These stupid things are needed for cleaning guitars and electronics

This is one of those "you can find them when you know what they're actually called" things.

I play guitar and also work with small electronics at times. Both of these types of things need periodic cleaning, and both have tiny areas that are really difficult to clean just because of the way they're shaped. An example of this is the inside of a guitar tuner post where the steel string goes through. There is absolutely nothing out there that can clean that because the space is so small...

...except one thing: Cosmetic swabs.

And wow, sometimes these things are difficult to locate. If you're lucky, you might be able to find them at your local department store, but probably not and you'll have to get them online. Yes, these things are wonderful to have.

Cosmetic swabs, as in "a Q-Tip with the pointy tip" isn't something you know unless you specifically know what it's called. And now you know.

How often will you use these things? More than you think. Anything you need to clean that's in a very small area where you need a precision tip so you don't splash solution (usually isopropyl alcohol) is where cosmetic swabs come in handy more than a little bit.

Cosmetic swabs also come in extremely handy for small electronics areas where you need to use DeoxIT D5. Clean a micro USB or USB-C port? A regular size cotton swab can't do that, but a cosmetic swab can.

If the whatever-it-is is tiny and a precision tip is needed for cleaning it, get a box of cosmetic swabs.

Published 2023 Feb 23