this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2025
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I know q-tips aren't safe or whatever but man it feels too good to stop.
Yeah, I am not going to contradict any doctors when it comes to the risks, but for my ears and the way I do it, I haven't ever hurt myself and my PCP says my ears are completely clear at each checkup.
I think I'm fortunate to have pretty light thin wax though.
I bought metal earwax spoons. Sure, q-tips feel great and all, but pulling out the clod of wax actually responsible for the itch is divine
I am way too scared to use one lol. Certainly wouldn't trust myself to use it but maybe I should give one of those services a try.
What do you mean, not safe? I always thought "do not use in your ear canal" was just a joke they wrote on the packaging. Like, actually good one, what else are you gonna do with it?
Q-tips aren't meant to go in the ear the same way adult novelty toys aren't meant to go in the butt.
Yo don't actually put those in your butt, they're not made of body safe materials and will give you ass cancer. Don't use TPU, TPE, PVC, or tin-cure silicone in your butt. It's literally made to absorb stuff and putting carcinogens in it is a bad idea. Look for medical grade or platinum-cure silicone.
I don't live in a state that advertises the toys as novelties, but all the toys at my sex shop are body safe. I have to imaging the 'totally not a sex store' novelty shop is probably also seeking the same suppliers, just different packaging
There's a lot of stuff out there that isn't body safe. Never been in a physical store but have gotten a lot of stuff online and had to throw out the toys I got first because they were TPE. They weren't even marketed as novelties, they were being sold for body use, even though they weren't safe. There's no legislation preventing it, it's perfectly legal to sell unsafe toys. If your toy isn't silicone, then DEFINITELY don't use it analy. Even then, unless it's specified medical grade or platinum-cure, you're rolling the dice on what's actually in it. If you have a silicone toy you're unsure of, there's ways to verify it.
They are called novelty toys because the countries they are made in have laws against adult toys but not novelty items.
That's my point - Q-tips and novelty toys are both more commonly used for their off-label functionality because listing that on the label is inconvenient for the maker.
They're also used as cleaning tips for small/targeted applications, especially when you don't want lint from a Kleenex or paper towel lingering. Makeup application/removal and electronics cleaning, for example.
I think (not a doctor) the ear thing is because if you go too deep you can cause some serious damage, and they can make wax buildup worse by compacting it. If you stay close to the ear opening, and do circular motions to swipe wax away, and clean your ears often enough that you don't get dense wax build up, and don't "double dip" to introduce potential pathogens, then I think they're pretty safe to use? But that's too many caveats for lots of people, so I think ENTs often deal with people damaging themselves with them.
Supposedly they can pack the earwax together which can be an issue.
They're perfectly safe. Just pinch it towards the end you're using, can't do too deep that way.
I do try to be very careful but sometime overdo it a bit going a bit deeper but not to a point of permanent ear damage. Hopefully...