Ear cleaning appliance and method of manufacture

A disposable ear cleaning appliance comprising an elongated stem having a hollow cavity which opens outwardly from one end thereof, and a plurality, preferably four, flexible lengths of thermoplastic monofilament. These lengths of monofilament are joined at their outboard ends and extend therefrom to define a bulbous shape. At their respective outboard ends, the thermoplastic monofilaments are bonded by heat and pressure, for example, to form a flattened region which serves to partially stiffen the individual monofilaments adjacent the bonded region and for a relatively short distance therefrom. Thus when the monofilaments are bent into a bulbous configuration by applying pressure against their respective inboard ends to gather the inboard ends into a bundle, the individual monofilaments are placed in compression and tend to retain their bulbous configuration. The accumulated inboard ends of the several monofilaments are gathered into a bundle in which the monofilaments lie side by side in close packed relationship. This bundle of ends is inserted into the hollow cavity at the end of the stem and anchored therein as by sonic welding, adhesive or other suitable bonding technique.