I used Tvidler as a reusable plastic tool with a spiral tip for removing earwax. I tried it because I felt a blockage in my right ear and also because I no longer wanted to keep reaching for cotton swabs. I wanted to clean my ear gently and without pushing the wax further in.
The tool had an orange handle and felt sturdy in my hand, even though it was lightweight. The spiral part was made of a softer material, so the first contact wasn’t sharp or cold. There was no dosing involved, of course. I always used a clean tip, inserted it just shallowly into the ear canal, and made two or three very slow turns in the direction of the spiral.
It worked best for me in the evening after a shower when the wax felt softer. When I tried using it dry, I felt more friction. After each use, I rinsed the tip with warm water and a bit of soap and let it dry on a towel. This was a bit annoying because I didn’t want to put it away wet, but at least I was sure it was clean for the next use.
What I really felt about it
Nothing groundbreaking happened in the first week. My ear wasn’t worse, which I took as a good sign, but the pressure didn’t go away. I occasionally saw a bit of wax on the tip, mostly at the edge of the spiral. It wasn’t pretty to look at, but at least I felt like the tool was doing something.
I used Tvidler for about six weeks, once or twice a week. More frequent use didn’t seem reasonable to me. After the third week, I noticed that I no longer mechanically reached into my ears after every shower. The feeling of blockage in my right ear eased, but it didn’t disappear immediately. It rather faded slowly during periods when I used the tool carefully and then left my ears alone for a few days.
The biggest benefit for me wasn’t that Tvidler pulled out a large amount of wax at once. It mainly helped me break the habit of using cotton swabs. With those, I tended to clean too deeply because I felt I had to keep going until the swab was clean. The spiral tip naturally held me back. When I inserted it just to the edge, I didn’t want to push any further.
What I didn’t like
- I had to watch the direction of rotation because if I turned it the other way, the spiral pulled a bit on the skin at the entrance to the ear.
- After one longer cleaning, I felt a brief itch that disappeared by morning.
- I had to wash the tip carefully every time; otherwise, it felt unhygienic to me.
- The tool didn’t solve complete blockage when I felt a stronger plug.
Once, I overdid it with the turning. It wasn’t pain, more of an uncomfortable pressure and a feeling that something was moving in my ear, even though I had already pulled the tool out. That evening, I left my ear alone, and the next day everything was normal. Since then, I’ve set a simple rule: as soon as I feel resistance, I stop. I didn’t try to get into the ear canal.
I would recommend Tvidler to someone who usually has a bit of wax at the entrance to their ear, wants to reduce cotton swabs, and knows how to proceed slowly. It suited me as a small part of my hygiene after a shower, not as something I had to use all the time. On the contrary, I would skip it if I had ear pain, discharge, inflammation, ringing, sudden hearing loss, or if I suspected a larger wax plug. In such cases, I wouldn’t experiment and would address it with a doctor.
After six weeks, I felt a cleaner entrance to my ears and less often felt the need to poke at them. I didn’t expect a miracle, and none came. Tvidler worked for me as a gentler replacement for an old habit, as long as I used a light touch and didn’t push. I would buy it again because it was washable, simple, and didn’t bother me with reasonable use.