Using cotton swabs to clean inside your ears can result in ear problems such as earwax impaction, injury, and infection. If you must clean your ears, first soften the earwax before irrigating them with warm water and allowing them to drain. Never insert an object into your ear, such as a cotton swab. According to … Continue reading Facial Paralysis, Deafness: Why You Should Not Apply Cotton Swabs to Clean Your Ears