Photo credit via Dooce.

This list compiled from the great tips and resources from Q-tips, Associated Content, The Beauty Bunny, Beauty with Brains, Lifehackery, and Smarty Pants.

Home & Clothing

1. Apply touch-up paint to cabinets or walls and putting wood stain on scratches in furniture or floors.

2. Use Q-tips to light hard-to-reach candle wicks. Simply dip one end of the cotton swab into rubbing alcohol. Light the cotton and then light the candles. Dip the burning end into water to put the flame out completely.

3. When you bring out the good silver for a special occasion, Q-tipsare ideal for applying polish to small crevices.

4. Fade tea stains on cloth. Dilute lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.

5. Remove dust from picture frames, scroll-work and statues with a Q-tips cotton swab.

6. Q-tips brand cotton swabs that are dipped in rubbing alcohol have other uses too. Use Q-tips to clean electronic devices such as CD players, DVD/VCR players, cameras, radios and computers.

7. Use Q-tips as jewelry cleaner. To clean these fine accessories, you can dip a q-tip in a cleaning solution. Use it to scrape off dirt, particles and stains from your necklaces and bracelets.

9. Another unique use for Q-Tip cotton swabs is to dip the ends in soapy water. Then, use the ends to clean the dirt and grime from the fins of furnace and air conditioning ducts.

10. When you’re stripping the finish off of old furniture, use cotton swabs to get into intricate details, cracks and crevices.

11. Dip the ends of Q-Tips in olive oil and then run them along sticky zippers. The oil is an excellent lubricant that will make the closures open and close easier.

Baby

12. Moisten Q-tips cotton swabs with warm water to clean your baby’s outer ear, folds of the neck or between toes.

13. Dip a Q-tip cotton swab in rubbing alcohol to clean around your newborn’s umbilical cord.

14. Apply medications and ointments to minor cuts and bruises using a Q-tip.

Beauty

15. Remove excess nail polish off the sides of your nails or cuticles by dabbing a Q-tip in polish remover.

16. Use Q-tips as an emergency supply of perfume. The scent of perfume eventually fades after a few hours. Spray perfume on the tips of a few cotton swabs and seal them in a plastic bag. The scent stored by the swabs lasts for several hours. Just apply the swabs on your pressure points.

17. Fix mascara, liner and eyeshadow smudges by dipping a Q-tip in a makeup remover or moisturizer.

18. Your ears need to be moisturized as well! Use a cotton swab to apply cream in the folds.

19. Dip a Q-tip in an eye makeup remover to remove your mascara.

20. Get rid of “goopies” that collect in the inner corners of your eyes without smudging your makeup.

21. Clean up hair dye drips from your forehead while coloring your hair at home.

22. Conceal your roots by loading a cotton swab with eyeshadow that matches your hair color and running it over roots.

23. Whiten stained nails. Dip a cotton swab in a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, swab over fingernails and rinse after 3 minutes.

24. Control unruly brows by running a Vaseline-covered Q-tip over the hairs.

25. Clean up self-tanner from cuticles, elbows and the backs of your knees.

Arts & Crafts

26. Q-tips cotton swabs are the perfect-sized paintbrushes for children’s small hands. For the brightest pictures and the easiest clean-up, use a different one for every color.

27. Create cotton swab snowflakes. When you have finalized the design, arrange a handful of snowflakes to create the pattern. Apply glue on the swabs then wrap them in waxed paper. Apply glitter on your snowflake, so it will have a sparkling effect.

28. Q-tips are great for applying glue to models and arts and crafts projects. Use one tip to apply the glue and the other to remove any excess before it dries.

29. The soft cotton tip makes Q-tips perfect for applying face paint when playing dress up… and don’t forget school plays and Halloween.

30. Carving designs into pottery is made simple with Q-tips cotton swabs. Use this precision tool to put the finishing touches on sculptures.

How do you use Q-tips? Only in the ears?