Tilting your head to the side and gently tugging your earlobe is usually enough to drain water trapped in your ear canal. If that doesn’t work within a few minutes, several other techniques can break the surface tension holding the water in place. Most cases resolve at home in under an hour.
Tilt, Tug, and Let Gravity Work
The simplest approach: lie down on your side with the affected ear facing the ground. Tilt your head and give your earlobe a gentle jiggle. Gravity pulls the water toward the opening while the jiggling breaks the seal that surface tension creates between the water and your ear canal walls.
If lying down isn’t practical, try reaching behind your head and pulling the outer portion of your ear outward and slightly back. This straightens the ear canal, giving the trapped water a clearer path to drain out. You can combine this with a head tilt for better results.
The Palm Suction Method
This technique uses gentle pressure changes to coax the water out. Tilt your head to the side so the affected ear faces down, then press your cupped palm flat against your ear to create a tight seal. Push your hand back and forth in a rapid motion, flattening it as you push in and cupping it as you pull away. This creates a mild vacuum effect that draws the water toward the opening. After several pumps, tilt your head down and let the water drain.
The key is keeping a good seal between your palm and your ear. If air leaks around the edges, you won’t generate enough suction to move the water.
Use a Hair Dryer on Cool
Set a hair dryer to its lowest heat setting (cool, not warm) and hold it at a safe distance from your ear. The gentle airflow evaporates the water without you needing to insert anything into the canal. Pull your earlobe down slightly to open the canal while you direct the air. Keep the dryer moving rather than pointing it at one spot, and never use a hot setting. The skin inside your ear canal is thin and burns easily.
Drying Drops You Can Make at Home
A mixture of equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol works as a homemade drying solution. Pour about 1 teaspoon (roughly 5 milliliters) into the affected ear, let it sit for a moment, then tilt your head to let it drain back out. The alcohol helps the water evaporate faster, while the vinegar discourages bacteria and fungi from growing in the damp environment. This is the same principle behind over-the-counter swimmer’s ear drops you’ll find at pharmacies.
Skip this method if you have ear tubes, a known eardrum perforation, or any open sore in your ear canal. The alcohol and vinegar will sting broken skin and can cause further irritation.
What Not to Do
The urge to stick a cotton swab, finger, or other object into your ear canal is strong, but resist it. Poking around can push the water deeper, compress earwax into a plug, or puncture your eardrum. Cotton swabs in particular are a common cause of eardrum perforations.
Avoid using hydrogen peroxide if your ear is already irritated or painful. And don’t try to force water out by blowing hard with your nose pinched, as this can push air and fluid into your middle ear through the Eustachian tube.
Signs the Problem Is More Than Trapped Water
Water that stays trapped for more than a day or two creates a warm, moist environment where bacteria thrive. This is how swimmer’s ear (an outer ear canal infection) develops. Watch for escalating pain, especially when you tug on your earlobe or press on the small flap at the front of your ear. Itching inside the canal, redness, and fluid that looks like pus or contains blood are signs an infection has started.
Certain symptoms suggest something beyond a simple water blockage. Sudden hearing loss, a sharp pain that comes on quickly then fades, ringing or buzzing in one ear, dizziness, or any discharge with blood or pus can all point to an eardrum issue or deeper infection. These warrant a visit to a doctor rather than more home remedies.
Preventing It Next Time
If you swim regularly or get water trapped after every shower, prevention saves you the hassle of dealing with it afterward. The CDC recommends using earplugs, a bathing cap, or custom-fitted swim molds when swimming. Drugstore silicone earplugs mold to the shape of your outer ear and keep most water out. Custom swim molds from an audiologist offer a tighter seal and last longer.
After swimming or showering, tilt your head to each side for 10 to 15 seconds and let any water run out on its own before it has a chance to settle deep in the canal. A quick pass with a towel around the outer ear (not inside it) helps too. If you’re prone to swimmer’s ear, using the vinegar and alcohol drops after every swim can keep the canal dry and inhospitable to bacteria.