The following are some precautions for using total organic carbon cleaning verification swabs:

Check the integrity of the packaging and the product: Before use, carefully check whether the packaging of the swab is intact, without damage, leakage, etc., to prevent the swab from being contaminated by the outside world. At the same time, confirm that the swab itself is not damaged, deformed, and within the shelf life to avoid using swabs of poor quality affecting the test results.
Confirm the suitability of the swab and related materials: According to the material, shape, size, and testing requirements of the surface to be tested, select a swab of the appropriate size and type to ensure that the swab can fully contact and effectively wipe the sampling surface. In addition, prepare the corresponding sample receiving container, extraction solvent, etc., and ensure that they are clean and free from contamination.
Clean the test surface: Before sampling, ensure that the equipment or surface being tested has stopped running and has been initially cleaned to remove visible dirt, dust, and impurities on the surface to ensure that the swab can accurately detect the residual organic carbon rather than other pollutants.

Avoid contaminating the swab head: When opening the swab package, be gentle to avoid touching the swab head directly with your hands to prevent organic substances such as grease and sweat on your hands from staining the swab and interfering with the test results. It is recommended to use a sterile forceps or wear clean gloves to take out the swab.
Properly wipe and sample: Bring the swab head close to the surface to be tested, making the angle between the swab head and the surface 45°, and wipe the sampling surface back and forth with gentle and smooth slow movements to ensure that the entire surface is wiped. Generally, the area wiped by each swab is 25 cm². When wiping, attention should be paid to avoid excessive force to prevent scratches or damage to the surface. After wiping, the swab can be reversed to let the other side wipe as well, but the moving direction of this wiping should be perpendicular to the previous one to collect pollutants more comprehensively.
Pay attention to the sampling location: If sampling is required at multiple locations on the same equipment or surface, reasonably plan the sampling points to ensure that the sampling is representative, and maintain an appropriate distance between each sampling point to avoid mutual interference. At the same time, the sampling location should avoid overlapping with microbial sampling points to prevent cross-contamination between different testing items.

Properly handle the swab head: After wiping is completed, the swab head should be separated at the breakpoint in time and placed in a vial containing an acidic solution or other suitable extraction solvent. When breaking the swab head, attention should be paid to avoid debris generated during the breaking process from falling into the vial, affecting the test results. If the swab used has no breakpoint design, a sterile scissors should be used to cut off the swab head and ensure that the scissors have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Ensure the extraction effect: After placing the swab head in the vial, ultrasonic or centrifugal processing can be selected as needed to fully release the organic carbon into the solvent for subsequent analysis of the total organic carbon concentration. During the extraction operation, it is necessary to strictly follow the operating procedures to control parameters such as processing time, temperature, and rotational speed to ensure the consistency and reliability of the extraction effect.
Reasonably preserve the samples: If the samples cannot be tested in time, the vial containing the swab head and the extraction solvent should be sealed well and placed in a low-temperature, dark, and dry environment to prevent the samples from being affected by external factors and causing changes in the organic carbon content, affecting the accuracy of the test results.

Personnel requirements: The operator should be professionally trained, familiar with the use method and precautions of total organic carbon cleaning verification swabs, and strictly follow the operating procedures. During the operation, keep the hands clean, wear clean work clothes, gloves, masks, etc., to avoid contamination of the samples by substances carried by oneself.
Operating environment requirements: The operation of using total organic carbon cleaning verification swabs should be carried out in a clean, dry, and well-ventilated environment, preferably in a laboratory or production workshop that meets the corresponding cleanliness standards. Avoid operating in an environment with a large amount of organic volatiles, dust, or other pollutants to prevent external environmental interference with the samples and test results.