The outer ear can benefit from a good cleaning now and then but in most cases, there is no need to clean the ear canal with a cotton swab. During showers, enough water enters the ear canal to loosen any wax. The skin in your ear canal grows in an outward, spiral pattern. As it sloughs off, ear wax goes with it. Someone with heavy wax build-up may need a trip to the doctor. If you think wax could be affecting your hearing, contact your hearing professional. They can assess the situation by looking inside your ear with an otoscope and suggest your best course of action.