According to recent research, 36 per cent of adults use cotton buds to clean their ears, and most of them know that it is potentially dangerous. Regular use can lead to skin irritation, infection and permanent hearing loss.

wax is actually beneficial to the ear and it causes foreign bodies to adhere to it, preventing them from going further into the ear, and it has anti-bacterial properties. Removing it is like taking the wax off the surface of polished wooden furniture. It makes the delicate underlying skin of the ear more susceptible to infection."

"Even the most experienced cotton bud user will tend to push significant quantities of wax further in as well as removing some. If the bud is inserted too far, there is a risk of perforating the eardrum, causing sudden pain, bleeding and temporary hearing loss. In most cases, the injury heals itself. Should the bud damage the ossicles - the tiny bones deep inside the ear - dizziness and permanent hearing loss can result.

According to doctors, most people have no need to clean out their ears, however therapeutic the experience. For those who produce large quantities of wax, a new product should prove safer than cotton buds. Audiclean is a sterile solution made from sea water, minerals and trace elements that is gently sprayed into the ear - not directly into the canal - through a nozzle but Using it takes some practice.