"I stuck my finger in my ear and could feel my nail scraping something," Hoffman told Newsweek, initially suspecting it might be a piece of the Q-tip stuck inside her ear.

If you've stuck a Q-tip (or other type of cotton swab) in your ear, it's probably crossed your mind once or twice: How far can I go?

And yet, many people do stick Q-tips in their ears. The Washington Post once called the swabs “ the most bizarre thing people buy ,” given that they are often used for something you are ...

The wax in your ear waterproofs the ear canal and keeps water from going in and getting stuck, sort of like wax on your car. If you clean your ear with a Q-tip, that strips the wax and lets the ...

And some experts say Q-tips and cotton swabs aren't a good method for cleaning your ears. These items may damage ear drums and leave more earwax than they remove.

Consumer Reports tells you the steps to remove an earbud tip stuck in your ear, sharing advice from medical professionals. Also learn how to keep it from happening again.

And some experts say Q-tips and cotton swabs aren't a good method for cleaning your ears. These items may damage ear drums and leave more earwax than they remove.

"I stuck my finger in my ear and could feel my nail scraping something," Hoffman told Newsweek, initially suspecting it might be a piece of the Q-tip stuck inside her ear.