And yet, ask any doctor and they’ll tell you that sticking a Q-Tip (or equivalent) into your ear canal is the single worst thing you can possibly do. We have to clean our ears, yet there doesn’t seem to be a clear sense of how to do it effectively. Tiny hairs in your ear (known as cilia) work with ear wax (technical name: cerumen) to keep debris from entering your ear canal. If you are prone to ear wax buildup, the Mayo Clinic suggests techniques such as using over-ear headphones rather than ear buds, to help avoid causing more ear wax production. An ENT has specialized equipment such as small, curved instruments called curettes, light suction devices, and even microscopes meant specifically for looking into the ear canal.