Cleaning a Baby/toddler's Ears

My ped told me to soak the q-tip in rubbing alcohol. It dries up the wax and helps loosen up the harder wax. I soak the first end in alcohol then gently put it in the ear rubbing all sides. The q-tip is pretty soaked. Not really dripping with alcohol, but definately leaving a good coating in her ear. Then I take the other end (dry end) and wipe up the alcohol I just put in. Her ears have stayed pretty clear since then and we haven't had to "flush them out" at the doctor's office since! Hope that helps! :)

For the exterior I use a washcloth, and a q-tip for the interior

I personally find the idea that I am incapable of operating a qtip to be insulting. We have waxy ears. We clean them. Daily. Period.

I'm sure some people are incapable of operating a q-tip. But that's not me.

I use a Q-tip on my kid's ears. One of them gets really waxy ears too, so we make sure to clean them right after a shower. My daughter, who is 9 months old, holds still and lets me clean them. If I don't, she pulls on her ears until I do. I think she is a lot like her brother and I...can't stand that "wet" feeling in the ear.
I am not stupid, I know how to use a Q-tip. I think it's weird when I hear people say not to. It's not like I am shoving the whole thing in there.
L.

In response to Riley J finding it insulting that people would assume she can't operate a q-tip; the reason they don't want you using a q-tip in a child's ear is not because they think you will hurt the child but because using a q-tip can force the wax deeper inside the ear. My son has waxy ears that sometimes I do have to use a q-tip for (it is thick and orange ewww) but we are suppose to have some wax in our ears. its what protects them and keeps them clean.

You should only be cleaning the outside of the ear the is really no reason to use a qtip at all. Ears need wax. I was behind and his ear while he is in the tub. Nothing further is needed.

Use a warm wet wash cloth. Because of the terry cloth you can get more off without scrubbing, and just use your pinky in the corner of the wash cloth to the inside of the ear but not the canal.

They have irrigation systems and if you go to your ped, they will show you how to use it. They have stuff that loosens the ear wax and then you use water to irrigate it. My nephew had a ton of ear wax and that's what they did for him.

I use a wash cloth or towel on a wet ear to get behind the ears but a Q tip can work for that too. The baby safe Q tips don't fit very far into little ears so I am okay with using them (but obviously not sticking them into the ear canal).

The ENT doctors will tell you no Q tips or anything smaller than a finger should go in the ear. The wax will be pushed back in the ear and clog it and that can be a worse problem. I had a couple of kids who had to use a water pick, doctor's orders, to clean out the wax in the ear but that did not push it back into the ear. Use only a wash cloth and your finger to clean the visible wax from the ear. Nothing else unless a doctor tells you to use it. Even the peroxide and over the counter drops we were told NOT to use by the ENT. He said that dries out the skin in the ear then and causes problems then. The skin in the ear will flake then. That's what we were told anyhow.

You know those round cotton pads generally used for taking off make up? I use that for outside the ear when she's in the bath (or right out of the bath). I use a q-tip for inside the ear.
I never put the q-tip inside my daughters ear canal, I use it to clean the gunk thats accumulated on the very beginning of the canal (the ear hole, the part thats visible), and the folds of her ears (cartilage).

If your child has really waxy ears, and you don't want to force the wax back in, and/or your child is feeling 'water' in their ears that can't come out, or the beginning of an ear infection (pain) -- what always works is getting an eye dropper, putting 5-6 drops of hydrogen peroxide in the ear (waiting for the bubbling to stop, I know if freaks all of us out a bit, the feeling) then flipping over to drain ear, and do other side (same procedure). This always seems to work.

Corner of a baby wash cloth that is wet and/or I buy the Johnson's baby safety q-tips. Those are awesome for ears and noses.