Does a dirty, dry but smelly ear mean i have an infection?

Earwax: Some people's earwax may have an odor. For those people, check with a doctor to make sure that your eardrum is intact so that you can use mineral oil to keep it soft and moving outward. Clean daily with a tissue on a finger. Do not use cotton swabs since they tend to push the wax in deeper rather than getting it out. In the absence of pain or thick drainage, there is little risk of infection.