Maybe habit-forming

When I was a kid, my mom always insisted on “cleaning” out my ear canals with cotton swabs, usually right after I bathed, and this ended up establishing a bad habit of using cotton swabs on my ears every morning after I shower. I am well aware of the many problems this can cause but I never feel like I’m quite done getting clean until I’ve swabbed my ears out. I’ve tried breaking that habit many times but it’s always come back.