What is a one-sentence summary of the following article?
Cotton swabs can be very useful to clean small spaces like the area behind your ear. You can also clean behind your child’s ear with cotton swabs – this can be done more regularly and easily than bathing. Select the appropriate cleanser and wet both sides of a clean, fresh cotton swab – use one end for each ear. Whether you’re cleaning your own ears or a child’s ears, be gentle – pulling hard on the ear can cause discomfort. Use small vertical wiping motions to remove any dirt or crust that’s behind the ear. Wipe in a single direction, up or down, to sweep the dirt away. Wipe away any visible debris with a washcloth, another cotton swab, or a cotton ball.   Be sure to wipe inside any small nooks and crevices on the outside of your ear.  If the cotton swab dries out, rewet it with your cleanser. Do NOT put cotton swabs or any other objects inside your ear. Despite being a popular practice, this does not help to remove earwax and can even damage your ears. Reserve cleaning with cotton swabs for outside the ear only, and clean inside your ears with peroxide, oil, or other liquid products.
Prepare the cotton swab with your cleanser. Wipe dirt away gently. Only use cotton swabs on the outside of the ear.