How to Get Rid of Water in Your Ears: Chewing, Blow Drying, Ear Drops & More

The safest ways to clear out your ear canal and prevent infection

Co-authored by Dan Hickey Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: February 20, 2024 Fact Checked

If you catch yourself asking “What did you say?” after a relaxing afternoon in the pool, you probably have some water in your ear that’s causing some problems. Getting water stuck in your ear canal happens to everyone sometimes, and most of the time it comes out with a little tilt or shake of your head. If you’ve tried everything to get the water out and it’s still not budging, it may be time to try something new. We’ve put together the best, safest ways to get pesky water out of your ear so you can hear clearly and prevent infection. If you’re ready to unclog your ears and stop saying “Huh?” when someone says something, read on!

Things You Should Know

Try to drain the water naturally first. Tilt your head, lie down, chew gum, yawn, or use the Valsalva maneuver to dislodge stuck water from your ear.
Try over-the-counter ear drying drops or a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and distilled, white vinegar to dry out water and prevent infection.
See a doctor if the stuck water causes pain, redness, fever, or drainage from your ear.

1

Wipe your ear dry.

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Rub your outer ear with a cloth to soak up excess water. After swimming or bathing, tilt your waterlogged ear to the side and wipe your outer ear slowly and gently. Stick to the outer ear only—inserting the cloth deeper into the ear canal can push some water further in.^{[1]
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- Do this soon after you’re exposed to water to keep it from migrating further into your middle or inner ear.

2

Tilt your head and tug your earlobe.

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Lower your ear and move your earlobe in all different directions. Try pulling the top of the ear to the side of your head, too—any motion will help! If the water’s extra stubborn, try bouncing or hopping lightly to shake it out.^{[2]
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3

Lie down on your side.

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Let gravity do the work of clearing your ear while you take a load off. Place a towel or cloth over your pillow to absorb any water that comes out. Watch a show, listen to music, or ponder the universe for a few minutes while the water works its way out.^{[3]
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- If the water’s still there at bedtime, try sleeping on your side that night so the liquid can naturally work its way out by the morning.

4

Move your jaw.

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Chew gum or make yourself yawn to move water from your inner ear. Tilt your head to the side and move your jaw any which way—try fake chewing, swiveling it side to side, or just talking with an exaggerated open mouth. The motion will ease tension in your Eustachian tube and help the water flow out.^{[4]
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- After you hear the “pop” of the water clearing, shake your head a little bit to encourage the water to move through your ear canal.

5

Make a vacuum in your ear with your palm.

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Creating a temporary vacuum will pull water out from your inner ear. Tilt your ear down and cup your palm against it for a few seconds. Press hard to get a good seal that will remove any fluids from your ear. Remove your hand while your head is still tilted to let the water drain out.^{[5]
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- Make extra sure to tilt your ear down. If it’s facing up, you’ll wind up pushing the water deeper into your ear canal.
- Try rubbing your hand in a circular motion while you’re holding the vacuum to massage the liquid out (especially if you’re hearing is muffled by the water).
- Alternatively, move your finger in and out of your ear rapidly for a few seconds. Just be careful not to scratch your ear canal, since this could cause an infection.

6

Do the Valsalva maneuver.

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Try to exhale through your closed mouth and nose to create pressure. Sit down or lie on your back and gently pinch your nose closed. Take a deep breath and close your mouth, then try to breathe out against your mouth and nose. Hold the position for 15-20 seconds.^{[6]
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- Tilt your head to the side if the maneuver doesn’t work upright. The light pressure will force liquid out through your middle ear.
- Try blowing your nose for a similar effect.
- The Valsalva maneuver helps remove liquid or small objects from your middle ear that shouldn’t be there (and can slow your heart rate, too).

7

Evaporate the water with a hair dryer.

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Blow dry your ear to dry up lingering moisture with air power. Hold the dryer about 1 ft (30 cm) away from your ear and blow into or across the opening on the lowest heat setting. As the warm air passes through, it will carry away or evaporate any water it blows over. Use low heat and keep a steady distance from your ear to avoid burning yourself.^{[7]
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- If the warm air is too hot, use cool air instead. Any focused “breeze” will help dry out your inner ear.

8

Repel the water with warm olive oil.

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Take advantage of the fact that oil and water don’t mix to push water out. Microwave a small bowl of olive oil for a few seconds (make sure it’s just warm, not hot). Aspirate the oil into an ear dropper and put a few drops in the watery ear. Let it sit for a few minutes, then tilt your ear down to let the water and oil drain.^{[8]
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- Since water and oil don’t mix, the oil will help drive the water away and out of your ear.
- Olive oil can also be used to clean your ear of earwax.

9

Make ear drops with rubbing alcohol and vinegar.

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Use alcohol to evaporate the water and vinegar to kill bacteria. Make a 1:1 mix of rubbing alcohol and distilled, white vinegar in a small bowl, then aspirate the mixture into an eye or ear dropper. Tilt your head and put a few drops in the waterlogged ear, then let it sit for 3-5 minutes before draining it out.^{[9]
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- Use this method to treat frequent swimmer’s ear (an infection in the outer ear canal from water sitting in your ear).
- The rubbing alcohol mixes with the water and evaporates it quickly. The vinegar breaks down earwax and kills bacteria to prevent an infection.
- Don’t use this method if you’ve got a punctured eardrum or ear tubes. Rubbing alcohol is meant for external use only.

10

Flush your ear with hydrogen peroxide.

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Use 3% hydrogen peroxide to dissolve earwax that’s trapping water. Put half of an ear dropper’s worth of peroxide into your ear and let it sit for a moment while it bubbles and fizzes. Then, tilt your head and tug on your earlobe or upper ear to drain the liquid out.^{[10]
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- Use drying drops or a hair dryer afterward to make sure there’s no liquid left in your ear.
- Do not use hydrogen peroxide in your ears if you have an ear infection, ear tubes, or a punctured eardrum.

11

Try over-the-counter ear drops.

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Apply OTC ear drops with acetic acid or alcohol to dry up water. Look for products like Auro-Dri or Swim-Ear that contain 95% isopropyl alcohol that are meant for drying, or diluted acetic acid solutions like BigWave Drops that dry and prevent infections. Apply the drops according to the instructions on the packaging.^{[11]
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- Don’t use these drops if you have ear tubes or a ruptured eardrum.
- These drops are generally safe for adults and children.

12

Check with a doctor if you notice infection symptoms.

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Look out for pain, redness, fever, or ear drainage in addition to water. Your doctor will determine if the water has caused an infection that needs medical treatment, like Swimmer’s Ear. Your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotic or acetic acid ear drops for 10-14 days, oral antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or pain medication to treat the infection.^{[12]
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- Water-caused infections are completely treatable. The infection will probably begin to pass after a few days and be mostly cleared up after about a week.

Clear Your Sinuses With This Expert Series

Clearing your sinuses can sometimes feel impossible, especially if you have an infection. Use these expert articles to unclog your sinuses and finally get some relief.

1

Expert-Backed Tips & Remedies to Unclog Your Ears at Home

2

Clear Your Sinuses and Ears

3

Unclog the Inner Ear or Eustachian Tube

4

16 Ways to Clear Nasal Congestion

5

How to Clear Your Sinuses at Home

6

Clear a Sinus Infection

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can you just use rubbing alcohol if you don't have vinegar?

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Expert Answer

Not according to clinical guidelines we use in family practice when we advise patients in preventing water in the ears that can lead to infection such as Swimmer’s ear. The best prevention is to keep ears dry and prevent infection by instilling 2-3 drops of equal part of white vinegar, isopropyl alcohol and water after each contact with water. This kind of solution is beneficial for prophylaxis as well as for those with persistent Swimmer’s Ear infections.

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Tips

Always dry your ears after swimming or bathing. Use a towel to pat your outer ears dry, then tilt your head to both sides to drain out any water that got in your canals.^{[13]
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Cover your ears while swimming if you’re prone to waterlogged ears or ear infections. Try ear plugs, a bathing cap, or wetsuit hood.^{[14]
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These methods will probably bring a mix of water and earwax out of your ear. Be prepared with a tissue to dab or wipe it up.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Try using salt to treat fluid in the ear. The heat from a hot salt compress can help the fluid evaporate and relieve pain. Heat one-fourth cup of salt in the microwave. Put the salt in a cotton cloth and tie it tightly. Hold the salt bundle near the opening of the affected ear for two to three minutes.
Try taking two fingers and rubbing them behind the ear in a circular motion. Then slowly rub down to your jawline. If problems persist, go to a doctor.
If you're trying the sleeping/laying down method, put a squishy (not full or firm) pillow under your neck and lay with your waterlogged ear down.
Yawning or chewing can help get the trapped water in your ear to come out. Just be ready to absorb any liquid that comes out with a towel.

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Warnings

Avoid using cotton swabs to clean your ears or remove water. They can push water deeper or scratch your ear canal, which makes it more prone to infection.

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Don’t use earplugs or put cotton balls in your ears while there’s water in them. These can also push the water deeper and make it harder to remove or cause an infection.^{[15]
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