I'm mortified

Reading the way this thread has gone I think I may have wandered into a parallel universe!

Microsuction is the way to go. I have, apparently, very narrow ear canals and endured years of the dreaded water treatment at the surgery until I was referred to the ENT dept. for 'hoovering'. Its safe, quick and painless and no need to pour oil into the ears for days before treatment. As for prodding ears with a cotton bud . Definitely a no no and I ain't political. I'm sure some of the medics among us will concur........

Oh, and in between hoovering I use Earol 1x week just for lubrication purposes?

I have managed to get into my sixties without ever using a cotton bud for anything. What were they invented for?

Oh, sorry, someone's already asked that.

A friend of mine had to have the end of a cotton bud surgically removed from her ear when it got stuck and became infected.
I use them for removing the bits of nail varnish that miss the nail and cleaning in small places.

Well, I suppose if people don't want to follow well known medical advice they aren't going to. The mother who brought her child into our A&E a few years ago having perforated it's ear drum with a cotton bud may think differently in future.

As an aside - for whatever we use them for they should never be chucked down the loo.

I blame the EU(stacian) tube.

My daughter broke the end of a cotton bud in her ear and ended up in A&E having it removed. Why use something that could break and damage your ear when olive oil will do the job.

Its lovely feeling a cotton bud rolling around inside your ear. (One's ear, not yours, obviously!)

I've been using ear buds for about 60 years with no problems. I think they would only "push the wax in further" if there was a huge buildup of wax to push. The wax is normally just a thin film on the sides , which is easily whisked off with an ear bud. I wouldn't be worried if I were you - you've been doing something for decades with no problems, and suddenly you are put off because of something that someone said. Do what suits you .

As to why cotton buds were invented, according to the old adverts they were designed for "those important little places" !!

Ha ha, made me laugh Farmor, visualising you cleaning your ears with an old icing syringe. I’m sure it’s not recommended but if it works for you, there it is. I do clean around the outside of my ears with cotton buds, and ever slightly just inside aswell. However, I have itchy ears itch deep inside sometimes, anyone got a remedy for that please?

Started using cotton buds for ear clearing a year or so ago and recently had to have my ears syringed for the very first time - enough said. Stopped using them now.

We were told in lectures ( nurse training ) put nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear. It is a medical fact that it is dangerous.
Cotton buds are for rubbing cuticle cream into the nails and cleaning between the buttons on the computer keyboard.

I am now deaf in both ears due to damage done by poking
I have had one ear repaired last May and am waiting for the other ear to be done maybe this spring.
I never ever put anything in my ears again and warn people of the danger of heat loss which I have first hand experience

Trouble is though the millions floating around our oceans. ... another reason not to use them.

It's all very well telling people they can't put cotton wool buds in their ears if they don't tell them how else to deal with the interminable itching that inflicts some people!

Our surgery (and others in our area)have stopped offering ear syringing - you have to pay privately for microsuction at a cost of £60 per ear.

Here’s one for Poppyred to get her teeth into. Plastic cotton wool buds are a major contributory factor to plastics pollution

To finish what I started above..,,
The scottish government are thinking of banning their use.

Common sense has a problem . It isn’t common. What is common sense to one person is not to another but was all we had to work on in times past.

A few years ago I went to visit my son in China and he took me to a Chinese opera house. During the performance very nice elderly ladies come round, stand behind you and clear your ears out with little metal spoons. I politely declined.

I used them for the children when they were babies not to poke down the ear but to clean around outer ear. Very good for something like acne or teenage spots just a small dap of cream on the bud and apply to the spot or spots, so gd tells me. Tesco do a safety one 8n the babies section which does not go down the ear hole just cleans them and where I use hair lacquer they get dry and crusty it’s very handy. Ears are not syringed with water any more they use a electric machine but you need to use olive oil warmed, for a week before you go

Yes correct not to use buds or anything else to clean ears. The tiny cilia hairs that line the ear canal get flattened over time if continually cleaning the canal so can’t do their job of wafting the ear wax out & keeping the canal clear, we have the same little hairs in our nose.

Esabeautuppence, my nose is safe from cotton wool buds