Wet-type earwax on a<unk>  The most common use for<unk> s is to clean the ear canal by removing earwax.<unk> s are also commonly used for applying and removing makeup, as well as for household uses such as cleaning and arts and crafts. They are also handy for touching up nail polish that gets on the surrounding skin. Medical-type swabs are often used to take microbiological cultures. Pharmaceutical grade<unk> s are necessary for medical applications. These medical grade swabs are rubbed onto or into the infected area, then wiped across the culture medium, such as an agar plate, where bacteria from the swab may grow. They are also used to take DNA samples, most commonly by scraping cells from the inner cheek in the case of humans. They can be used to apply medicines to a targeted area, to selectively remove substances from a targeted area, or to apply cleaning substances like Betadine. They are also used as an applicator for various cosmetics, ointments, and other substances. A related area is the use of swabs for microbiological environmental monitoring. Once taken, the swab can be streaked onto an agar plate, or the contents of the tip removed by agitation or dilution into the broth. The broth can either then be filtered or incubated and examined for microbial growth.<unk> s are also often used outside of the field of personal hygiene: * They are often used in the construction of plastic model kits, for various applications during the application of decals or painting. Special brands of<unk> s exist for this purpose, characterised by sturdier<unk>  heads and varied shapes of those heads. * They can be used in the dyne test for measuring surface energy. This use is problematic, as manufacturers differ in the binders they use to fix the<unk>  to the stem, affecting the outcome of the test. * They are frequently used for cleaning the laser diode lens of an optical drive in conjunction with rubbing alcohol. Similarly, they are used for cleaning larger computer parts such as video cards and fans. They were also widely used in the past to clean video game cartridges.
Cotton swab
Buccal swab
Mouthwash
Tao brush
Cytobrush
MasSpec Pen
Throat lozenge
Haidinger's brush