# Do you clean your ears with cotton swabs? Have you hurt yourself doing this? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488 "2013-01-08T15:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/61 "2013-01-11T09:05:08Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > I’ve seen lighted ones. What are they for? All the better to see the earwax with, my dear. You know, I do my wife’s ears sometimes, and she does mine, that kinda thing. One that came with a light would be quite handy, I think.. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/62 "2013-01-11T14:27:42Z")
I am amazed at the type of people who use pen caps, or paper clips (eek) to clean their ears. That being said, as I said earlier, I have never injured myself and still try not to do it. I certainly use ear plugs, but they don’t exactly go anywhere near the eardrum - they are meant to be stopped at the opening. Why take the chance? Enough things will damage my hearing just by growing old. I see no reason to take any chances on damaging my ears myself. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/63 "2013-01-11T21:52:38Z")
I’ve never had the cotton come off of a quality swab. If I buy the really cheap swabs, yeah, it might come off. This is why I don’t buy the cheap swabs any more. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/64 "2013-01-11T22:52:29Z")
I voted Never, with the caveat that to me, “hurt myself” means impact wax and infect my ear. I used tissue to dry as far as my little finger fits (not far). I will be known to scratch my ear with a paper clip, but not dig around for wax. I have to have my ears cleaned every year at my physical. It’s neat to have my hearing refreshed every year! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/65 "2013-01-11T23:01:18Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen with lacerations of the ear canal from Q-tips. I’ve also removed the cotton from many ears after it came off, along with various other things (like the little caps things on the end of bic pens). Of course your doctor would NEVER laugh at you behind your back when you suffer an ear-cleaning-related injury because that would be wrong. Maybe not. My sister is an OR nurse, and says that operations on ear damage due to Q-tips is a nice little revenue stream for her hospital. That hasn’t stopped me from using them myself, of course. Because I’m careful. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/66 "2013-07-25T23:32:53Z")
I’ve taken to using cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol. We picked up two of those vacuum things from a local drug store. Mine seemed to be primarily a noisemaker and the on/off switch broke after just a few uses. > [@Procrustus](#): > > I also use paper clips. (the rounded part, I don’t straighten them first) Same here. I keep some big paper clips around just for this. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/67 "2013-07-26T00:55:31Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Y…the cap off a Bic pen. Yep. Best thing ever. ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/68 "2013-07-26T01:15:21Z")
I am one of the votes for “hurt myself”. Someone jumped into the bathroom and scared me while I was standing there cleaning my ears out. I didn’t perforate it, but it hurt like hell and bled just a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/69 "2013-07-26T01:19:48Z")
I think people have really hit on the reason for doing it: it feels fucking amazing. So what if I might permanently lose hearing in that ear? It’s worth it for the eargasm!!! Removing wax is not the main purpose. Oddly though, once the bodily substance has been removed the great feeling goes away, just like other gasms. ---
**Author:** ![Tikkimouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@Tikkimouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikkimouse)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/70 "2013-07-26T02:00:44Z")
Years ago a Doper posted that he was having trouble hearing so he went to the doctor. Doctor reached in and pulled out a wad of moldy, grody Q-Tip cotton. I haven’t used one since. I, too, use a piece of Kleenex to dry my ears after my shower. Just wrap a layer or two on tip of my finger and insert as far as it will go. Call me crazy, but I haven’t had my ears plugged with earwax since. I really think this somehow prevents it. Then, again it’s only gotten see-the-doctor bad once and nearly so maybe three times in my whole life anyway. > [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > How else am I supposed to get my morning eargasm? I use the blunt end of a fine-gauge crochet hook (do NOT use the pokey end!) or the tip of the earpiece of my glasses. I just have to rub it lightly on the fine hairs to make it feel good. Wish my left ear 'gasmed as well as my right ear. ---
**Author:** ![kim\_okla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kim\_okla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kim_okla)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/71 "2013-07-26T02:53:48Z")
Yes everyday, and I do not want to see gross stuff in your ears please. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/72 "2013-07-26T12:55:41Z")
I got an infection once, which the nurse said was caused by a scratch in my ear canal from a cotton swab. It was very painful, and the treatment was unpleasant (having a cold, slimy, ointment-soaked bandage stuffed down my ear). Having said that, I do still use a swab once in a blue moon, going barely inside the ear canal. I don’t want to be seen with dirty ears after all. This thread really does raise the question: _what the heck is the intended use of a cotton swab?_ ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/73 "2013-07-26T14:33:59Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve never had the cotton come off of a quality swab. If I buy the really cheap swabs, yeah, it might come off. This is why I don’t buy the cheap swabs any more. This happened once to my then-boyfriend - he called me into the bathroom and I had to gently pull out the cotton with tweezers. That’s why I only buy Q-Tip brand from then on. When I was a kid my mom used to gently swab the gunk out of my ears with a q-tip and I loved it. I can’t stand the feeling of water in my ears so I always dry them out after a shower or swim, but I don’t jam the swab way far in there or anything. Just enough to not feel annoyed anymore. A kid I knew many years was 5 at the time and they were doing a craft in school where they were gluing the cut ends of q-tips to paper to make a pussy willow tree. For some unexplained reason the kid jammed the cut end of a q-tip into his ear so far down we couldn’t catch it with tweezers so we had to take him to the doctor. One doctor tried flushing it out but that didn’t work, then another doctor managed to use long tweezers to pull it out. Stupid kid. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/74 "2013-07-26T16:25:58Z")
I always wash my ears out while in the shower, especially prefer those shower heads with the adjustable pulsation settings. I hate the shower heads that have the large diameter low pressure rain only ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/75 "2013-07-26T16:46:10Z")
Am I the only one here that gets not special sensation from swabbing out ears? It feels no different than a Q-tip on my arm. I never get any of the good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/76 "2013-07-26T19:12:34Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Yes, I use them but only on the exterior now. I think I did feel a tiny pinge of pain once before by going too deep, but it was nothing like the guy on the commercial for the vacuum device that screams out like someone went into his ear with a screwdriver. > [@runner pat](#): > > You didn’t notice they come in left and right hand models? > [@Vita\_Beata](#): > > Bwahahaha! Yes, I’d like to vacuum out both ears at the same time to really stir up some good cerebrial blood flow. 😃 The drill bits come in [standard AND metric](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ONvpWa-8moY&t=1)… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/77 "2013-07-26T19:56:48Z")
Growing up, I had no clue q-tips were used for anything BUT your ears. And q-tips are one of the VERY few items I will only purchase the brand-name of (I see cheapo boxes where the stick part of the swab is a crap-ass plastic straw. GTFO with that bullshit!). I like the eargasm portmanteau. I call it Q-tip Sex, and twirling it in place is mandatory for A Good Time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/78 "2013-07-27T00:52:46Z")
> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > How else am I supposed to get my morning eargasm? Some things should be left to [professionals.](http://www.neatorama.com/2011/01/31/ear-picking/) ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/79 "2013-07-27T02:33:49Z")
I voted that I had hurt myself, but it was just a sharp twinge and the pain went away immediately. No bleeding or long-term pain or things remained jammed in my ear. I still use q-tips to clean my ears every so often. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488/80 "2013-07-27T03:28:55Z")
I have two of the itchiest damn ears known to mankind. I have an ear digger for when they are particularly bad, and use q-tips at other times. I can’t imagine giving either up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-your-ears-with-cotton-swabs-have-you-hurt-yourself-doing-this/646488.md?page=3)