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Ear plugs

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Hollidayjay said:
Stop on by my place, new caulking gun and silicone in your choice of colors...
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Well, they'd be form fitted, wouldn't they? :eek2:

I'm still on the first pair of silicone plugs from Kroger. They're a bit discolored, but not yet nasty.
 
Had problems with the orange ear plugs this last weekend. The cheap ones from Academy that I have used for years. I had a new package and I just could not get it to seal without multiple tried and when I finally did, the helmet ripped them out 1/2 the time. I used to have a permanent set from Academy but they are too long for my current helmet.

I will try the KY and hope for a better pack. I watched my riding buddy put them in his ears and it worked 100% every time for him. Guess all ears are different.
 
Gravel Guy said:
+1, I use them for the so commute everyday, and just rinse them one a week or so and place them in my jacket pocket to dry. I can get weeks out of one soft foam pair....usually lose or drop one before I've worn it out! Nice seeing you today Rich, if but for a minute! :sun:
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Same for me, though I usually leave them in my pocket when I wash my jeans and clean them that way. I wear the 3M foam kind all day as a defense against my wife's parrot just down the hall from my office. My Ear Nose and Throat specialist said it was safe to wear them constantly.
 
I'm with MidlifeCrisis on this one. I use the same method as depicted in the YouTube video and to date have not encountered any issues.
 
Ghost Rider said:
I'm with MidlifeCrisis on this one. I use the same method as depicted in the YouTube video and to date have not encountered any issues.
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I am not complaining about the video and I am sure it helps others. But I can tell you I have done same AND had another TWTer watch, and have problems. Don't know why, sometimes it works, other time not.

Best clue from the video for me is when the guy mentions not being able to see them from the frontal view. This does not happen for me even when they work.

Could be any number of reasons. I used a permanent set for years without a problem until I bought my last helmet and it would pull them out every time I put it on. So I switched to the orange ones from Academy and have mixed results.

Could be something like mine is smaller than yours (ear canals).
 
I started using the Peltor 26NRR tri-flange earplugs(florescent yellow) last year and they work well for me. 3 pair for around six bucks at Walmart back in the shooting section. Just cut off the cord they come on and there is also a small drawstring pouch.
 
SL350 said:
I am not complaining about the video and I am sure it helps others. But I can tell you I have done same AND had another TWTer watch, and have problems. Don't know why, sometimes it works, other time not.

Best clue from the video for me is when the guy mentions not being able to see them from the frontal view. This does not happen for me even when they work.

Could be any number of reasons. I used a permanent set for years without a problem until I bought my last helmet and it would pull them out every time I put it on. So I switched to the orange ones from Academy and have mixed results.

Could be something like mine is smaller than yours (ear canals).
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I have helped folks, including some petite ladies with very small ear canals, master this technique. The trick is to find the right angle to pull back on your ears. Once you find that and straighten up that curved ear canal, the compressed foam plug slips right in.

You could try these smaller sized green ones. They are the ones I buy for my personal use. Added benefit is they expand less, so less pressure over long rides equal better comfort. Some of the larger ones start hurting my ears after more than an hour.

If the foam ear plugs gets ripped out by putting on helmet, they are not even close to being installed properly. Done right, the plugs have just enough sticking out for your finger tips to grab onto for removal.
 
MidlifeCrisis said:
No lube necessary if you do it the right way:

https://youtu.be/5nGO0qNTCd8
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True! Most folks have no clue how to properly place ear plugs. I used to have to walk a shop floor and write up people with no or obviously improperly worn ear plugs. Enforcement was after a major investment in ear plug training and many warnings of upcoming enforcement after one former employee sued for hearing loss because she was not forced by management to properly wear ear plugs at work.

This video is pretty basic, but does cover the process if everything works. Most folks who have problems allow too much time between compression and insertion. The plugs start to decompress as soon as compression stops. I keep rolling until just before sliding the plug in. Otherwise, it ain't going.

If these home cures don't fix you up get yourself to a real doctor because I'm not a medical expert, just a parent and grampa with little income for doctors' bills. I can also still hear well after many years working in noisy jobs, shooting, playing loud music (disco band, I'm so ashamed), riding motorcycles, racing a variety of vehicles with open headers, and 10 years of marriage to a screaming lunatic. Earplugs properly used do work.

I prefer foam ear plugs. I prefer the simplest ones because any hard plastic doo-dads and funky shapes raise the price, lower the attenuation rating, and cause pressure points that hurt. There are various sizes, shapes, and densities of foam ear plugs. If one style just doesn't do it for you, try another, until you find a set that fit. I even see people wearing different plugs in each ear because canals are not always the same on both sides.

The purple ones from Walmart are my favorite. They are softer than most, and though look bigger and therefore less comfortable in the bottle, they do hold compression for proper insertion but patience is required to allow them time to decompress--20 to 30 seconds before trying to don a helmet. They conform nicely to the natural size and shape of my ear canals, resulting in 16 hour a day comfort. They are relatively cheap and can be tossed without bankruptcy. They also allow moisture to escape, so I assume some air flow. Only on the hottest, most humid days do I suffer moist ears, which can contribute to ear infections. That's why I avoid swimmer plugs on the motorcycle--waterproof plugs can contribute to ear infection.

If you feel lumps and bumps here and there the plug is probably not properly inserted. Most often a time lapse between compression and insertion allows decompression to begin before the plug is all the way in. Normal reaction to this is to attempt to force the expanding plug in to place, resulting in folds in the material that feel like lumps. It is then necessary to allow the plug to fully decompress on its own and start over. I'm impatient so carry extra plugs so I don't have to wait for decompression every time I screw up. Even after wearing ear plugs for 45 years I still occasionally screw up putting them in. Never give up!

The bulk pack of foam earplugs from Walmart is cheap enough I don't clean them. Replacing when they get gooey gets rid of pathogens. Normally I wash my ears while showering, then gently and carefully dry my canals with a paper towel covered little finger, then Q-tips. Gently and carefully is the key. Otherwise, you can give yourself swimmer's ear. This normally gets all the wax out so even daily use of plugs allows a couple weeks before they get gooey. Usually they loose their ability to hold compression so are not usable before getting gooey, anyway.

Lots of ear plug comfort issues are due to unrecognized inner ear filth and infections. Some people tolerate the low grade pain of toting ear wax and/or unneeded critters for years. Here are a couple of things to try that are very common home remedies and preventatives that have worked for my fellow employees, kids, grandkids, and me for years.

Hydrogen peroxide does not kill germs very well, even with all that bubbling. It is very good for taking ear wax into solution, though. You can even safely use it to clean wax from your ears. A couple drops will bubble like crazy if wax in your year. When the bubbling stops, stick a paper towel in your ear and roll over to drain. (Bubble one ear while draining the other.) Repeat until no more bubbling with fresh hydrogen peroxide. Wipe your ear dry and it will be pretty clean so your ear plugs don't get really gooey really fast.

If you need to be concerned of ear infections, a solution of 50% rubbing alcohol, 25% white vinegar, and 25% distilled water is very effective. Do the hydrogen peroxide first for crud removal, rinse well in the shower and allow each ear to drain, then a drop or two of this solution kills and/or prevents most biologicals in about 10 minutes due to creating an unappealing acidic environment. Drain and dry, you're done. This is also a common cure for swimmers ear.

So, there you have it! Sometimes preparing your ears for plugs allows easy application and good comfort. Go ahead and spoil yourself so you're not one of the fools at the meet and greet sounding like a bull with a bee in its bottom from damaged hearing.
 
Never did get those orange foam to work reliably, even with spit and videos. Too stupid I guess.

This (actually something real close to this) did work first time, every time but I am going to have to snip off a little more than the cord to keep the helmet from taking them off. They seem to dampen better too.

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I can't wear that type at all. Those kill my ears as the fit is all wrong. But then, I can rarely find shoes that fit, so same issue. Those look so much simpler than the foam kind.
 
SL350 said:
Never did get those orange foam to work reliably, even with spit and videos. Too stupid I guess.
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If you are referring to these orange foam plugs, I can see why you couldn't get them to install properly. They are too large, too dense, and expand too quickly. Give those Howard Leigh types a try.

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I too prefer simple foam plugs. One main reason is that they fill up most of the outer ear canal, which is important in overall dB reduction. If you only plug the ear canal at the entrance, you are leaving a dead air space behind that plug. That air space can - and will - resonate when external noise (vibration) is transmitted via your facial tissue and bone structure into your ear canal. The result can be a low frequency standing wave (noise) that can actually be rather loud because it is acting directly on your ear drums - similar to how low level audio sound from earbuds can sound very loud.

This is why I always insist on wearing foam ear plugs under electronic ear muffs when I go to the range. The shooter can hear conversations & range commands while eliminating resonance-induced noise.
 
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