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The most common uses for cotton swabs include aural hygiene and cosmetics application.

Cotton swabs (British English: cotton buds) are used in first aid, cosmetics application, and a variety of other uses. They consist of a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod, made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. The most common type of usage is to dip the cotton end in a substance, then use the swab as an applicator for the substance. Sometimes swabs are also used for removal of substances such as wax from ear canals, though the instructions accompanying the swabs generally contain a warning that the swabs should not be inserted directly into the ear, as doing so is actually dangerous. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Music. ... Image File history File links White_menbo. ... Image File history File links White_menbo. ... British English (BrE, en-GB) is a broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere. ... First aid is a series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or layman can be trained to perform. ... For other uses, see Cosmetic. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ...

The inventor of the cotton swab is supposed to have been one Leo Gerstenzang, in 1923 [1]. His product, which he named "Baby Gays", went on to become the most widely-sold brand name, "Q-tip". Leo Gerstenzang (?-) was a Polish-American who in 1923 invented the cotton swab or Q-Tips®. His product, which he named Baby Gays, went on to become the most widely-sold brand name, Q-tip, where Q stood for quality. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 six inches (15 cm or so). 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 autoclaved to be sterilized (plastic sleeves or handles would melt in the autoclave). Front loading autoclaves are common Stovetop autoclaves need to be monitored carefully and are the simplest of all autoclaves Multiple large autoclaves are used for processing substantial quantities of laboratory equipment prior to reuse, and infectious material prior to disposal. ...

These medical-type swabs are often used to take microbiological cultures. They are swabbed onto or into the infected area, then wiped across the culture medium, such as an agar plate, where any bacteria from the swab will grow. They are also used to take DNA samples from, most commonly, the inner cheek. As well, 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. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A growth medium is an object in which microorganisms or cells in experience growth. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ... Betadine is a povidone-iodine solution, used as a broad spectrum topical microbicide. ...

Cotton swabs produced for home use are usually shorter, about three inches (7.6 cm) long, and usually double-tipped. The handles were first made of wood, then made of rolled paper, similar to lollipop sticks, which is still most common (although tubular plastic is becoming popular). They are often sold in large quantities, possibly 300 or more to a container. For other uses of the term Lollipop, see Lollipop (disambiguation). ...

One recent innovation is to use a special type of double-tipped cotton swab for over-the-counter drug application. These swabs have hollow tubular plastic handles, which are full of the medicine. Breaking one marked end of the swab breaks an air seal, allowing the medicine to saturate the cotton at the other end so that it can be directly applied with the swab. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription and without a visit to a medical professional, in contrast to prescription drugs. ...

Swabs exist in a wide variety of colors: purple, fuchsia, pink, green etc. However the cotton itself is white.

Nicknames and products

A pack of Q-tips

Though its true name is cotton swab, in North America it is most commonly called a Q-Tip. "Q-tip" has become a genericized trademark in much of Canada and the United States, mostly credited to it the company that invented it, and is the world's largest producer. Unilever is responsible for the production of the most widely-known generic brand of cotton swabs. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 505 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1912 × 2268 pixel, file size: 936 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A pack of 54 counts Q-tips cotton swabs, made in USA. This is a modificaton of Q_Tips. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 505 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1912 × 2268 pixel, file size: 936 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A pack of 54 counts Q-tips cotton swabs, made in USA. This is a modificaton of Q_Tips. ... A genericized trademark, generic trade mark, generic descriptor, or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name which has become the colloquial or generic description for a particular class of product or service. ... Unilever is a widely listed [1] [2] multi-national, formed of Anglo-Dutch parentage, that owns many of the worlds consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. ...

External links

• Q-tips official site (requires Macromedia Flash)
• The origin of Q-tips