Did you know that the humble cotton swabs were invented in the year 1923? A Polish inventor by the name of Leo Gerstenzang sought inspiration to invent them after seeing his hardworking wife attempt to reach deeply hidden surfaces using a toothpick capped with some cotton.
While a lot has been written about using cotton swabs for ear cleaning, many do not know that they are suitable for tens of other applications in and around the house.
In this resource article, we list down 7 important and practical uses of in a regular household. If you are fond of using these and want to find newer applications, read on till the end of the article.
List of seven practical uses of cotton swabs in a regular hotel
1. Clearing out make-up accidents
How often have our little kids run into us when we are applying lipstick or mascara? The result? Smudged make-up across the cheek, on the nose, and across the forehead. A cotton swab can come in very handy to remove and correct these accidents. Just dabbing a bit of makeup remover or micellar water can have a great impact on removing the makeup with their help.
2. Cleaning hard-to-reach surfaces
Just like Leo’s wife, Ziuta, a cotton swab can come in handy when trying to clean hard-to-reach surfaces. For example, when it comes to cleaning the residue from gas burners, you will find that using a cotton swab as being very handy. It can help deep clean such areas and ensure that your appliances are working in proper order. This helps to extend life and efficiency.
3. Applying ointments and medicated creams on the skin
Most people use their fingertips to apply ointments and creams. According to medical experts, this is not a good or recommended practice. Using fingers can create problems and allow for the entry of bacteria and other germs into the wound or on the skin. It is best to use a cotton swab to apply ointments to keep everything hygienic and sanitary when applying ointments.
4. Dusting electronic items and equipment
What do you do when you have to clean your laptop or any other expensive tech gadget? You use a cloth and then use the force of your hands to clean them. This is not something you should do for it can result in damage. A cotton swab dipped in cleaning liquid can help you clean the keyboard of your laptop and desktop along with any other electronic gadgets that you have.
5. Cleaning the AC vents and interiors of the car
All of us take extra care to ensure that our automobiles are always clean. This is good not only for aesthetics purposes but also for ensuring efficiency. Clean AC vents can help in better air conditioning and also ensure that the occupants of the car are not breathing in dusty air filled with germs and other harmful contaminants. Cotton swabs are used by many in this use.
6. Touching up the paint areas and surfaces following scruffs
As homeowners, we often get overwhelmed when we see paint damage. Our minds immediately rush to big paintbrushes and heavy rollers. However, getting a small paint bottle and using a cotton swab can go a long way towards paint correction and rectification. Small scuffs, smudges, and paint chips can easily be corrected by using paint and cotton swabs.
7. Polishing and shining jewelry
Jewelry is a very delicate object that needs to be handled with a lot of care. This is why it is best not to use cloth or any other brushes to clean and shine it. Using a cotton swab dabbed with a little bit of polishing liquid can help bring that new shine and luster to your jewelry piece. It can also ensure that there are no breakages and your items remain as new as possible.
The bottom line
There you have it. 7 practical uses of cotton swabs in a regular household that can help you deal with issues and problems that you felt you needed expert help for. If you can add to the list of practical applications in the comments below, we would love for you to do it. If you want any other information on the type, kind of quality of most effective cotton swabs, do write to us in the comments section below or visit site.