Dry mopping and ear washout
Dry mopping and ear washout can be important parts of an ear health screen.
Instruction
Read on to learn when you should dry mop, and when you should perform an ear washout.
Dry mopping
You should dry mop a person’s ear if there is discharge.
Dry mopping is a safe way to remove discharge from a person’s ear.
Warning
Do not dry mop the person’s ear if they are experiencing significant pain.
Explain
Ask permission before dry mopping and explain what you are going to do.
Wash your hands
Always wash your hands with soap and dry them before and after dry mopping.
Prepare
Twist the end of a clean tissue to make a ‘tissue wick’.
Dry mop ear discharge
Hold the tissue wick in your right hand if you are examining the person’s right ear, and your left hand if you are examining the person’s left ear.
- Gently pull the pinna up and back for an adult or straight back for a child
- Gently rotate while inserting tissue wick 2 to 3 centimetres into the person’s ear canal
- Leave in place for about 10 seconds
- Pull out the wick and see if it has pus or other fluid on it
- Throw away the wick you have just used. Follow local guidelines when throwing away used ear wicks
- Repeat with another tissue wick
- Continue repeating until the tissue wick is no longer wet
- Look in the person’s ear with otoscope to confirm that all discharge has been removed.
Hold tissue wick
Gently pull pinna back
Insert tissue wick
Leave tissue wick in place for about 10 seconds
Instruction
Watch the video of dry mopping a person’s ear.
Activity
In pairs:
- Explain that, with their permission, you will mop their ear to get rid of the fluid
- Practise preparing a tissue wick
- Insert tissue wick to dry mop person’s ear.
How did you find the dry mopping?
Ear washout
An ear washout is used to clear wax or a foreign body from a person’s ear canal.
You should not do an ear washout if the person’s ear canal is not blocked by ear wax.
Warning
Ear washout should not be done if the person has:
- Had recent ear surgery
- A known existing hole in their eardrum
- An ear infection
- Ear pain.
If yes to any, refer to an ear and hearing professional.
Ear washout kit
You will need:
- Clean water (boiled and cooled to body temperature)
- 20 millilitre syringe (no needle)
- Kidney dish or other bowl
- Tissues
- Paper towel or towel (to go over person’s shoulder).
It is important that the water is at body temperature (slightly warm).
Test the temperature by pouring water on the inside of your wrist. It should feel slightly warm not hot or cold.
Warning
Always check water temperature before ear washout.
If a person experiences dizziness during an ear washout, stop and check the temperature of the water again.
Question
What temperature should the water be for an ear washout?
Select one.
Slightly warm is correct!
If the water is hot or cold, it may make the person feel dizzy. Hot water can also cause a burn.
Explain
Always ask permission before carrying out an ear washout and explain what you are going to do.
Wash your hands
Always wash your hands with soap and dry them before and after ear washout.
Prepare
- Check water temperature
- Fill syringe with water
- Ask the person to hold the kidney dish or other bowl under their ear and tight against the skin of their neck
- Place the tip of the syringe into the person’s ear canal
- Point the syringe so that it is facing towards the top of the ear canal, and slightly backwards.
Tip
The tip of the syringe is placed fully inside the person’s ear canal.
The direction is away from the person’s eardrum. This is safer and feels more comfortable.
Washout
- Press the syringe to push the water into the person’s ear canal
- The water will drain into the bowl and may contain wax or a foreign body
- Examine the person’s ear again with an otoscope
- Repeat washout until blocked ear wax or foreign body has been removed
- Check the person’s ear after each washout.
If person’s ear is still blocked with ear wax after three attempts, ask them to return the next day and repeat washout.
If ear wax is not removed after two visits, with the person’s permission, refer to an ear and hearing professional.
Warning
Stop ear washout if the person experiences ear pain!
Instruction
Watch the video of a person demonstrating how to washout a person’s ear.
Question
How many times should you repeat an ear washout?
Select one.
Three times is correct!
Repeat the ear washout up to three times.
Activity
In groups, practice the steps of ear washout:
1. Organize the ear washout kit
2. Prepare the water and syringe
3. Look inside the person’s ear with the otoscope
4. Position the syringe, kidney dish and towel.
Warning
Do not syringe water into the person’s ear if it is not blocked.