Bugalugs Ear Wipes

A wipe only ever cleans the part of an ear you can see, and that is both its limitation and, for the weekly job, precisely the point. The visible flap and the entrance to the canal are where the grot collects and where you can safely reach; anything deeper than that was never a job for an owner anyway.

These come pre-soaked, so there is no bottle to squeeze and nothing to measure — you take one out, wipe away the dirt and wax, and throw it away. The pads are 100% biodegradable. Bugalugs describe the liquid only as their natural formula, and say the wipes are safe to use as part of a daily routine, which they suggest helps relieve itching and supports general ear health. There are 100 in a pack, which is enough to make it a habit rather than something you ration.

• 100 pre-soaked wipes
• Pads are 100% biodegradable
• For wiping away dirt and wax from the ear
• Bugalugs state they are safe for daily use
• No mixing, measuring or bottle involved

No ingredient list has been supplied for these. A natural formula is the entire description of what is on the pad, which is not much to go on for something being wiped onto skin — there is nothing about pH, nothing about preservatives, and nothing about whether it is safe to use where an eardrum is damaged. Everything Bugalugs have given us talks about dogs; nothing says cats, so we would not assume it. And a wipe is a cleaner, not a remedy: an ear that is red, hot, smelly, sore to touch, or that the dog keeps shaking or scratching at, needs a vet rather than another wipe.

Who it's for: owners of drop-eared and hairy-eared dogs — spaniels, poodles, retrievers — who need to be doing ears regularly, and anyone who buys a bottle of ear cleaner and then never opens it.