Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Luke Reevey

Should we use cotton buds to clean our ears? Expert issues this advice

A professor of audiology has issued guidance on whether it is safe to use cotton buds to clean your ears.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday (09 April), Kevin Munro, who works at the University of Manchester, acknowledged how "tempting" it is to put a pointed object in your ear canal, but highlighted two main problems.

"You might just push the wax further down and it will stay there longer and set like concrete", he said, adding that you could "do damage by scraping the side of your ear canal or right down to where your ear drum is."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.