Abstract: A swab, such as for removing wax from the auditory meatus of an ear, includes a wad of absorbent material, such as cotton, arranged on an end of a stem and wherein the wad has a non-circular external configuration in a cross-section taken through a plane transverse to the axis of the stem. The wad may have at least one channel formed in the outer surface in which the material to be removed, i.e., the wax, becomes situated during the removal operation. The invention is particularly applicable to swabs which are intended for use by children or persons having delicate auditory meatus'. The stem of the swab is formed of deformable material and in manufacture the wad-stem assembly portion of the swab is subjected to a deformation pressure until the desired non-circular configuration of the wad is obtained. The wad supporting end of the stem is deformed at the same time to provide a non-circular configuration which substantially corresponds to the external cross-sectional configuration of the wad.