Before beginning, please consult the disclaimer below.
Why Do We Have Ear Wax?
Before we dive into ear wax cleaning and ear wax removal, let's take a look at why we are almost indiscriminately subject to ear wax build up. Ear wax's actual purpose, 
outside of being a pesty nuisance, is to act as a cleaning agent. Ear wax's, known scientifically as cerumen, is secreted by the body and protects the skin of the ear canal, by helping clean, lubricate and provide some protection from from bacteria, fungi, insects and water. Who knew that ear wax is actually extremely beneficial to us! Our bodies also have a mechanism for removing excess ear wax as it is constantly traveling towards the outer ear where it can drop out. Actions of the jaw, such as talking and chewing, are designed to massage the wax out of the canal; however, the system is not perfect.
Symptoms of Ear Wax Build up
As previously mentioned our bodies are not perfect and ear wax build up can occur. Excess or impacted ear wax can press against the eardrum and symptoms of ear wax build up include:
- obstruct hearing,
- cause an earache,
- cause a sensation of fullness in the ear,
- cause ringing in the ear (also known as tinnitus), and
- even cause dizziness.
Ear Wax Removal
Most of us have had our mothers' tell us not to stick anything bigger than our pinky fingers into our ear or else we may go deaf. Mom, thank you! That leads us to a very important first point for this section. DO NOT, under any circumstances, stick cotton swabs (see image below to the left) or anything similar into your ears to
remove ear wax!
But everyone else does! Everyone else is wrong! Sticking a foreign object, such as a cotton swab, pencil, drinking straw, etc. into your ear could:
- Perforate (a fancy way to say, tear a hole) in your ear drum, causing insurmountable pain and could potentially lead to more serious infections;
- You could also push the ear wax into your ear canal even deeper making eventual removal more difficult;
- You could scrape or scratch the ear canal skin which could cause infections such as "swimmer's ear" or otitis externa.
- If you are successful in removing ear wax, you could remove too much, leaving your ear vulnerable to an infection. Remember ear wax's purpose is to keep harmful bacteria, fungi, water, insects and other foreign substances out of the ear.
If you already have purchased a lifetime supply of cotton swabs, don't fret at this point: you can use the swabs to clean the outer ear, just keep it out of your ear canal! It is extremely important to remember that experts do not recommend the use of any implement to try and remove the wax from inside the ear.
OK... so a better section would be Safe Ear Wax Removal
You are probably saying, then how on Earth do you expect me to get rid of this excess ear wax build up??
Well fret no longer!
You can start a program of removing excess ear wax as early as today and could start seeing results rather quickly. Oil can help soften the wax, which can make it easier for the body to expel naturally. Examples of oils that can be used are baby oil, mineral oil, almond oil or olive oil.
Tilt your head in one direction and with the help of an eyedropper carefully drop a few drops into your ear. A helpful tip is to keep your head tilted and with your free hand pull up on your ear while guiding the eyedropper into the entrance to of the outer ear canal.
Keep your head tilted until you feel the oil draining into your ear. 
Repeat this process with the other ear. If you are afraid of excess oil dripping out during the night, you can try sleeping with cotton balls on your outer ear, remember do not insert anything into the ear canal! Repeat this process in the morning and evenings for 4-7 days.
Once you believe that the wax has loosened up we can use a 1:1 mixture of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide to help remove it. Fill half of a glass with water and the other half with 3% peroxide. Be sure to get the temperature of the mixture as close to body temperature as possible (98.6º F / 37º C). The reason to keep the mixture as close to body temperature as possible is to prevent dizziness and nausea. You can even use just 3% hydrogen peroxide or just water if you wish, some variations may be more successful for you than others. Once you get the proper temperature, suck it up with either a rubber bulb syringe or a clean eyedropper. 
Rubber bulb syringes can be found at your local drug store; be sure to check the infant section.
I did not believe that my store had one, but found one in the infant section. Now follow these steps:
- Tilt your head and carefully fill up your ear canal with the water, peroxide or mixture of the two.
- Allow some time for it to drain into the ear canal. If you used peroxide you will hear fizzing, this is a good sign. Wait for the fizzing to stop. Add more if you feel necessary. You may want to lay a towel down on a bed or couch to be comfortable. This may take upwards of 10 – 15 minutes.
- Once the fizzing has stopped, empty your ear into a sink. Keep an eye out for plugs or small clumps of ear wax buildup.
- If you feel a “slushing" in your ear this is perfectly normal, it may just be that you did not give the peroxide enough time to both dislodge and dissolve the ear wax.
- Carefully repeat as you feel necessary. Do the same with the other ear.
When you are done with both ears, it is of utmost importance that you dry out your ears when this is completed to prevent any infections. The two steps are as follows. The first step is to dry your outer ear with a towel or a hair dryer on the low setting. The second step is to place a few drops of rubbing alcohol into each of your ear canals. As done before, tilt your head one way, place a few drops, wait a few seconds, drain, repeat on the other ear.
There you have it, a way to clear out your excess ear wax! Remember the disclaimer and congratulations on helping out yourself!
Disclaimer
Just as a general disclaimer, the information on this site is not to be taken as medical advice and before following any
ear wax removal
techniques or attempt to
remove ear wax
consult a doctor or physician, preferably one who specializes in the ear. When consulting a doctor, ensure you mention if you have flown or have been at a high altitude or plan on flying or being at a high altitude. If you feel pain or discomfort at any point, stop immediately and consult a physician.