Pet Ear-Cleaning Cotton Swabs

Ear cleaning at home is mostly about the outer ear, meaning the folds, ridges and crevices you can see when you fold the flap back. These swabs are shaped for that job, with tips sized to get into the contours of a cat or dog's ear without the flimsiness of a cotton bud meant for human use. Wax, dirt and grass seed all collect in those folds.

The tips are soft and absorbent enough to lift grime rather than smear it around, and firm enough not to come apart halfway through. They work best slightly damp, either with a little ear-cleaning solution on the swab, or as a wipe round after a solution has been flushed and the pet has shaken it out. Done every week or two, it is one of the easier bits of home grooming.

• Shaped cotton swabs made specifically for pet ears
• Soft, absorbent tips that lift wax and debris
• Suitable for cats and dogs
• Use damp with a cleaning solution, or dry for routine wiping
• Fits into a weekly or fortnightly grooming routine

Never go into the ear canal. Clean only what you can see. Pushing a swab down the canal packs wax against the eardrum and can do real damage, and a pet who jerks their head at the wrong moment makes it worse. If an ear smells, looks red, or your pet keeps shaking their head, that is a vet appointment rather than a cleaning job.

Who it's for: Owners keeping on top of routine ear hygiene, particularly with floppy-eared or hairy-eared breeds.