Qtips are also known as Cotton swabs (American English) or cotton buds (British English) or ear buds (Australian and South-African English) consist of a small wad of cotton wrapped around one or both ends of a short rod, usually made of either wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are commonly used in a variety of applications including first aid, cosmetics application, cleaning, and arts and crafts. The cotton swab was invented in the 1920s by Leo Gerstenzang[1] after he attached wads of cotton to toothpicks.