[chronogram]

Try a wooden toothpick instead of a metal needle.

[virgilp]

Wooden toothpicks are often too thick. My swiss army knife has a flat plastic toothpick that seems to have been designed exactly for the job of cleaning USB-C ports: https://i.redd.it/79iesas532521.jpg

[lpcvoid]

Thanks, that is a neat idea! What also works are these plastic cocktail sticks that are used for little appetizers on partys.

[gumby]

If you look at the minutes of the committee meetings you'll see this was an explicit design choice.

(Actually I'm kidding, but it would make a funny rumour.)

Edit: curse you HN for the otherwise sensible collapsing of blank lines..makes these jokes harder.

[martyvis]

Cut a corner at an oblique angle and it makes the perfect implement.