Baby care tip #48 Use ear buds to clean tricky spots (but never ear wax)

Here is a great tip to keep your baby's skin dry!

Babies get cleaned every time they poop. You can use cotton balls to clean the baby's genital area after the baby poops and wet wipes before putting on a diaper. But, once you start bathing your newborn every day, even if it is just pouring a few cups of water, you need to keep the rest of her skin dry. Your baby's skin is incredibly soft and delicate and you can use a soft cotton towel to keep your to wrap your baby and wick the moisture away. Here's how to get baby's bathtime right!

One of the first things you learn about baby hygiene and care is never to use earbuds to clean ear wax. But these little cotton swabs of cotton make it easier to reach "tough to dry" spots especially in the case of a newborn.

Some of the spots that are difficult to reach include the space between the toes and behind the baby's ears. You can take a cotton bud and gently dab it in the area. The idea is to find small cotton buds that are gentle and thin enough to reach these spots. Make sure you don't rub the skin because it is very tender. You just need to make sure the cotton absorbs the moisture and the air contact does the rest. Let the baby lie naked for a bit if you can maintain a comfortable room temperature.

You can also use cotton buds to clean flakes of cradle cap after washing the baby's hair. Don't apply any pressure, just flick away the scabs gently. Any rubbing can lead to reddening and skin irritation. Cradle cap usually goes away on its own, but this is just in case you can't look at the peeling skin. Here are more tips on how to deal with cradle cap in infants.