I just wanted to reiterate this. From personal experience, this is a bad idea. I never perforated a ear drum with a cotton swab, but I did (and continue to have) extensive ear problems and used to clean my ear religiously as a result, in the hopes of keeping it clean and infection-free. Only later did I realise the damage I was doing. Even something that sounds as benign as compacting ear wax through the motion of the swab (you don't get it all out, and what's left behind gets compressed and built up) can have serious consequences.
I am not a doctor, so don't take my word for it. Here's the relevant wiki page with citations:
As always, this is one of those things that you don't think about when you're healthy and your ears are fine. But if you've ever had issues you have a whole new appreciation for how delicate your ears are. I always cringe when I read about people using cotton swabs for cleaning their ears, let alone other objects! (I once heard about someone using car keys?! and then puncturing their ear drum)
If this is part of your routine, you owe it to yourself to at least google the issue.
I am not a doctor, so don't take my word for it. Here's the relevant wiki page with citations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_swab#Medical_risks
As always, this is one of those things that you don't think about when you're healthy and your ears are fine. But if you've ever had issues you have a whole new appreciation for how delicate your ears are. I always cringe when I read about people using cotton swabs for cleaning their ears, let alone other objects! (I once heard about someone using car keys?! and then puncturing their ear drum)
If this is part of your routine, you owe it to yourself to at least google the issue.