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Can You Put Hydrogen Peroxide in Your Ear?
Hydrogen peroxide is a commonly used home remedy for aiding in the removal of earwax. Although commercially available products for earwax removal (such as Murine® or Colace®) are available, many people would rather use something they already have on hand. For this reason, many people wonder if you can put hydrogen peroxide in your ear.
The answer is yes -- hydrogen peroxide does work to soften and break up impacted earwax and may be helpful in many cases. However, there is little evidence that hydrogen peroxide works better than any other topical products for earwax removal. Such products can include:
- Almond oil
- Mineral oil
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
- Baking soda mixed with water
- Water
- Sterile saline
- Murine® ear drops
- Debrox® ear drops
- Colace® (docusate sodium) liquid, a product that is usually taken by mouth as a stool softener.
(To learn more about the safety and effectiveness of putting this product in your ear to soften earwax, click Hydrogen Peroxide for Earwax.)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD