9 alternative and practical uses for cotton earbuds / cotton swabs
Cotton swabs (cotton earbuds) are hygiene accessories that have been around for many years: these swabs, with their ends covered with small cotton wool balls, are sold all over the world, and can be used in many more ways than you think at first glance.
Traditionally, they are made using plastic sticks but, as it now is the case for other commonly used objects (such as toothbrushes), eco-friendly alternatives are becoming more and more widespread. These small objects, which are even more "disposable" than toothbrushes, are a great threat to the environment. Now there are the green versions of these products, made of silicone which can be washed and reused a thousand times. There are also those made entirely of bamboo (which is biodegradable). Depending on the case, these environmentally friendly alternatives can be very useful for all many other uses, such as those listed below.
via @creative_explained/TikTok
The @creative_explained account on TikTok shows some ways in which cotton swaps can be really useful for everyone.
1. To clean earphones: they fit well into the bud's space that usually gets dirty with earwax and more, and allows one to clean the item gently.
2. When a zipper is stuck: rub a little cocoa butter onto the cotton tip of a cotton swab and then wipe it on the zip: it will act as a lubricant!
3. For a DIY drip irrigation system: drill a hole in the cap of a plastic bottle, insert the cotton swab, fill the bottle, close it, turn it upside down and you can water your pots without any worries in absentia.
4. Clean the recessed edges of appliances and stoves: the tip of the cotton buds lends itself to reaching into small gaps and nooks that cannot be cleaned properly using simple cloths.
5. To remove the dirt from the grill on the back of the hair dryer: these grills collect a lot of dirt, and by cleaning them, the hair dryer will work much better.
6. To clean all the difficult nooks and crannies in a car: crevices, spaces between buttons, and more. You can do precision cleaning job using cotton swabs.
7. If you have to light a candle with a wick that is difficult to reach, use a cotton swab (preferably a bamboo one).
8. To carefully clean jewelry: here too, cotton swabs are useful for getting into the nooks and crannies!
9. To heal plants: If you come across a broken stem, you can try to heal the plant using cotton swabs. Dip the cotton swab in a little cinnamon, wipe it on the wound, correct the fracture of the stem as best as possible, and then use the cotton swab, with the help of a string, to hold the stem in place while it recovers (just like a splint).
Read about these tips in detail in the video on TikTok.
