Every time I use the subject of today’s episode, my husband is quick to point out how I shouldn’t. He loves to tell me about all the injuries this common household item causes, and as much as a lot of what I do depends on my hearing, I can’t help but continue to use it now and again. And I’m sure you do too.

You’re listening to The Story Behind: The Extraordinary History of the Ordinary. I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Cotton Swabs.

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Sources * About - A Q-Tips Cotton Swab History - Qtips.com * The strange life of Q-tips, the most bizarre thing people buy - The Washington Post * 1927 Q-Tips ad * 15 Swab-Worthy Facts About Q-Tips - Mental Floss * The Marketing of Q-Tips—A Brief History - Ear Audites * Cotton Swabs Send 34 Kids to the ER Every Day - Live Science * What a New Study on Cleaning Your Ears With Q-Tips Should Teach Every Entrepreneur - Inc. * ​Why It Feels So Damn Good to Stick a Q-Tip In Your Ear - Men’s Health * Just How Bad Is My Q-Tip Habit? - Vice.com * 17 Genius Uses for Q-Tips You’ll Want to Use All the Time - Reader’s Digest * 14 Ways You Never Thought to Use Q-Tips - BobVila.com