I look into his ears during snuggles frequently to see how clean they are, or clean during bath time. I squirt solution in ear, massage it, make him hold it in for a while, wipe some out with a cotton ball and then tell him to "shake it." After that, I wipe with cotton balls and Q tips (never farther than you can see!) and let him shake again. If gunk comes out, repeat. I have to do it outsde because of the cleaner I use.