Ear Wax Candles - Save Money and Have Fun

We all have it. It has a special purpose. Not sure what that special purpose is, but it must have one or we wouldn’t have it. Some have it in abundance. Yes, I’m talking about ear wax. Ear wax is not something that is really talked about much, but since we all have some, I thought it was time that we explored some new uses for it.

Ear wax has been used down through the eons in ways that are lost to us in modern society. I’ve been doing some research and found some things that you might find interesting. In a sagging economy, it’s nice to know that your body is manufacturing something that you can use to save some money. I am giddy with excitement over sharing this idea with you. You are going to LOVE IT!

Ear Wax Candles – Everyone likes candles in their homes year-round. But have you seen the price of candles lately? You can make your own. I’ve done it and it works beautifully. The first thing you need to do is let everyone in the family know that you’re going to be making some ear wax candles so that they can help you start gathering it. You’re going to need about 3 years worth of ear wax from a family of four for one good-sized candle. (Good-sized is a technical term meaning larger than a Dixie cup, and smaller than a 5 gallon bucket.) Those of you who live in apartments actually have an advantage here. You can post a notice near your mailbox telling people that you would appreciate if they would bring their ear wax over to your place. If you’re not home, make sure you leave a note explaining that they can just leave it there in the envelope you have taped to your door. If you have several hundred people bringing you ear wax every day, you should be able to make a decent-sized candle in a few months. You may not want to tell them what you plan on doing with it. Otherwise, you might get your ear wax stolen if they decide they want to make their own candles. The police will laugh at you if you call them about stolen ear wax. I know this from experience.

Once you have a good supply of ear wax (you want to be able to shape it into a ball about the size of a soft ball) you need to find a decorative container. Since this idea is all about saving money, don’t go out and buy one. There are a lot of things lying around the house that will work. A Mason jar is a good choice. Or an old Tupperware container. For a nice pillar look, fill the inside of a toilet paper roll with ear wax, pack it tight, put it in the freezer and then peel the roll off of it when it’s good and hard. You will need a wick of course. A thin strip of cloth will work. I’ve used strips of some of my old underwear that had holes in them. You’ll want to wash them first though. Otherwise you might have a candle that smells like dirty underwear. You’re going for a candle that smells like burning ear wax. This is an acquired taste. At first, you’ll hear a lot of “What’s that smell?” from your family or roommates. Once they understand how much money you saved, they’ll be grateful.

There are a couple of other things you want to be aware of. You need to make sure and remove any stray ear hairs or small insects from the ear wax before you put it in the container. These items can make your candle flare up and possibly set your dwelling on fire. And burning hair and insects give off a distinct aroma that might make you regret the day that you decided to give this a try.

Ear wax candles make great gifts. But after all the time and effort you put into this, you’re probably going to want to keep them for yourself. Be the first on your block to try this before the word gets out. I’ve been contacted by Martha Stewart's ‘people’ and they want to feature this on one of her upcoming shows. Once that happens, free ear wax from your neighbors is going to be very difficult to come by.