Ten Uses For Cotton Balls

My bathroom cupboard is always full of these annoying little balls.  I swear I never buy them but they seem to breed.  Here are ten uses for cotton balls – before they take over the whole world!

In the Bath

Cotton balls are great for preventing water from getting in kids ears when bathing and washing their hair.  Good if your children have very sensitive ears and can even prevent ear infections.  Just don’t push the cotton in too far!

Nail Care

Cotton balls work great as an applicator for nail polish remover or for separating your toes when adding a fresh coat of polish.

Make Up Removal

Add a little make up remover to a cotton ball and simply wipe away. Simple, effective and gentle!  Best of all, much cheaper than the makeup removal pads!

Use for Deodorisers

Saturate a cotton ball with vanilla, citrus or mint extract/oil and place in the refrigerator, nappy wrapper system, car ash tray, rubbish bin or vacuum cleaner for a mild but effective deodoriser.  Cheap and effective!

Cleaning

In some showers there’s just no getting into all the corners and grooves to clean them. Add some bleach or clove oil to a cotton ball and place onto the trouble spot and leave it in place. Remove the cotton ball a few hours later and the area should be nice and clean. Simply rinse it off with some warm water and discard the cotton ball.

Padding

Cotton balls work extremely well for padding a small injury. Whether it is small cuts/lacerations, blisters or corns. Placing one or two on the affected area will help ease some of the pain. If it’s being placed over broken skin it’s a good idea to apply a milk disinfectant cream or burn cream before placing it on the intended area. It helps keep the cream where it should be and the band aid won’t slip off due to residue on the skin.

Ear Aches

We have all experienced ear aches at some stage and the good old cotton ball can help. Just pop one in the affected ear and it’ll help ease the pain and keep the ear drum protected and warm. If using ear drops, place the recommended amount of drops in the ear canal then place a cotton ball just inside the opening of your ear. Not only can it help with the pain, it also helps stop the liquid from draining out and onto your pillow whilst resting.  Remember though – check with your doctor if the pain doesn’t subside!

Baby Hygiene

Cotton balls are great for cleaning the delicate eyes of newborn/ small babies., cleaning cuts, scrapes and grazes with antibacterial or disinfectant creams and are also great for administering mild, warm saline solution to eyes that are affected by Conjunctivitis. (Please remember that Conjunctivitis is a very contagious infection and can easily spread from one eye to another or one person to another. Always use a different cotton ball for each eye and ensure that hands are washed well and frequently. Ensure that the soiled cotton balls are placed into the rubbish straight away and make certain the kids aren’t touching their eyes. Even when the visible symptoms have subsided, continue treatment for at least two days after.)

Extend the life of rubber dish gloves

When using rubber gloves, over time the fingers often tear from nails rubbing against the inside. Simply place a cotton ball (or part of a cotton ball) into the end of each ‘finger’ of the glove. Your fingernails will no longer rub and cut the glove.

Tick Removal

Successfully removing ticks can be tricky. You need to ensure that you get the entire tick out.  All you need is cotton ball and liquid soap. Apply a large ‘glob’ of the liquid soap on the cotton ball, place over the tick and swab the tick with the cotton ball for around 20 seconds. The tick will withdraw from the host and will be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. So quick, simple and user friendly!