How to properly store and use cleanliness verification swabs?

Storage

• Environmental Requirements
  • Temperature and Humidity: Cleanliness verification swabs should be stored in an environment with relatively stable temperature. The ideal temperature range is generally between 15 °C and 25 °C. Avoid storing them in places where the temperature is too high or too low, such as near heat sources or air conditioning outlets. Meanwhile, the environmental humidity should be maintained between 40% and 60% to prevent the swabs from getting damp or moldy due to excessive humidity, which would affect their quality and performance.
  • Cleanliness and Hygiene: The storage location should be kept clean, dry, and well-ventilated, away from pollutants such as dust, chemicals, and food residues to prevent contamination of the swabs. Regularly clean and disinfect the storage area. Disinfectants can be used to wipe the shelves and storage containers, but attention should be paid to the problem of disinfectant residues. Make sure that the area is thoroughly cleaned before storing the swabs.
• Packaging and Arrangement
  • Storage in Original Packaging: Cleanliness verification swabs should be stored in their original, unopened packaging. The original packaging usually has good sealing and moisture-proof properties, which can effectively protect the swabs from the influence of the external environment. For example, individually packaged swabs have packaging materials that can isolate air and moisture and maintain the sterile state of the swabs.
  • Proper Arrangement: When placing the swabs on the storage shelves, be careful to avoid squeezing them to prevent the packaging from being damaged. The swabs should be neatly arranged and classified and stored according to different specifications, models, and batches for easy management and access. Meanwhile, the principle of “first in, first out” should be followed to ensure that the swabs that entered the warehouse first are used first, avoiding long-term backlogs that may lead to expiration or quality degradation.

Use

• Pre-use Preparation
  • Personnel Training: Staff using cleanliness verification swabs should receive professional training to understand the correct usage methods of the swabs, the purpose and process of cleanliness verification, etc. The training content includes how to select appropriate swabs according to different detection areas and items and how to correctly perform the wiping operation to ensure that representative samples are collected.
  • Package Inspection: Before use, carefully check whether the packaging of the swabs is intact and whether there are any abnormal conditions such as dampness, discoloration, or deformation. If any damage to the packaging or abnormal conditions are found, stop using the swabs to prevent the use of contaminated swabs from affecting the accuracy of the detection results.
• Precautions during Use
  • Aseptic Operation: When using cleanliness verification swabs, the principle of aseptic operation must be strictly followed. Operators should wear sterile gloves, masks, and other protective equipment. During the process of opening the packaging and performing the wiping operation, avoid contact between fingers or other objects and the swab heads to prevent the introduction of microbial contamination.
  • Correct Wiping: Adopt appropriate wiping methods according to different detection objects. For flat surfaces, the swab head can be flatly attached to the surface and wiped at an appropriate pressure and speed to ensure that the entire detection area is covered. For hard-to-reach parts such as the inside of pipes or narrow gaps, the swab head can be bent or special-shaped swabs can be used for wiping. However, be careful not to use excessive force to avoid the swab head falling off or being damaged.
  • Prevention of Cross-contamination: When using multiple swabs to wipe different areas, pay attention to changing gloves or disinfecting auxiliary tools such as tweezers to prevent cross-contamination. After wiping each area, put the used swabs into a dedicated collection container to avoid mixing them with unused swabs.
• Post-use Disposal
  • Proper Collection: Used cleanliness verification swabs should be properly collected and disposed of as hazardous waste or special garbage. They should not be discarded randomly. Usually, they are put into sealed plastic bags or dedicated collection containers, classified and stored according to relevant regulations, and wait for unified disposal.
  • Recording and Tracing: Keep detailed records of the usage of cleanliness verification swabs, including information such as the time, place, quantity, detection items, and results of use. These records are helpful for tracing the cleanliness verification process. When problems are found, the causes can be found in time and corresponding measures can be taken.