Never use cotton swabs to clean the ears

“The ear canal itself is just skin tissue and the wax is produced by what are called sebaceous glands, which are small glands in the ear canal,” Casper explained. “The skin of the ear canal is like a conveyor belt, in that when it starts to die, it migrates outward, taking the wax with it as well. So, if you just pour water in your ear in the shower, it should flush that water out.

Michelson agreed. “I had a doctor one time who said when you’re in the bathroom, and you’re using shampoo or whatever, just put a soapy finger in (your ear) and it’ll be fine,” he added.

However, some individuals produce a lot of earwax or have “really hairy ear canals,” Casper says, which means they may need more help keeping their ears clean.

“In those particular cases, don’t dig. Go to a professional, and have them look in your ears.” “There are easy and simple ways to get them out and are safe. I would also say be careful with over-the-counter earwashes and definitely don’t stick things like bobby pins or pen caps in your ear.

A few drops of hydrogen peroxide or similar products are another good option to soften the wax until it can be removed.

“That’s totally fine…but don’t do it too often, because the last thing you want to do is over-clean your ear.”

For more from Dr. Craig Casper, Head here.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.