Most of you may find yourself relying on medical sponge swabs and you must know what you use a swab for. But do you know what type is the right kind for your specific project? In this article, Mofolo Med is going to take an in-depth look at sterile swabs, helping you better know how to choose the right swab for your intended purpose.

With multiple swab types to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? Given that a sterile swab is used for safe transfer of bacteria collection, treatment of equipment, and maintenance, you must find the right swab before beginning your project.

Nowadays, medical swabs of three major materials are available on the market, i.e., cotton, polyesters and foam, which are designed with your needs in mind. Whether its specimen collection or medical application, the type of swab you use will greatly affect your results.

Read on to find out what each swab variation is best used for, and why it may be beneficial for you.

1. Cotton swabs

Composed of pharmaceutical-grade, spun cotton fibers, all the tips of cotton medical swabs meet industry standards and can be used for anything from basic medical care to cleaning.

Pros: one of the most absorbent swab variations; soft in texture; relatively low in cost.

Cons: unsuitable for specimen collection, because using these tipped swabs for specimen collection generally results in interference, affecting processes and contaminating organisms upon application.

2. Foam swabs

Created from medical-grade polyurethane foam, foam swabs are the most popular swabs used for diagnosis, and can be used in conjunction with medical devices and testing for the most accurate results.

Pros: absorbent, conductive, and electrostatic; chemical resistant.

3. Sponge swabs

Oral care sponge swabs from Mofolo Med is safe, soft, and sterile. Designed for the daily oral care and household supplies, sponge swabs can also be used for adult oral care and child oral care also for pets oral care.

Pros: making patients more comfortable and experience less trauma with Yankauer or other suction instrument.

4. Polyesters swabs

As a synthetic fiber that is spun from a polymer, polyesters swabs are generally used for specific collection and microbiology. Polyester swabs are not as absorbent as cotton swabs, but the former ones have excellent release properties, making them perfect for test diagnostics and PCR analysis.