"Q-Tips are a bad idea," Lin says. "They take up much of the canal diameter. Therefore, using them packs the wax deeper into the ear canal. In the worst-case scenario, the wax could be packed ...

Many people use Q-Tips brand cotton swabs as tool to remove excess ear wax from inside the ear canal, but the Q-Tips box clearly says that the swabs should not be used for this purpose.

Many people use Q-Tips brand cotton swabs as tool to remove excess ear wax from inside the ear canal, but the Q-Tips box clearly says that the swabs should not be used for this purpose.

Many people use Q-Tips brand cotton swabs as tool to remove excess ear wax from inside the ear canal, but the Q-Tips box clearly says that the swabs should not be used for this purpose.