Polish-American man Leo Gerstenzang is credited with inventing the humble cotton bud in the 1920s, an item which has since gone on to be used for many different purposes, having originally been thought up as a baby hygiene product.Yougov research from 2019 found that 62% of Brits use cotton buds to clean their ears, and 22% of us only use them for that purpose. That’s particularly true for men, given women are more likely to use them for touching up nail polish mistakes, or applying make up. 

But you may well have heard warnings that cotton buds can be bad for you. 2019 also saw the unlikely case of a man who developed a severe bacterial infection, which sprread to the lining of his brain, after the tip of a cotton bud got stuck inside his ear. He ended up having a seizure and had to be treated at University Hostpital Coventry, according to Livescience.com.

How can I clean my ears then? Are there any safe ways? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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