I'm mortified

Here’s one for Poppyred to get her teeth into. Plastic cotton wool buds are a major contributory factor to plastics pollution

Our surgery (and others in our area)have stopped offering ear syringing - you have to pay privately for microsuction at a cost of £60 per ear.

It's all very well telling people they can't put cotton wool buds in their ears if they don't tell them how else to deal with the interminable itching that inflicts some people!

Trouble is though the millions floating around our oceans. ... another reason not to use them.

I am now deaf in both ears due to damage done by poking
I have had one ear repaired last May and am waiting for the other ear to be done maybe this spring.
I never ever put anything in my ears again and warn people of the danger of heat loss which I have first hand experience

We were told in lectures ( nurse training ) put nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear. It is a medical fact that it is dangerous.
Cotton buds are for rubbing cuticle cream into the nails and cleaning between the buttons on the computer keyboard.

Started using cotton buds for ear clearing a year or so ago and recently had to have my ears syringed for the very first time - enough said. Stopped using them now.

Ha ha, made me laugh Farmor, visualising you cleaning your ears with an old icing syringe. I’m sure it’s not recommended but if it works for you, there it is. I do clean around the outside of my ears with cotton buds, and ever slightly just inside aswell. However, I have itchy ears itch deep inside sometimes, anyone got a remedy for that please?

As to why cotton buds were invented, according to the old adverts they were designed for "those important little places" !!

I've been using ear buds for about 60 years with no problems. I think they would only "push the wax in further" if there was a huge buildup of wax to push. The wax is normally just a thin film on the sides , which is easily whisked off with an ear bud. I wouldn't be worried if I were you - you've been doing something for decades with no problems, and suddenly you are put off because of something that someone said. Do what suits you .

Its lovely feeling a cotton bud rolling around inside your ear. (One's ear, not yours, obviously!)

My daughter broke the end of a cotton bud in her ear and ended up in A&E having it removed. Why use something that could break and damage your ear when olive oil will do the job.

I blame the EU(stacian) tube.

Well, I suppose if people don't want to follow well known medical advice they aren't going to. The mother who brought her child into our A&E a few years ago having perforated it's ear drum with a cotton bud may think differently in future.

As an aside - for whatever we use them for they should never be chucked down the loo.

A friend of mine had to have the end of a cotton bud surgically removed from her ear when it got stuck and became infected.
I use them for removing the bits of nail varnish that miss the nail and cleaning in small places.

Oh, sorry, someone's already asked that.

I have managed to get into my sixties without ever using a cotton bud for anything. What were they invented for?

Oh, and in between hoovering I use Earol 1x week just for lubrication purposes?

Microsuction is the way to go. I have, apparently, very narrow ear canals and endured years of the dreaded water treatment at the surgery until I was referred to the ENT dept. for 'hoovering'. Its safe, quick and painless and no need to pour oil into the ears for days before treatment. As for prodding ears with a cotton bud . Definitely a no no and I ain't political. I'm sure some of the medics among us will concur........

Reading the way this thread has gone I think I may have wandered into a parallel universe!

It's beyond me how anyone can tell a persons political leanings from their views on ear wax.

They are quite good for applying glue though. (not in your ears, obv)

I have in the past used a product called "Audiclean". It us basically a salt water spray, and keeps my ears from itching .

What function are cotton buds designed for?
I've known that we are currently advised not to use them in ears.
Why were cotton buds manufactured to begin with?

Mortified! A huge no no and frantically searching google about something you've been doing for years is Hysterical wink wink

This thread is becoming is becoming more than hilarious. The OP has been given good advice based on proven medical evidence. As for PC propaganda regarding ear wax, well I wasn't aware that it was an issue?