Can I use a toothpick to clean the nozzle of a makeup airbrush kit?

It is not recommended to use toothpicks to clean the makeup airbrush kit nozzle for the following reasons:

▸Easy to scratch the inner wall of the nozzle: Although the wooden material of the toothpick is not as hard as metal, its surface is not absolutely smooth and may have subtle wood spikes or rough parts. When forcefully inserting or scratching the inner wall of the tiny and precise nozzle hole, it is highly likely to cause scratches or damage. These damages will damage the smoothness of the inner wall.
▸Disrupting the key smoothness of the nozzle: The smoothness of the internal channels and openings of the nozzle is crucial for the uniformity and delicacy of the sprayed atomization. Any scratches or burrs will interfere with the smooth flow of paint (or liquid foundation), resulting in uneven spray, streaks or splashes.
▸Risk of hole deformation: The paint outlet of the airbrush nozzle is extremely small and precise. Using toothpicks, which are relatively coarse, hard, and imprecise tools, especially when attempting to poke holes, can easily deform the originally perfect circular hole (such as enlarging it, making it elliptical, or creating edge notches). This will seriously affect the spray shape and atomization effect.
▸The risk of toothpick breakage and blockage is high: the tip of the toothpick still appears thick and fragile relative to the nozzle hole. When forcibly inserted into a narrow hole, the head of the toothpick is easily broken and stuck inside. Once this situation occurs, not only will the original blockage not be resolved, but a more difficult to remove solid blockage will also be added, which may completely block the nozzle or even require replacement.
▸Inefficient and incomplete cleaning: The shape and size of the toothpick cannot perfectly adapt to the complex micro channels inside the nozzle. It can only perform very rough surface scraping and cannot effectively remove residues that have dried up and adhered to the channel walls or penetrated into small corners, resulting in poor cleaning effect.
▸Unable to handle curved or complex channels: Some nozzle internal channels may have curved or more complex structures, and stiff toothpicks are completely unable to enter and clean these areas.
▸Possible debris residue: During the process of using a toothpick to scrape, the wood itself may also produce small debris or fiber shedding, which can become new pollutants remaining inside the nozzle, causing blockage or contamination of the sprayed paint.

The correct method to clean the nozzle:
▸Preferred specialized cleaning tool: Use a airbrush with a specially designed through needle (usually made of flexible metal wire or special plastic, with dimensions precisely matching the nozzle aperture).
▸Soak and dissolve: Soak the disassembled nozzle in a specialized airbrush cleaning solution or mild solvent for sufficient time to fully soften and dissolve the dried residue.
▸Pressure flushing: Use cleaning solution to pressurize and flush the nozzle channel in reverse or forward direction.
▸Soft bristle brush assistance: After soaking, a very soft specialized small brush (such as a very fine makeup brush or airbrush cleaning brush) can be used to gently wipe the outside of the nozzle and around the hole, avoiding poking the internal hole with force.
▸High frequency vibration cleaning (if equipped): Using an ultrasonic cleaning machine can efficiently and contactless clean small components.