Here’s an interesting, honest review of using olive oil for ear wax removal, written in a engaging, first-person style.

The theory is sound. Olive oil doesn’t “melt” wax like a solvent. Instead, it’s a lubricant and softener. You tilt your head, drip in a few warm (not hot—learned that lesson) drops, and let the oil soak into that hard, ancient plug, turning it from brick-like to oatmeal-like over several days.

After a week, my hearing was still muffled. I gave up and saw a nurse. She irrigated my ear and pulled out a waxy nugget the size of a small raisin. “Ah,” she said, holding it up, “the olive oil made this much easier to remove. Good prep work.”

Day 1: You feel nothing except the bizarre sensation of having salad dressing in your head. Your pillow now has a small, greasy halo. You smell faintly of a Mediterranean restaurant.