Ear Wax Removal in Croydon & Addiscombe: A Local’s Guide

If you have searched for ear wax removal in Croydon, you have probably found a long list of options: pharmacy chains, mobile practitioners working out of a spare room, a few private clinics, and a GP surgery that no longer syringes ears. It is genuinely confusing. This guide is written by the audiologists who run our Addiscombe clinic on Lower Addiscombe Road, and it sets out what is actually available locally, what it should cost, and how to tell a safe appointment from a risky one.

Why you probably cannot get this done on the NHS in Croydon

Ear irrigation (what most people still call syringing) used to be a routine nurse appointment. Over the past decade most practices across England have stopped offering it, and whether it is commissioned at all now depends on your local area rather than national rules. NICE guidance is clear that ear wax should be removed when it is causing symptoms such as hearing loss, discomfort or tinnitus, but it does not guarantee that your practice will be the one to do it. In practice, most people in Croydon and Addiscombe end up booking privately.

That is not a criticism of the NHS, and it is worth ringing your surgery first — some still help, and it costs nothing to ask. If they cannot, you have a private choice to make, and it is worth making it carefully.

The three methods, briefly

Microsuction uses a low-pressure medical suction device and a microscope or magnifying loupes, so the clinician can see your ear canal and eardrum throughout. Nothing is pushed in, no water is used, and it can usually be done on the same day. This is what we use.

Irrigation flushes the canal with warm water at controlled pressure. It is still a legitimate technique in trained hands, but it is not suitable if you have a perforated eardrum, a history of ear surgery, or a current infection — and it is done blind.

Ear drops alone are the NHS first-line suggestion, and for softer, more recent wax they genuinely work. Olive oil or sodium bicarbonate drops for a few days will clear a fair number of blockages without anyone going near your ear. If you have never tried them, try them first. We have written a fuller comparison in Microsuction vs Syringing vs Ear Drops.

One thing NHS advice is consistent about and worth repeating: do not use cotton buds, and do not use ear candles. Buds push wax deeper and candles have no evidence behind them.

What a good appointment actually looks like

The single most useful thing to know is that wax removal should begin with looking, not suctioning. A proper appointment starts with an otoscopic examination: the clinician checks the canal and the eardrum, confirms there is wax, and confirms it is safe to remove it. Sometimes that examination finds something else entirely — an infection, fluid behind the drum, or simply no wax at all — and in those cases the right answer is to stop and explain, not to proceed.

That last scenario is worth pricing honestly, because it happens more often than you would think. If we look and there is no wax to remove, you pay a £20 consultation fee rather than the full price, and we tell you what we did see. If hearing loss rather than wax turns out to be the issue, the next step is a proper hearing test (£59), not another wax appointment.

A checklist before you book anywhere in Croydon

• Is the clinician HCPC-registered? Audiologist titles are not all protected, so ask directly. You can check the register yourself online.
• Will my ears be examined before anything is removed? The answer should be an unhesitating yes.
• What happens if there is no wax? A clear, stated fee is a good sign. Silence is not.
• Is the price per ear or for both? This is the most common source of surprise at the till.
• What if it takes two visits? Very hard wax sometimes needs softening and a second appointment. Ask how that is charged.
• Is the setting appropriate? A clinic room with proper lighting and equipment, not a curtained corner.
• Do they see children? Most adult clinics, ours included, do not — under-16s need paediatric audiology.

We went through this in more depth in how to choose an ear wax removal clinic you can trust, and the advice holds wherever you book, including with our competitors.

What it costs locally

Private ear wax removal around Croydon typically sits in the £50–£90 range, and the spread usually comes down to whether the price is per ear or for both, and whether an examination is included. Our published prices are £60 for one ear and £80 for both, with the £20 consultation fee if no wax is found. If getting to a clinic is difficult, we also visit at home — £139 for wax removal and £89 for a hearing test. Full details are on our ear wax removal page.

If the appointment turns into a hearing conversation rather than a wax one, our hearing aid prices start at £798 for a single aid and £1,695 for a pair, across Phonak, Signia, Oticon and Widex, and include four years of unlimited aftercare. But that is a separate decision, and nobody should be sold a hearing aid at a wax appointment.

Where we are in Addiscombe

Our Croydon clinic is at 331 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon CR0 6RF, on the corner of Bingham Road. It is a storefront directly on the main road, between the local shops and the Bingham Road junction, about a two-minute walk from the Addiscombe tram stop and close to several bus routes. There is on-street parking on the surrounding side roads, including Bingham Road and Ashburton Road.

The one thing to plan around: Addiscombe runs on Thursdays, 10am–2pm. It is a weekly clinic rather than a daily one, so Thursday slots book up. If Thursday does not work, our Wallington clinic at 163 Stafford Road, Wallington SM6 9BT is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am–5pm, and is a straightforward journey from most of Croydon. You can see all four clinics, including Wimbledon and Teddington, on our locations page, and the full Addiscombe details on the Addiscombe clinic page.

Either way, we are an adult service. If you are looking for help for a child under 16, paediatric audiology is the right route and we will point you towards it rather than see them.

Common questions

How long does ear wax removal take?
Usually 20 to 30 minutes for the appointment, including the examination and a chat about what we found. The suction itself is often only a few minutes per ear. Very hard, impacted wax occasionally needs softening drops and a return visit.

Does microsuction hurt?
It should not. It is noisy — the suction sounds loud because it is happening a centimetre from your eardrum — and some people find it briefly tickly or odd. Pain is not expected, and you should say so immediately if you feel any, so the clinician can stop and look again.

Should I use ear drops before my appointment?
Usually yes. A few days of olive oil drops softens the wax and makes the appointment quicker and more comfortable. If you have a perforated eardrum, grommets, or a current ear infection, check with us first rather than putting anything in.

My ear is blocked and ringing — is that the wax?
It can be. Wax pressing against the eardrum is a recognised cause of temporary tinnitus, and it often settles once the blockage clears. If the ringing persists after your ears are clear, that is worth investigating properly — our tinnitus page explains what that involves.

What if it is sudden hearing loss in one ear?
Do not wait for a wax appointment. Sudden hearing loss in one ear, especially with dizziness, should be treated as urgent — contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day.

If you want to book

If you are in Croydon or Addiscombe and your ears feel blocked, you are welcome to book an appointment with us, or call 020 8150 7178 if you would rather talk it through first. If we are not the right fit, or if drops would sort it without an appointment, we will tell you that too. You can also read more about what we offer locally on our ear wax removal in Croydon page.

Sources: NHS guidance on ear wax build-up (nhs.uk) and NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary on earwax. This article is general information, not a diagnosis — if you have ear pain, discharge or sudden hearing loss, please seek medical advice.