Cotton swabs (
British EnglishBritish English, or UK English or English English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
:
cotton buds) consist of a small wad of
cottonCotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft,...
wrapped around either one or both ends of a small rod, usually made of either wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are commonly used in a variety of applications including
first aidFirst aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a lay person to a sick or injured casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid...
,
cosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, [hair sprays] and gels,...
application, for cleaning, and arts & crafts.
The cotton swab was invented by
Leo GerstenzangLeo Gerstenzang was an Polish-born American who in 1923 invented the cotton swab or Q-Tips. His product, which he named "Baby Gays", went on to become one of the most widely-sold brand names, where "Q" as in "Q-tip" stood for quality. There are many anecdotes about how Mr. Gerstenzang came to...
in the 1920s, who invented the product after attaching wads of cotton to toothpicks .
Cotton swabs (
British EnglishBritish English, or UK English or English English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
:
cotton buds) consist of a small wad of
cottonCotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft,...
wrapped around either one or both ends of a small rod, usually made of either wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are commonly used in a variety of applications including
first aidFirst aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a lay person to a sick or injured casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid...
,
cosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, [hair sprays] and gels,...
application, for cleaning, and arts & crafts.
The cotton swab was invented by
Leo GerstenzangLeo Gerstenzang was an Polish-born American who in 1923 invented the cotton swab or Q-Tips. His product, which he named "Baby Gays", went on to become one of the most widely-sold brand names, where "Q" as in "Q-tip" stood for quality. There are many anecdotes about how Mr. Gerstenzang came to...
in the 1920s, who invented the product after attaching wads of cotton to toothpicks . His product, which he named "Baby Gays", went on to become the most widely sold brand name, "Q-tip", with the Q standing for "quality". The term "Q-tip" is often used as a
genericized trademarkA genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for a general class of product or service, rather than the specific meaning intended by the trademark's holder...
for any cotton swabs.
Construction
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
autoclaveAn autoclave is a device to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure steam at 121° C or more. It was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879, although a precursor known as the steam digester was created by Denis Papin in 1679....
d to be sterilized (plastic sleeves or handles would melt in the autoclave).
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, 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.
Swab stems exist in a wide variety of colors, such as blue, pink or green. However, the cotton itself is white.
Usage
The most common use for cotton swabs is to clean the
ear canalThe ear canal , is a tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear. The human ear canal extends from the pinna to the eardrum and is about 26 mm in length and 7 mm in diameter.- Structure:...
and/or to remove
earwaxEarwax, also known by the medical term cerumen, is a yellowish waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and many other mammals. It protects the skin of the human ear canal, assists in cleaning and lubrication, and also provides some protection from bacteria, fungi, insects and water...
. However, medical experts recommend that it should not be used for that purpose as it can push earwax deeper into the ear, making it harder to remove and can be dangerous, possibly causing eardrum perforations and has proven to be fatal in at least "four or five ... cases".
Medical-type swabs are often used to take
microbiologicalMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are unicellular or cell-cluster microscopic organisms. This includes eukaryotes such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes. Viruses, though not strictly classed as living organisms, are also studied...
cultures. They are swabbed onto or into the infected area, then wiped across the culture medium, such as an
agarAgar or agar agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed. Historically and in a modern context, it is chiefly used as an ingredient in desserts throughout Japan, but in the past century has found extensive use as a solid substrate to contain culture medium for microbiological work...
plate, where any bacteria from the swab will grow. They are also used to take DNA samples from, most commonly, the inner cheek. They can be used to apply
medicineMedicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
s to a targeted area, to selectively remove substances from a targeted area, or to apply cleaning substances like
BetadinePovidone-iodine is a stable chemical complex of polyvinylpyrrolidone and elemental iodine. It contains from 9.0% to 12.0% available iodine, calculated on a dry basis....
.
One recent innovation is to use a special type of double-tipped cotton swab for
over-the-counter drugOver-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold to a customer without a prescription from a health care professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may only be sold to customers possessing a valid prescription...
application. These swabs have hollow tubular plastic handles, which are filled with 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.
Cotton swabs are also often used as an applicator for various cosmetics, ointments, and other substances.
External links