How to Clean Your Dog's Ears
Ear cleaning is one of those tasks that sounds simple until you're holding a squirming dog, a bottle of something, and a cotton ball, wondering how deep you're actually supposed to go. (Answer: barely at all.) Done right, it takes two minutes and your dog barely minds. Done wrong, it's the fastest way to turn a healthy ear into a problem.
The short answer
Clean only what you can see: the ear flap and the outer opening, using a cotton pad dampened with a gentle, non-stinging cleanser, never a cotton swab, and never anything pushed into the canal. For most dogs, once every week or two is plenty; floppy-eared dogs, swimmers, and allergy-prone dogs benefit from 2–3 gentle wipe-downs a week. If the ear is red, painful, smelly, or full of dark discharge, stop, that's a vet visit, not a cleaning.
First: check before you clean
Flip the ear flap in good light and take five seconds:
- Healthy ear: pale pink skin, a thin film of wax at most, no strong smell. Proceed.
- Mildly waxy or dusty: normal, especially after a park day. Proceed.
- Red, swollen, dark discharge, musty or foul smell, pain when touched: don't clean it, diagnose it. Cleaning an infected ear stings, erases evidence your vet needs, and delays real treatment. Book the appointment.
This check is half the value of an ear routine, you'll catch problems a week or two earlier than you otherwise would.
What you need
- Cotton pads or soft gauze (a stack, you'll use a few)
- A gentle cleansing product that won't sting: Burrow Made Everyday Mist is built for this, pH-balanced, alcohol-free, no sting, lick-safe
- Treats within reach
- For deep-canal cleaning: a vet-approved ear flush if your vet has recommended one, that's a different task than the surface cleaning in this guide
Step by step
1. Pick your moment. After a walk or play, when your dog is pleasantly tired. Not a chase scene.
2. Mist the pad, not the ear. Two or three sprays onto a cotton pad. Spraying into an ear startles most dogs and sends liquid where you don't have control.
3. Wipe the flap. Hold the ear flap open gently and wipe the inner surface of the flap, this is where floppy-eared dogs accumulate the most grime.
4. Wipe the opening, surfaces only. Clean the ridges and folds you can see at the entrance to the canal. Your finger wrapped in the pad is as deep as anything should go. The canal is L-shaped; you can't reach the problem areas anyway, but you can pack wax deeper trying.
5. Dry pass. Follow with a dry pad. Moisture left in an ear is the thing you were trying to prevent.
6. Pay up. Treat, praise, done. The whole event should take under two minutes per ear, and the goal is a dog who shrugs at it.
The never list
- Cotton swabs in the canal. Packs debris against the eardrum and risks real injury.
- Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. They sting, dry out the ear, and irritate skin, which invites the exact overgrowth you're preventing.
- Vinegar mixes at home. Wrong concentration burns; right concentration is a guess.
- Cleaning an ear that hurts. Pain means pathology. Vet first.
- Over-cleaning. Daily scrubbing of a healthy ear strips it and irritates skin. More is not better; consistent and gentle is better.
How often, honestly
| Dog | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Upright ears, dry lifestyle | Every 1–2 weeks, or when visibly grimy |
| Floppy ears (Goldens, Labs, Cockers, Doodles) | 2–3× per week, light wipe |
| Swimmers | After every swim: wipe + thorough dry |
| Allergy-prone or infection-prone | Ask your vet, they may want a specific schedule or product |
The drying matters as much as the cleaning. Warm, damp, low-airflow ears are where trouble starts, which is the whole reason floppy-eared dogs top the ear-infection charts.
FAQ
How do I know if my dog's ears need cleaning at all? Look and sniff. Visible wax and grime, or a mild odor: clean. Pink and clean-looking: leave them alone. Red, painful, or foul: vet.
Can I use baby wipes? Not ideal, most contain fragrance and cleansers formulated for human skin pH. A pet-formulated, lick-safe product removes the guesswork.
My dog hates having their ears touched. Tips? Shrink the task: one wipe, one treat, done, build up over days. Handle their ears briefly during cuddle time so touching ≠ cleaning. If the hatred is new, an ear that suddenly can't be touched often hurts: vet check.
What about ear hair plucking? Controversial and breed-dependent, modern grooming leans away from routine plucking. Ask your groomer or vet what's right for your dog's coat.
Does ear cleaning prevent infections? It removes the wax, grime, and moisture that create the conditions infections like, and it gets you looking at the ear regularly, early detection is the real superpower. But no cleaning routine makes a dog infection-proof, especially when allergies are the root cause.
Burrow Made Everyday Mist is a gentle, lick-safe cleansing mist for everyday grime and odor, it is not a medication and does not treat ear infections. For any red, painful, or smelly ear, see your veterinarian.