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Personal care item

Cotton swabs (American English) or cotton buds (British English) are wads of cotton wrapped around a short rod made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are most commonly used for ear cleaning, although this is not recommended by physicians. Other uses for cotton swabs include first aid, cosmetics application, cleaning, infant care and crafts. Some countries have banned the plastic stemmed versions in favor of biodegradable alternatives over concerns about marine pollution.

The first mass produced cotton swab was developed in 1923 by Polish American Jew Leo Gerstenzang after he watched his wife attach wads of cotton to toothpicks to clean their infant's ears. His product was originally named "Baby Gays" in recognition of them being intended for infants before being renamed "Q tips Baby Gays", with the "Q" standing for "quality". The product eventually became known as "Q tips", which went on to become the most widely sold brand name of cotton swabs in North America. The term "Q tip" is often used as a genericized trademark for a cotton swab in the United States and Canada. "Johnson's buds" are made by Johnson & Johnson. However, according to the United States Patent Case (C 10,415) Q Tips, Inc. v. Johnson & Johnson, 108 F. Supp. 845 (D. N. J. 1952), it would appear that the first commercial producer of cotton tipped applicators was a Mrs. Hazel Tietjen Forbis, who manufactured them in her home. She also owned a patent on the article, numbered 1,652,108, dated December 6, 1927, and sold the product under the appellation Baby Nose Gay. In 1925, Leo Gerstenzang Co., Inc. purchased an assignment of the product patent from Mrs. Forbis. On January 2, 1937, Q Tips, Inc's president, Mr. Leo Gerstenzang, and his wife Mrs. Ziuta Gerstenzang formed a partnership and purchased from Mrs. Forbis "All merchandise, machinery and fixtures now contained in the premises 132 W. 36th Street and used by said Q Tips, Inc., for the manufacture of Q Tips or medicated swabs together with the accounts receivable of said Q Tips, Inc." The contract recited that Q Tips, Inc. was the owner of patents covering the manufacture of applicators. In 1925, after The Leo Gerstenzang Co., Inc. purchased an assignment of the product patent from Mrs. Forbis, the packages of applicators were labelled Baby Gays. In 1926, the legend was changed to read "Q Tips Baby Gays", and in 1927 an application was made to register the mark "Q Tips Baby Gays". Sometime after 1926, the words "Baby Gays" were dropped and the concern began to develop "Q Tips" as its identifying mark, applying for registration of it on September 14, 1933.

The traditional cotton swab has a single tip on a wooden handle, and these are still often used, especially in medical settings. They are usually relatively long, about These often are packaged sterile, one or two to a paper or plastic sleeve. The advantage of the paper sleeve and the wooden handle is that the package can be autoclaved to be sterilized (plastic sleeves or handles would melt in the autoclave). Cotton swabs manufactured for home use are usually shorter, about long, and usually double tipped. The handles were first made of wood, then made of rolled paper, which is still most common (although tubular plastic is also used). They are often sold in large quantities, 100 or more to a container. Plastic swab stems exist in a wide variety of colors, such as blue, pink or green. However, the cotton itself is traditionally white.

The importance of swab technology in medical diagnostics is immense. Swabs are a primary tool for collecting patient specimens, vital for accurately detecting pathogens, DNA sampling, and disease diagnosis. The collection's precise nature and the swab's quality are critical in ensuring reliable test results. Nasopharyngeal swabs for respiratory virus detection swabs for efficient DNA material collection swabs to assess the presence of microbial infection in sterility and prevention of contamination.

The use of cotton swabs in the ear canal has no associated medical benefits and poses definite medical risks. Cerumen (ear wax) is a naturally occurring, normally extruded, product of the external auditory canal that protects the skin inside the ear, serves beneficial lubrication and cleaning functions, and provides some protection from bacteria, fungi, insects, and water. Attempts to remove cerumen with cotton swabs may result in cerumen impaction, a buildup or blockage of cerumen in the ear canal, which can cause pain, hearing problems, ringing in the ear, or dizziness, and may require medical treatment to resolve. The use of cotton swabs in the ear canal is one of the most common causes of perforated eardrum, a condition which sometimes requires surgery to correct. A 2004 study found that the "use of a cotton tip applicator to clean the ear seems to be the leading cause of otitis externa in children and should be avoided." Instead, wiping wax away from the ear with a washcloth after a shower almost completely cleans the outer one third of the ear canal, where earwax is made. In the US between 1990 and 2010, an estimated 263,338 children went to hospital emergency rooms for cotton swab injuries, accounting for an estimated annual hospitalization of 13,167 children.

Plastic cotton swabs are often flushed down the toilet, increasing the risk of marine pollution. Some manufacturers and retailers have stopped the production and sale of plastic swabs and are only selling biodegradable paper versions. The European Union instated a ban on the use of plastic stemmed cotton swabs in 2021. Italy had previously instated a ban in 2019 and Monaco in 2020. England, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man each instated a ban between 2019 and 2021.