Editing Cotton swab

{{Short description|Personal care item}}
{{Redirect|Q-Tip}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
[[File:White menbo.jpg|thumb|220px|A cotton swab]]

'''Cotton swabs''' ([[American English]]) or '''cotton buds''' ([[British English]]), also '''Q-tips''' ([[proprietary eponym]]), 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 physicians do not recommend using them. Other uses for cotton swabs include [[first aid]], [[cosmetics]] application, cleaning, [[infant]] care, and [[arts and crafts|crafts]]. Some countries have banned the plastic-stemmed versions in favor of [[biodegradable]] alternatives over concerns about [[marine pollution]].

== History ==
[[File:Q Tips plain BG.jpg|thumb|A pack of 54 Q-tips]]

The first mass-produced cotton swab was developed in 1923 by [[Polish-American]] [[American Jews|Jew]] [[Leo Gerstenzang]] after he watched his wife attach wads of cotton to [[toothpick]]s to clean their infant's ears.<ref name="howproductsmade">{{Cite web |work=How Products are Made |volume=4 |year=1996 |first=Randy |last=Schueller |title=Cotton Swab |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_gx5205/is_1996/ai_n19124735 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831153827/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_gx5205/is_1996/ai_n19124735 |archive-date=31 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="About-Q-tips">{{Cite web |publisher=Unilever United States |year=2007–2018 |title=About: A Q-Tips® Cotton Swabs History |url=https://www.qtips.com/about/}}</ref> His product was originally named "Baby Gays" in recognition of their being intended for infants before being renamed "Q-tips Baby Gays", with the "Q" standing for "quality".<ref>{{Cite web |date=<!-- 5:51 AM PDT --> October 24, 2018 |title=Why are they called q-tips when they don't look like the letter Q |url=https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/outreach/why-guy/why-are-they-called-q-tips-when-they-dont-look-like-the-letter-q-why-guy/103-607493269 |access-date=2023-07-02 |publisher=abc10.com |language=en-US |department=Why Guy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Benson Smith |first=Sam |date=2021-03-29 |title=What Exactly Does the 'Q' in 'Q-tips' Stand For? |url=https://www.rd.com/article/meaning-of-q-in-qtips/ |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Reader's Digest |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref name="About-Q-tips" /> The Q-tips brand is owned by Elida Beauty.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Howland |first=Daphne |title=Unilever to sell portfolio that includes Q-tips, Noxzema |url=https://www.retaildive.com/news/unilever-elida-beauty-yellow-wood-partners-q-tips-noxema/702783/ |date=December 18, 2023 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Retail Dive |language=en-US}}</ref> It was formerly owned by [[Unilever]] and had over $200 million in US sales in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fitzgerald |first=Dennis |title=How a household staple became the source of doctor's office swab stories |url=http://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20160124/282389808497281/TextView |access-date=24 January 2016 |work=[[The Toronto Star]] |date=24 January 2016}}</ref> "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)'',<ref name="law.justia.com">{{Cite web|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/108/845/1417414/|title=Q-Tips, Inc. v. Johnson & Johnson, 108 F. Supp. 845 (D.N.J. 1952) |publisher=Law.justia.com|access-date=20 July 2022}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> it would appear that the first commercial producer of cotton-tipped applicators was 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/5c/d4/a8/adc758d0b34505/US1652108.pdf|title=Patent filed : No: 1,652,108: H. T. Forbis |date=December 6, 1927 |publisher=Patentimages.storage.googleapis.com|access-date=July 23, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="law.justia.com"/>

Originally, when cotton-tipped applicators were made by Mrs. Forbis, they were sold under the name of Baby Nose-Gays.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meyersohn |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-06-25 |title=How we got addicted to using Q-tips the wrong way  |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/25/business/q-tips-ears-wellness-history/index.html |access-date=2023-07-02 |publisher=CNN Business |language=en}}</ref> 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 on September 14, 1933.<ref name="law.justia.com"/> Packages were made up using blue paper with pictures of double-tipped applicators upon them, features which have been the basis for the Q Tips packaged sign since. The design of the crossed applicators was made by dropping them and then photographing the resulting pattern.

== Description ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2016}}

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 {{convert|4|in|cm|abbr=in|order=flip}}. 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 [[autoclave]]d to be sterilized (plastic sleeves or handles would melt in the autoclave).

Cotton swabs manufactured for home use are usually shorter, about {{convert|2+1/2|in|cm|round=0.5|abbr=in|order=flip}} long, and double-tipped. The handles were first made of wood and then made of rolled paper, which is still the most common (although tubular plastic is also used). They are often sold in large quantities, 100 or more in 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.

== Use ==
[[Image:Earwax on swab.jpg|right|thumb|[[Wet-type earwax]] on a cotton swab]]

The most common use for cotton swabs is to clean the [[ear canal]] by removing [[earwax]]. This use is usually against manufacturer instructions. Cotton swabs are also commonly used for cosmetic purposes such as applying and removing makeup and touching up nail polish, as well as for household uses such as cleaning and arts and crafts.

Medical-type swabs are often used to take [[microbiology|microbiological]] cultures. The swabs are rubbed onto or into the infected area, then wiped across the [[culture medium]], such as an [[agar plate]], where bacteria from the swab may grow. They are also used to take DNA samples, most commonly by scraping cells from the inner cheek in the case of humans. They can be used to apply medicines to a targeted area, to selectively remove substances from a targeted area, or to apply cleaning substances like [[Betadine]]. They are also used as applicators for cosmetics, ointments, and other substances.

A related area is the use of swabs for microbiological [[environmental monitoring]]. Once taken, the swab can be streaked onto an agar plate, or the contents of the tip removed by agitation or dilution into the broth. The broth can be filtered or incubated and examined for microbial growth.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Sandle, T. |title=A study of a new type of swab for the environmental monitoring of isolators and cleanrooms|journal=European Journal of Parenteral & Pharmaceutical Sciences |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=42–48|date=July 2011 }}</ref>

Cotton swabs are also often used outside of the field of personal hygiene:

* They are often used in the construction of [[Plastic model|plastic model kits]], for various applications during the application of decals or painting. Special brands of cotton swabs exist for this purpose, characterised by sturdier cotton heads and varied shapes of those heads.
* They can be used in the dyne test for measuring [[surface energy]]. This use is problematic, as manufacturers differ in the binders they use to fix the cotton to the stem, affecting the outcome of the test.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pffc-online.com/magazine/1065-paper-taking-measure-surface/ |title=Taking the measure of surface treatment is a learning process |publisher=PFFC: Paper, Film & Foil Converter |date=1 September 1996 |author=Edward Boyle |access-date=20 March 2010 }}</ref>
* They are frequently used for cleaning the [[laser diode]] lens of an [[optical drive]] in conjunction with [[rubbing alcohol]]. Similarly, they are used for cleaning larger computer parts such as video cards and fans. They were also widely used in the past to clean video game cartridges.

=== Role in medical diagnostics ===
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.

== Medical risks ==
[[File:Cotton swabs (or cotton buds) -in round container.jpg|thumb|Cotton swabs in a round container]]

Using cotton swabs in the ear canal has no associated medical benefits and poses definite medical risks.<ref>{{citation |last=Moser |first=Rod |url=http://blogs.webmd.com/all-ears/2006/11/q-tips-weapons-of-ear-destruction.html |title=Q-Tips – Weapons of Ear Destruction? |publisher=WebMD |date=13 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{citation |first=Joel |last=Stein |url=http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,105556,00.html |title=Something Evil in the Ear Canal |magazine=Time |date=26 March 2001}}</ref><ref name="AAFP" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/11/q-tips-ears-danger|title = Why You Really, Truly Should Not Put Q-Tips Into Your Ears|website = commonhealth|access-date = 6 March 2016}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=McCarter|first=Daniel F.|title=Cerumen Impaction|journal=American Family Physician|date=May 2007|volume=75|issue=10|pages=1523–1528|pmid=17555144|url=http://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0515/p1523.html|access-date=5 September 2012|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>[http://american-hearing.org/disorders/ear-wax/#whatis Earwax] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210075904/http://american-hearing.org/disorders/ear-wax/#whatis |date=10 February 2013 }} at the American Hearing Research Foundation. Chicago, Illinois 2008.</ref>

Attempts to remove cerumen with cotton swabs may result in [[Earwax#Excess earwax (impacted cerumen)|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.<ref name="AAFP">{{cite journal|last=American Academy of Family Physicians|title=Information from Your Family Doctor—Earwax: What You Should Know|journal=American Family Physician|date=May 2007|volume=75|issue=10|pages=1530|url=http://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0515/p1523.html|pmid=17555145}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=Matthew|author2=Darrat|title=Otologic complications of cotton swab use: One institution's experience|journal=The Laryngoscope|date=February 2012|volume=122|issue=2|pages=409–411|doi=10.1002/lary.22437|pmid=22241624|s2cid=206199065}}</ref>

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."<ref name="Nussinovitch">{{cite journal|last=Nussinovitch|first=Moshe|title=Cotton-tip applicators as a leading cause of otitis externa|journal=International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology|date=April 2004|volume=68|issue=4|pages=433–435|url=http://www.ijporlonline.com/article/S0165-5876(03)00484-1/abstract|access-date=5 September 2012|doi=10.1016/j.ijporl.2003.11.014|pmid=15013609|display-authors=etal|url-access=subscription}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|date=9 January 2018|title=Don't use cotton-tipped swabs to clean inside your ears, experts urge|language=en-CA|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/eardrum-perforations-cotton-swabs-1.4479551|access-date=10 January 2018}}</ref> 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 <!-- 263338 / 20 -->13,167 children.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ameen|first1=Zeenath S.|title=Pediatric Cotton-Tip Applicator-Related Ear Injury Treated in United States Emergency Departments, 1990–2010|journal=The Journal of Pediatrics|volume=186|pages=124–130|date=1 May 2017|doi=10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.03.049|pmid=28473166|url=http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(17)30461-4/fulltext|access-date=10 May 2017|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Environmental impact==
Plastic cotton swabs are often flushed down the toilet, increasing the risk of [[marine pollution]]. Some manufacturers and retailers have stopped making and selling plastic swabs and are only selling biodegradable paper versions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/johnson-johnson-cotton-buds-plastic-half-world-marine-pollution-sea-life-a7577556.html|title=Johnson & Johnson will stop selling plastic cotton buds in half the world to help cut marine pollution|access-date=26 November 2006|date=13 February 2017|first=Ian|last=Johnston|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>

The [[European Union]] instated a ban on the use of plastic-stemmed cotton swabs in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ciwm-journal.co.uk/european-parliament-approves-law-to-ban-single-use-plastics/|title=European Parliament Approves Law To Ban Single-Use Plastics|date=28 March 2019|first=Darrel|last=Moore|work=CIWM Journal Online|access-date=28 March 2019|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330075031/https://ciwm-journal.co.uk/european-parliament-approves-law-to-ban-single-use-plastics/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Italy]] had previously instated a ban in 2019<ref>{{cite web|title=Italy to ban microplastics used in rinse-off cosmetics products|url=https://chemicalwatch.com/67533/italy-to-ban-microplastics-used-in-rinse-off-cosmetics-products?q=microbead|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719143337/https://chemicalwatch.com/67533/italy-to-ban-microplastics-used-in-rinse-off-cosmetics-products|archive-date=19 July 2018|access-date=19 June 2018|website=ChemicalWatch.com}}</ref> and Monaco in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 January 2020|title=Combating Plastics in Monaco: On 1 January, Plastic Cotton Buds, Cups, Cutlery and Plates wereBanned|url=https://www.hellomonaco.com/news/latest-news/combating-plastics-in-monaco-on-1-january-plastic-cotton-buds-cups-cutlery-and-plates-were-banned/}}</ref> England,<ref>{{Cite news|date=22 May 2019|title=Ban on plastic straws in England pushed back to October 2020|language=en-GB|website=Edie.net|url=https://www.edie.net/news/5/Ban-on-plastic-straws-in-England-pushed-back-to-October-2020/|access-date=16 April 2020}}</ref> Scotland,<ref>{{cite news|date=12 October 2019|title=Plastic-stemmed cotton buds now banned in Scotland|publisher=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50016878}}</ref> Wales,<ref>{{cite web|date=19 March 2020|title=Wales unveils plans to ban single-use plastics from 2021|url=https://www.edie.net/news/11/Straws--stirrers-and-cutlery--Wales-unveils-plans-to-ban-single-use-plastics-from-2021/|website=Edie.net}}</ref> and the [[Isle of Man]]<ref>{{cite web|date=24 July 2019|title=Manx government proposes ban on single-use plastics|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-49103294?|access-date=1 August 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref> each instated a ban between 2019 and 2021.

== See also ==
* [[Cotton pad]]
* [[Ear pick]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Cotton swabs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotton swab}}
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Cotton]]
[[Category:Disposable products]]
[[Category:Microbiology equipment]]
[[Category:Personal hygiene products]]
[[Category:Polish inventions]]