Do you use Q-Tips?

[JanetRose]

My daughter's doctor told her people shouldn't use Q-Tips - I've used them my whole life and never had a problem.

 

[Magpie]

Darn right I use Q-tips!

Yes, every medical source I've ever read says you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. But you know what? My ears get itchy and gooshy and altogether disgusting feeling if I don't use a Q-tip every few days. And if I don't have Q-tips, then I roll up toilet paper and use that instead.

I can't imagine not using them. Carefully, of course.

 

[goofyernmost]

I will assume that you are referring to using them to clean ears.

Always have...always will. I wouldn't recommend young children using them because it wouldn't take much to damage ones ear drum, but if they aren't pushed in too far...they do not present a problem.

 

[mtemm]

I use them to remove nail polish (clean up when doing my nails) and to apply neosporin and the like. I do NOT use them in my ears. is that what you mean? my dh does that and it icks me out. maybe because it was drilled into my head as a child that nothing smaller than an elbow should go in your ear! lol.

 

[Miss Peach]

Yes, several, every day.

Make-up removal, ear and belly button cleaning.

TMI??

If one cannot figure out how to gauge the safe depth to use a Q-Tip in one's ear, then, DO NOT use them. But for the rest of us...well, I think it is fine.

Cathy

 

[Pakey]

I did until I packed wax into my ears bad enough that I had to have a doctor excavate. Since then (many years) I have not.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

I did until I packed wax into my ears bad enough that I had to have a doctor excavate. Since then (many years) I have not.

But how do you get the wax out then?

I use Q-tips every time I get out of the shower. I feel like I have to use them as part of my drying off process! There's a little wax on them every day so, other than not making my ears feel wet from the shower anymore, I know they are working as far as cleaning the wax is concerned!

 

[Zandy595]

For those of you who don't use a Q-tip to clean your ears, what do you use?

I clean my ears out (with Q-tips) as soon as I get out of the shower. Can't stand that wet itchy feeling.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

This.

I use Q-tips every time I get out of the shower. I feel like I have to use them as part of my drying off process.

I agree. Is water in one's ears better? Esp in bitter cold! It goes without saying (doesn't it?) not to "dig"...doesn't it??

 

[MichelleVW]

I've seen the gross impacted wax that they have dug out of people's ears in the doctor's office from people smashing the wax in there with q-tips, so no way do I use them in my ears.

 

[mom23boys]

For those of you who don't use a Q-tip to clean your ears, what do you use?

I clean my ears out (with Q-tips) as soon as I get out of the shower. Can't stand that wet itchy feeling.

I agree, I hate that wet itchy feeling too. I use them everymorning and use them on my kids too, we have really gross waxy ears. I do have to go to the Dr about one a year cause I push some wax down to far, but he just puts that tube in my ear and they are so clean.

Can't go out of the house without using a Q-tip.

 

[snapppyd]

every.day.of.my.life

 

[Wall-E1]

I use q-tips to clean the cat's automatic water dish. It fits perfectly through the thin cylindrical parts.

I always stick a tissue in my ears when I get out of the shower to clean and dry them. I never liked the feel of q-tips. I've never had a waxy problem from not using them.

 

[Pakey]

For those who asked, you can buy wax remover. It's liquid and you use it on a recurring basis. My doctor recommended after the excavation.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I was taught by a reliable source that q-tips are fine to clean ears. There are some people who have thick ear wax that might become impacted but these people are the rare exception and they need the OTC ear wax removal on a regular basis in addition to daily q-tips. The reason the elbow in the ear thing started was because some people push the q-tip so far that they damage their ear drum. But again, that not very common.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I use them every single morning when I get out of the shower and I have never had a problem. I don't like the wet feeling in my ears at all.

I have heard that you could put warm olive oil in the ear to flush it out, but that sounds gross to me.

 

[katesorad]

I adore Q-Tips! I use them every day, several times a day. I use them when applying make-up, to clean my ears, to help clean small spaces that I can't fit my hand, to put on face creams..

I see nothing wrong with using them. If you stick them down your ear too far, then it could be bad.. but using them carefully should be no issue!

 

[KikiFan]

Use them everyday. And I have for years. Can't stand not to!

 

[mtemm]

I said above that I do not use them for my ears, but I also don't have any weird feeling after a shower or any indication that I NEED to use them in my ears. I wonder if I am less waxy than those who use them? Or maybe its one of those things that perpetuates itself...the more you use, the more you need to use, that kind of thing?

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I've mentioned on another thread that I have battled with my ears since the day I was born. Ear infections, severely impacted wax, loss of hearing, you name it, I've had to fight it. For whatever reason I'm one of the lucky(?) ones who have ears that create excess wax.

It is true that you should not use Q-Tips to clean wax out from the ear canal. Even though it looks like some wax came out, you've actually pushed even more further into the canal. And, obviously, if you go too far you're likely to damage the drum itself.

That being said, Q-Tips are fine for cleaning the outer parts of the ear and even a short trip into the ear canal can be fine. As PP's have said, just don't go digging around in there.

As to the question about how I keep my ears clean, due to my condition? I use OTC drops every few weeks, and every few months I go into the doctor and have them irrigated. For a few minutes sitting and holding a cup below my ear, it's amazing how wonderful it is to have them cleaned out professionally by the doctor.