Did you know you’re not supposed to clean your ear canals with Q-Tips? It says so right there on the box. I only just recently found this out, and my mind was blown. Blown. I hate the feeling of excess ear wax in my ears. Swabbing out my ears has been one of my post-shower rituals as long as I can remember. The American Academy of Otolaryngology recommends that you never clean your ears unless enough earwax has built up to cause symptoms including: earache, a sensation the ear is plugged, partial hearing loss, ringing in the ear, itching, coughing, or other symptoms listed here. Apparently, ear wax is good for your ears, and provides protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. When you strip it away, that’s when problems can happen.
Presumably, I haven’t done too much long term damage to my ears from my years of swabbing (I hope!), but I’ve still got three massive boxes of Q-Tips on my bathroom shelf thanks to an irresistible offer on Amazon.
So what am I going to do with nearly 2,000 cotton swabs? Well, I vaguely imagined having a Better Off Dead moment, but it turns out there are a whole boatload of smart ways to use Q-Tips that don’t involve rupturing your ear drum. Check out this slideshow for some great kids’ craft projects, cleaning hacks, and even a few makeup tricks. If you have some genius ways to use Q-Tips that I’m not thinking of, let me know in the comments.
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11 Q-Tip Hacks
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Update Your Grout
If the grout between your tiles is starting to look a little worse for wear, try this awesome DIY dyeing trick. It's easy (although time consuming), and you'll get fantastic results.
Get the full tutorial at I Should Be Mopping the Floor
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Make Q-Tip Flowers
How adorable are these little Anthropologie inspired Q-Tip flowers? This makes a super cute, great project for the kiddies.
Get the full tutorial at Homemade Ginger
Photo: Homemade Ginger
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Deep Clean Your Laptop
Unfortunately, your laptop is probably dirtier than you think. Food, lint, dust—I've found all of it trapped behind the keys. With a few cotton swabs, compressed air, and rubbing alcohol, you'll have a shiny, clean computer in no time.
Get the full tutorial at Angela Says
Photo: Angela Says
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Clean Your Baby's Umbilical Cord
How delicate is that teeny tiny healing umbilical cord, right? All you have to do is dip a cotton swab in water and gently clean around the stump.
Photo: Getty
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The Perfect Pedicure
If you are sick of accidentally smearing polish outside your cuticles, all you need to do is rub lotion around the outside of your nail with a Q-Tip, which makes it super easy to remove excess polish with a cuticle brush. That's it!
Get the full tutorial at Charisa Darling
Photo: Charisa Darling
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Q-Tip X-Ray Craft
Help your preschooler learn about what's underneath their skin by helping them make x-rays of their hands and feet using cotton swabs for bones.
Get the full tutorial at From ABCs to ACTs
Photo: From ABCs to ACTs
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DIY Teeth Whitener
Teeth-whitening sets can be pretty expensive, and this works just as well. Make a paste using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, rub it on your teeth with a Q-Tip, let it set for a minute or two, and then rinse thoroughly. Voila!
Get the full tutorial at Folk Potion's Blog
Photo: Getty
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Q-Tip Weaving Loom
Weaving is a great way for kids to practice their fine motor skills, and this DIY weaving loom made with cotton swabs and yarn could make a pretty sweet rug (or maybe a raft!) for a dollhouse.
Get the full tutorial at Hello, Wonderful
Photo: Hello, Wonderful
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Q-Tip Lamb Craft
This adorable little cotton-swab lamb is a great craft project for kids, and a wonderful way to celebrate spring.
Get the full tutorial at One Little Project at a Time
Photo: One Little Project at a Time
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Create Smokey Eyes
Using a Q-Tip to help you blend your base eye shadow with a dark eyeliner and also smudge the liner below your eyes will create the perfect smokey look.
Get the full tutorial at Glamrs
Photo: YouTube/Glamrs
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Spring Tree Flower Bud Craft
Help your little ones celebrate spring by making their very own tree with newly budding flowers, using a bit of paint, glue, and Q-Tips.
Get the full tutorial at A Little Pinch of Perfect
Photo: A Little Pinch of Perfect
