5 tips to keep your child's ears clean and hygienic!

You might recognise it, your child does not have visibly dirty ears but you still regularly clean them with a cotton swab. Often this is not even really necessary, as a healthy ear canal is supposed to keep itself clean. Earwax has a purifying function and protects your child's ear canal from moisture, dirt and bacteria so proper care is important. We have several handy tips to help you keep your child's ears clean and hygienic.

1. Clean the outside of the ears

Clean ears start with good ear hygiene! When your child's ears are very dirty, it is of course time to clean them. But only clean the auricle, the opening of the ear canal and the back of the ears and do not go near the ear canal. You can clean these areas by applying tepid water or oil to them using a handkerchief or cotton ball or by just using a damp baby wipe.

2. Be careful when cleaning the ears with cotton swabs

Often the ears are cleaned using cotton swabs but be careful with this. As long as you stay outside the ear canal and use the cotton swab only in the auricle, there is nothing wrong, but it is better to follow one of the other tips for cleaning the ear. This is because going too far into your child's ear canal with a cotton swab can damage the eardrum. You can also use it to push earwax deeper into the ear, which can cause an ear plug to form.

3. Rinse with lukewarm water

Another easy way to clean the ears is to rinse them with water. By applying lukewarm water to the ear, you can soften the earwax. Do not use too much water or a hard jet for this and dry the ears well to avoid damage and infection. To make rinsing the ears quick and easy, there are several products, such as Max, the Earwax Remover from KIDSNER, which is specially designed for children.

4. Just chew!

This seems like a lame tip, but it works! The easiest way to remove wax from your child's ears is if they just chew, laugh and talk. This is because the movement of the jaws sets the ear canal in motion and dry earwax falls out of the ear. Easy anyway!  

5. Ear syringing

The last tip that should definitely not be forgotten is to have earwax fluhed out if it bothers your child.  Symptoms such as a blocked feeling in the ear can be a result of excess wax or an ear plug, you can read more about these symptoms in our article on excess wax. In this case, the GP can have your child’s ears cleared so that the symptoms pass and your child can go back to playing happily!