George, 72
He has stopped joining in when the family visits. He sits, nods in the right places, and lets someone else answer. Everyone has decided he is going deaf. One ear is blocked.
Mobile earwax removal · Burwell
Struggling with troublesome earwax and muffled hearing, but you just can’t get out the house?
Start here
Does any of this sound familiar?
A lot of the time the people who get in touch are concerned sons or daughters, not the person who cannot hear, and they have been putting up with one of these for months.
- The television is louder than everyone else in the room can bear.
- They ask you to repeat yourself on the phone, but not face to face.
- One ear went blocked after a shower or a swim and has not cleared.
- There is ringing, or a feeling of fullness, or they have gone dizzy on standing.
- Their hearing aids whistle, or have stopped helping the way they did.
Any one of them can be wax. It is worth ruling out before anyone starts talking about hearing aids.
Book a visitWhat it actually looks like
It rarely looks like deafness. It looks like this.
Three situations people get in touch about. The person concerned usually thinks nothing is wrong.
Margaret, 81
She does not hear the door any more, so the shopping goes back on the van and the neighbour gives up knocking. She has told her daughter three times that the phone is broken.
Ray, 68
He has worn hearing aids for four years and they have started whistling at him. He has stopped putting them in. He says they never worked properly anyway.
These are typical situations rather than real customers.
Book a visitPrice
One price, and you know it before I knock
Nobody is quoted a figure on their own doorstep, and nobody pays the full price to be told there was nothing there.
- I come to you
- I come to the address you give me — a house, a bungalow, a room in a care home.
- The same person, every time
- I take the booking, I turn up, and I do the work myself.
- Who it is for
- Mainly adults over 18. Children are generally seen by their GP first and referred to ENT.
- How long it takes
- Up to 30 minutes, once I am set up. Allow a little longer for setting up and packing away.
- How I do it
- Microsuction or irrigation, depending on the ear. I will tell you which when I have looked.
- How payment works
-
At the visit, once you know what was there.
- Contactless card system
- Bank transfer
- Cash
If you are arranging this for someone else and want to know the cost before you mention it to them, just ask me. Nobody is committed to anything by asking a question.
Ask before you bookHome visit
£70
The visit, both ears, at your address.
What the visit includes
- A look in both ears, and a straight answer about what is there
- Removal, where it can be done on the day
- What to do about it if it keeps coming back
£20 if there is no wax to remove
I will still look in both ears and tell you what I find. The £20 covers my journey, and you still get my advice on what to do next.
The visit
What happens when I come round
No referral, no waiting list, and nobody has to leave the house.
The clearing itself takes up to half an hour. Allow a little longer than that for the whole visit — I need a few minutes either end to set up and pack away.
Book a visit- 1
You book a time
Online, or by phone, text or email — whichever suits you.
- 2
I come to the house
I bring everything with me. Nobody has to get in a car, find parking, or sit in a waiting room.
- 3
I look, and I tell you what I find
I look in both ears first and tell you what I find — and what can be done about it. You will know either way before I leave.
Before you book
What I need, and what you need to do
Two short lists. The first is what I need in the room; the second is five days of oil drops beforehand, which is what makes the difference between the wax coming out and not.
The full listWhat I need
- The client can hold their head steady.
- They need to be mobile enough to walk to a high back dining room chair.
- I will need a table nearby to put my equipment on and access to one socket.
- I will need access to a sink, soap and kitchen roll to wash and dry my hands.
Before I visit
- The affected ear — or both, if both are affected — needs oil drops for five days before I come.
- I recommend EAROL olive oil spray.
- Full instructions when you book.
Where I travel to
Burwell, and everywhere near it
Burwell
These are the villages I cover from Burwell. If you are just outside one of them, ask me anyway — I would rather tell you than have you assume.
Who is coming to your door
I will be the person seeing you every time
I take the booking, I turn up, and I do the work myself.
More about me- Trained and certificated
- Ear microsuction, NHS Rotherham Ear Care Centre. Ear irrigation, Penny Warner primary care CPD training centre, Peterborough. Certificates available on request.
- Checked
- Enhanced DBS check in place.
- And to be straight with you
- I am retired now and no longer on the NMC register, so I work as an ear health practitioner rather than as a nurse.
Questions
The things people ask before they book
Not answered here? Ask before you book — that is what the message form is for.
Is this for me, or for the person who cannot hear?
Most people who find this page are booking for a parent. That is fine, and it is the usual way round. Book it in your name, put their address in, and be there or not as suits you both.
How do I know it is wax and not hearing loss?
Often you cannot tell from the outside, and that is exactly what the visit is for. Wax tends to come on over weeks, affect one ear more than the other, and bring a blocked or full feeling with it. I look first and tell you what I find either way.
Does it hurt?
No. It is not uncomfortable, and it does not take long. You can stop at any point and I will stop.
What if there is no wax there?
Then the visit is £20 instead of £70. I will still look in both ears, tell you what I find, and say what I think is worth doing next — the £20 covers my journey and the advice. Nobody pays me £70 to be told there was nothing there.
Do I need to see the doctor first?
No referral is needed to book.
Do we need to put drops in beforehand?
Yes, and it matters more than people expect — it is what softens the wax enough for me to get it out. Five days of oil drops in the affected ear before I come. I recommend EAROL olive oil spray, and I will talk you through exactly how to use it when you book. If the wax has not softened enough, I may not be able to remove it on the day.
Is this suitable for a child?
Not at the moment — I see mainly adults over 18. Children are generally seen by their GP first and referred to ENT, and that is the right route for them.
Is a home visit right for everyone?
Almost, but not quite. The person needs to be able to hold their head steady and walk to a high-backed dining chair. I will also need a table nearby for my equipment, one plug socket, and a sink with soap and kitchen roll to wash my hands. If any of that is not realistic, say so when you get in touch and I will tell you honestly rather than turn up and charge you.
Can family stay in the room?
Yes, and you are very welcome to. I will just ask for as little conversation as possible while I am actually working — I need to concentrate and the person needs to keep their head still.
How do I pay?
Card by tap, bank transfer, or cash — whichever is easiest. No cheques, please. You pay at the visit, once you know what was there.
How long does it take?
Up to 30 minutes once I am set up, and often less. Allow a bit longer than that for the whole visit — I need a few minutes at the start to get everything out and ready, and a few at the end to tidy away and talk you through what I found.
Reading
Plain answers about ears and hearing
Arranging earwax removal for a parent who cannot get out
How to organise a home visit for someone else — including what to do when they insist nothing is wrong.
Read →Cotton buds, olive oil, and the things that make it worse
What actually helps before a visit, and what quietly makes the problem harder to solve.
Read →Is it earwax, or is it their hearing going?
The two get confused constantly, and the difference matters — one of them is worth ruling out before anyone starts talking about hearing aids.
Read →Book a visit, or just ask
If you are not sure whether it is wax, say so when you book and I will tell you what I find either way.