed, one ear facing up — Illustration

Step 3: put in 2 to 3 drops

Illustration of a dropper held just outside the ear with a few drops of oil falling in — Illustration

Keep the dropper outside the ear and let the drops fall in (NHS: 2 to 3 drops).

Step 4: stay lying down for 5 to 10 minutes

Illustration of the same person resting on their side, a round clock on the wall — Illustration

This lets the oil soak in (NHS: lie on your side for 5 to 10 minutes).

Step 5: repeat for 3 to 5 days, then give it time

Do it 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days. Over about 2 weeks, lumps of earwax should fall out and your hearing should improve (NHS).

What not to do

Illustration of a cotton bud, a fingertip and an ear candle, each crossed out in red — Illustration

Don't	Why
Cotton buds, fingers or any object in the ear	They push the wax further in and make it worse (NHS). MedlinePlus says never put a cotton swab into the ear canal.
Ear candles or ear vacuums	No evidence they get rid of earwax (NHS).
Oil drops with a hole in your eardrum	The NHS says not to use drops if you have a perforated eardrum.

Get help if

You're not sure it's earwax, or want other options: ask a pharmacist (NHS).
It hasn't cleared after 5 days, or your ear is so blocked you can't hear anything: see a nurse at your GP surgery. An infection can develop if it doesn't clear (NHS). In the US, see your healthcare provider if wax blocks your ear and you can't remove it (MedlinePlus).
You have fluid coming out of the ear, ear pain, a fever, or hearing loss that stays after the wax has cleared: see a doctor (MedlinePlus).

This article doesn't cover ear infections, children's ears, hearing aids or professional wax removal. Ask a pharmacist or doctor about those.

Questions readers ask

Do I need to clean inside my ears?

Usually not. MedlinePlus says earwax most often moves to the opening of the ear and falls out or is washed away. Clean only the outer ear, with a cloth.

Do ear candles or ear vacuums work?

The NHS says there is no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of earwax.

Can I use almond oil?

The NHS lists olive or almond oil, but says not to use almond oil if you are allergic to almonds.

Sources

This article is based on the sources above. We have not tested these products ourselves. Prices and availability change; check the maker's website before you buy.