It only took me 50 years to figure out how to get excess water out of my ears after a workout without doing the "one legged-banging-head-with-palm" dance. Paper towels, napkins, or even newsprint will work. Don't use polished or bond paper, it is way too tough on the flesh and doesn't absorb very well.
Through the magic of capillary action, you can remove 94% of the offending water simply by putting your finger in a paper towel and sticking it into your ear. No need to wiggle it around or push hard. As long as the paper touches water, it will drain most moisture out of a healthy ear. Amazing but true. I don't know why my towel cannot do this, but have had remarkable success over the last 6 months since I gave it a try.
Cheers and good drainage!
Former Member
I always use a mixture of 1/2 alcohol and 1/2 vinegar in my ears after I swim...a few drops in and turn my head to get it out.
You can use peroxide to loosen and float out waxy ear buildup; we used it for this purpose as kids to minimize the potential for ear infections. Peroxide is powerful oxidant (like chlorine). The peroxide fizzes when you put in your ear, loosens the waxy stuff and once loose it floats up, and then dump the spent peroxide and waxy stuff out of your ear. I don't know if adults with full grown ear canals would really benefit from this (I don't need it).
Don't mix the peroxide with vinegar. Probably not a good idea to use peroxide in your ear if you have any feelings of ear infection as the peroxide breaks down to water and does not dry out your ear like the alcohol/vinegar mix.
hmm, I've been using equal parts peroxide/white vinegar. Does peroxide do the same thing as alcohol?
Nope. Hydrogen peroxide does not do the same thing as alcohol. A mixture of peroxide and vinegar will form peracetic acid. It is not something you should put in your ear.
I bought a bottle of the commercial water in ear removal stuff (Auro-Dri, I think - runs about $3 and I found it at Target in their pharmacy section) essentially to get the bottle. When I finished that I put in the 50/50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol (find in the first aid section at any pharmacy or grocery store - very cheap) and white vinegar. Put a few drops of that in each ear after you swim - let it sit for a second or two, then turn your head over onto your towel and the solution comes out with the water.
Any bottle along those lines or something with a dropper would work.
Two like minds, ekw! :banana: I did EXACTLY the same thing, because Auro-Dri came in a refillable bottle that was nice and small. I used to keep the solution in a Tupperware and use an ear syringe when I came home from the pool; however, that didn't work for those times I didn't come straight home. I wanted to use something more convenient and keep it in my swim bag. I even got mine at Target, too. :agree:
OK, for the medically-challenged: Iso alcohol is something you get at a pharmacy? You guys put the 50/50 mix in a small dropper? A couple drops AFTER swimming (not before?) and the water comes out? Does the 50/50 mix also come out?
Sorry, these are serious questions. I'm one of the 1 legged hopping dorks and I'd like to stop doing that.
I'll tell you what works for me. At the end of my workout, I stuff the earbuds from my mp3 player into my ears, hop on the subway, blast metallica and then pull them out to show the security officer my ID as I enter my building (in case he wants to trip me up with a question like "What's your name?).
Of course, the ID usually gets splashed with the backwash so the guard gets to have some pool water too.
I bought a bottle of the commercial water in ear removal stuff (Auro-Dri, I think - runs about $3 and I found it at Target in their pharmacy section) essentially to get the bottle. When I finished that I put in the 50/50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol (find in the first aid section at any pharmacy or grocery store - very cheap) and white vinegar. Put a few drops of that in each ear after you swim - let it sit for a second or two, then turn your head over onto your towel and the solution comes out with the water.
Any bottle along those lines or something with a dropper would work.
