Helping my parents clean out their home taught me a lot about clutter, memory and what really matters in a space. But there was one thing I did not expect to learn in the process: how much something as small as ear wax could quietly steal their confidence, independence and joy in day-to-day living.
While we were sorting through cupboards and deciding what to keep or donate, I started to notice a pattern. My dad was asking “What did you say?” more often. My mum kept the TV volume so high that you could hear it from the driveway. They both laughed it off as “just getting older”, but in conversations I could see them missing details, nodding along politely and sometimes withdrawing when they could not quite follow what was being said.
At first, I wondered if this was the start of age-related hearing loss. The idea worried all of us. But a simple check-up revealed something much more basic and far easier to fix: both of them had significant ear wax build-up. Their ear canals were literally blocked, and the solution was professional ear wax removal, not just turning the volume up and pretending everything was fine.
Why ear wax became a bigger problem with age
The audiologist explained that our ears produce wax throughout our lives, but as we get older it tends to become drier and harder. At the same time, many older adults become less active, spend more time at home and sometimes use in-ear headphones or hearing aids, all of which can make wax build up more quickly. On top of that, my parents had both been using cotton buds inside their ears for years, thinking they were “cleaning”. In reality, they were pushing wax further in and compacting it.
Looking back, so many small signs suddenly made sense. My mum struggled on family video calls because she could not hear everyone clearly. My dad avoided answering the phone because he worried about mishearing the person on the other end. When we helped them declutter their home, we were focused on clearing out physical objects. What none of us realised was that they were also living with a kind of sensory clutter inside their ears that was making everything feel harder and more exhausting.
Why we chose professional ear wax removal instead of home fixes
Like most people, our first instinct was to try simple home remedies. We picked up some olive oil drops and tried to follow the instructions carefully. After a couple of weeks, there was no real improvement. The TV was still loud. Phone calls were still a struggle. They both still complained of a blocked feeling in their ears.
We quickly realised we were out of our depth. Cotton buds were off the table once we understood the risks. Ear candles felt unsafe and had no real evidence behind them. The last thing I wanted was to add a burst eardrum or infection to everything else they were already dealing with.
That is when I started looking properly into professional ear wax removal London and learned about microsuction. Unlike old-fashioned syringing, microsuction uses a gentle suction device under magnification to remove wax without flushing the ear canal with water. The idea of someone being able to actually see what they were doing inside my parents’ ears made us all feel a lot more comfortable.
The difference one microsuction appointment made
We booked them both in for a microsuction appointment with a specialist ear care clinic in London. The whole process took around half an hour each. The clinician showed us images of their ear canals before and after the procedure, and you could clearly see how blocked things had been.
The change was immediate. My dad walked out of the room and said, “I had forgotten the kettle actually makes a sound when it boils.” My mum started laughing because she could hear me clearly without me raising my voice. That evening, when they turned on the TV, the volume was almost cut in half.
What surprised me most was not just the hearing improvement but the effect it had on their mood. They were more engaged in conversation. They joined in on calls with the grandkids instead of sitting quietly in the background. My dad started answering the phone again without asking me to “just listen in case I miss something.” It was as if a layer of stress had been lifted that none of us had fully acknowledged before.
How ear care tied into making their home feel joyful again
Helping my parents clean out their home was about more than getting rid of things. It was about making their space feel calm, safe and enjoyable to live in. Clearer hearing turned out to be part of that. When you can hear well, you are less likely to feel overwhelmed by visitors or background noise. You are more confident answering the door, talking to neighbours or going out to the shops. You feel connected instead of isolated.
After their ear wax removal, small things around the house changed. My mum went back to playing her favourite music at a gentle volume while she cooked, instead of blasting it. My dad started listening to the radio again rather than sitting in silence. These are the tiny details that add up to a home that feels alive rather than just a place to sit.
Why I would recommend professional ear wax removal for other families
If you are in the middle of helping your parents declutter or downsize, it is easy to think only about the stuff you can see: the furniture, the boxes, the paperwork. Our experience taught me that it is just as important to pay attention to the invisible things that affect their quality of life, like hearing.
If you notice your parents turning the volume up, asking people to repeat themselves, or withdrawing a little in group conversations, do not just put it down to “old age”. It might be, but it might also be something as simple and fixable as ear wax build-up. A professional appointment is quick, non-invasive and far safer than trying to tackle it alone.
For us, booking that microsuction session in London was one of the best decisions we made during the whole process of helping my parents reset their home and their routine. Clearing out their house made their space feel lighter. Clearing out their ears helped them actually enjoy being in it again.
If you are based in or near the capital and suspect ear wax might be part of the problem, it is worth looking into a specialist clinic that focuses on safe, professional ear wax removal London rather than relying on home remedies and guesswork. Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference to how it feels to live in your own home. https://www.aurisearcare.co.uk/ear-wax-removal-london/
