And just to clarify one more thing, for people who may be reading this thread.
People focus on tympanic membrane perforations. While that's possible with any instrumentation of the ear, it's actually
less likely with a cotton tipped applicator given the dimensions of the tip and the size of the tympanic membranes. This is actually
more of a concern with the little curette tips that come with those $35 video otoscopes that you can buy on Amazon.
Here's my take on those...
But remember, tympanic membrane perforations generally heal on their own, are usually associated with a minor hearing loss, and in the worst case scenario, they can be surgically repaired.
What CAN happen with instrumenting the ear, and which I have personally seen, is an inner ear pressure injury. It just takes a little pressure on the malleus to transmit energy to the stapes footplate. And that can cause a permanent, complete and unrepairable hearing loss.
There is no ear police. Do what you want to do. I'm just giving advice. But the idea that something is safe because a lot of people have done it with no issues is the very definition of normalization of deviance. Lots of people used to dive deep air, with no problems....