Cleaning the ears with Vinigar and Water

[LUBOLD8431]

Because the ingredients are common, and cheaper to buy in bulk.

I have used over the counter remedies, and none work better than the good ole ear beer mix...

Sorry, but I aint payin $12 for something that doesnt work for me...

 

[Diversauras]

medic13 once bubbled...
I use 50% water and 50% vinegar then 25% alcohol then rest water works good for me
again works for me no dr but works no ear infections !!!also drys ear out some too !!

I missed this math class, how does it work? Does the bottle buldge or does it just stay in place above the neck of the bottle?

 

[mddolson]

The mix I have used for Years (about 20) is

1/3 white vinegar (5% acetic acid)
1/3 rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyle alcohol)
1/3 tap water

it may not be DIR but is does WFM (work for me).


MikeD

 

[zeN||]

OTC swimmers ear products are a rip off, equal parts of alcohol, vinegar, domboro=works well for me zeN

 

[cdiver2]

My Doc advised the alcohol/hydrogen peroxide for me and it has worked fine for me and my wife

 

[Charlie99]

zeN|| once bubbled...
OTC swimmers ear products are a rip off, equal parts of alcohol, vinegar, domboro=works well for me zeN

The OTC products I see in the US, such as Swim-EAR are 95% isopropyl alcohol, 5% glycerin. They good to dry out my ears when used only once in a while, but the 95% alcohol is too harsh for frequent use.

I use a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar (5% acetic acid) and rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol). For me, this mixture has enough alcohol to get the drying effect, but not so much that it irritates the skin. The vinegar helps prevent infection. An old SwimEAR bottle makes a nice dispenser.


Charlie

p.s. The Aquaear the DeepSeaFox mentioned is available OTC in Australia, but I haven't seen it elsewhere. It's roughly equivalent to 30% vinegar and 70% alcohol (17.3mg/ml acetic acid, 634 mg/ml alcohol).

 

[miguel sanz]

In Spain, ENTs recommend "boricated alcohol", wich is 70% alchol + "boric acid" (¿? I don´t know in english) to saturation. It´s very popular, very cheap, it works and doesn´t stink.

 

[zeN||]

Charlie, charging customers $5-$10 for a small bottle of alcohol/glycerin is a ripoff anyway you charge it zeN

 

[golddiver]

...I'm a gold dredger and spend 6-8 hours underwater every day during dredging season.....I think I've tried all of the mixtures mentioned in this forum trying to avoid ear infections, except for the boric acid with alcohol....and I've heard from other divers that it works.....wonder if Miguel, or anybody that uses it, can expand a little on it, specially what's the mix ratio ....thanks.....

 

[ronbeau]

I remember back then when I did my OW course... the instructor gave us a tip that would help us in reducing the risk on getting ear infections....

1/4 vinegar with 3/4 water put the mixture as drops (only a couple) in your ears after the dive...

Is this good?

Thank you...

Actually, I use a little different mixture. The mixture I use is 50% white vinegar and 50% isopropyl alcohol.

This was recommended by the physician's assistant at my HMO who is a diver and a former Marine Recon who got his scuba training at the Navy Seal training facility.

Subsequent to his recommendation I saw the exact same formula recommended within the Alert Diver publication which is produced by DAN (Diver's Alert Network). DAN is a non-profit organization specializing in dive medicine for the recreational diver.

The idea is that the vinegar kills the bacteria and the isopropyl alcohol acts as a drying agent to remove the excess moisture from the ears.