Swabs & Applicators

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What is the most common types of swab?

Cotton swabs are the most common type used in homes, hospitals, and commercial environments. The material is highly functional, soft, and affordable. Labs and manufacturing facilities use cotton swabs for precise cleaning. Hospitals, long-term care centers, and other medical facilities use cotton swabs to test, clean wounds and apply ointment. Medical cotton swabs are made from pharmaceutical-grade cotton fiber.

Harmony Lab & Safety Supplies strives to provide your business with top-of-the-line swabs in bulk or small packs specifically designed to suit your individual needs. All our cotton swabs are made from pharmaceutical-grade spun cotton fiber and provide a soft, absorbent, and affordable option for many uses. It doesn't matter if you need a single 100-swab bag or several cases of 1,000; we can help you.

Where does the word 'swab' come from?

Swab has its origin in sailing, in which sailors would swab the deck. Swabs have come a long way since then. The inventor of modern cotton swabs, Leo Gerstenzang, was inspired at home when he saw his wife sticking cotton balls onto the ends of toothpicks and using this tool to clean out their child’s ears.

What are other popular swab materials?

It's essential to tailor your swab to your specific application.

Here's a list of common swab materials:

Calcium Alginate
Cotton
Flocked
Foam
Foam covered cotton
Knitted Polyester
Microfiber
Rayon
Polyester

Calcium alginate is ideal for specimen collection, testing, and screening. The fine tips and flexible handles make it suitable for collection. There are a variety of tip sizes, including mini-tips for nasopharyngeal testing. Pediatrics, ophthalmology, urology, gynecology, wound care, and veterinary care depends on calcium alginate swabs. The unique material contains no fatty acids and is bio-degradable.

Foam swabs are the ideal industrial swab because of their soft and non-abrasive nature, making them suitable for sensitive components. They’re also perfect for cleanroom use, as they feature thermal bonding to prevent contamination.

Rayon is a cellulose-based material derived from natural sources. Rayon is more absorbent than cotton, making them useful for specimen collection. Rayon's manufacturing process eliminates contaminants. Some prefer rayon instead of cotton in applications that are not concerned with leaving lint residue behind after collection or application.

What are flocked swabs?

Flocking refers to applying the multi-length fibers to an adhesive-coated surface; if a swab has flocking, it is a flocked swab. You would want to use a flocked swab to enhance your sample collection. All flocked swabs have definite advantages for a wide range of sample collection applications. We offer flocked swabs that have a manufacturing process unlike any other.

Our HydraFlock® swab is our high-performance product, specifically engineered for a wide range of biological specimen collection. Its unique three-dimensional microstructure design facilitates excellent specimen collection and complete elution, unlike any other swab on the market today. PurFlock Ultra®'s high purity characteristics make it an ideal flocked swab for PCR, molecular assays, DFA testing, forensic applications, and direct antigen testing. Its uniquely designed fiber structure accounts for better cell yield in the specimen with a limited sample size.

These proprietary and patented processes allow our flocked swabs to help you collect and retain more specimens than your traditional spun-fiber swab made from cotton, polyester or rayon. Our ultrafine flock styles are commonly used for nasopharyngeal specimen collection, while the micro-ultrafine style is well suited for small cavities and pediatrics. Therefore, the very best Puritan flocked swab is the one that serves your specific needs for optimal collection flexibility.

Where can you buy swabs and applicators?

Harmony Lab & Safety Supplies is your trusted source for swabs and applicators. Choose from an assortment of shapes, sizes, and materials. We carry leading brands such as Puritan Medical Products, CleanTex, Tekniwab, Conventry, Chemtronics, and more! We are an authorized dealer and have decades of experience in the industry.

Swabs & Applicators

Alcohol Swabs

Anti Static & ESD Swabs

Calcium Alginate Swabs

Cotton Swabs

Flocked Swabs

Foam Covered Cotton Swabs

Foam Swabs

Knitted Polyester Swabs

Medical Swabs

Microdenier Swabs

Microfiber Swabs

Polyester Swabs

Rayon Swabs

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