Cleansing Wipes and Cotton Swabs
The best medical wipes will depend largely on what they will be used for. There are wipes designed specifically for removing medical adhesive, cleaning and disinfecting wounds, wiping down patients who cannot bath on their own, and prepping the skin for the insertion of a needle. Some are used primarily in health care settings, but some can be used at home for the care of wounds or for daily cleaning. To determine the type of medical wipes you need, it is best to talk to your doctor. He or she will let you know which types are most suitable for your situation.One form of medical wipes are used to remove adhesive from the skin. Adhesive may be used to attach bandages and other treatment devices. When these devices are removed, they can leave a thick film behind. There are specialized wipes that can remove this film more easily than soap and water alone.
Other forms of medical wipes clean the skin before a medical procedure or in the treatment of minor wounds. There are various ingredients which may be used as disinfectant for these purposes, including ethanol alcohol, iodine, or hydrogen peroxide. Most times, it doesn't matter which of these ingredients is used for the cleansing of skin, although a doctor will usually be the one to administered a medical procedure requiring disinfectant. If you have a minor injury, you may consider using wipes that won't cause stinging or burning upon application, such as hydrogen peroxide as opposed to alcohol.
Cotton Swabs
A cotton swab is a small, thin shaft which terminates at one or both ends with a tightly wound cluster of soft cotton. Introduced commercially in the 1920s, the cotton swab is a common household item in many countries. Its household uses include applying cosmetics, cleaning, and making craft projects. Cotton swabs are also widely used in medical settings.
The design of a cotton swab is simple, comprising just a thin rod wrapped at one or both ends with a cluster of soft cotton. This rod may be made from wood, plastic, or paper which has been tightly rolled. Swabs intended for household use usually measure around 4 inches (10 cm) in length, while those intended for medical use generally measure around 8 inches (20 cm). Another key difference between household cotton swabs and medical swabs is that household swabs tend to be tipped with cotton at both ends, while medical swabs usually have just one cotton tip.
Perhaps the most common household use for the cotton swab is cleaning ear wax from the outer part of the ear canal. Many physicians discourage this practice, however. This is because inserting a swab into the ear can sometimes drive wax farther into the ear canal, and also because a swab inserted too far into the ear can puncture the ear drum, potentially causing hearing loss.
The traditional cotton swab has a single tip on a wooden handle, and these are still often used, especially in medical settings. They are usually relatively long, about six inches (15 cm). These often are packaged sterile, one or two to a paper or plastic sleeve. The most common use for cotton swabs is to clean or scratch the ear canal and/or to remove earwax, despite this not being a medically recommended method for removing earwax. Cotton swabs are also commonly used for applying and removing makeup, as well as for household uses such as cleaning and arts and crafts.
Cotton swabs have the qualities of a sponge, paintbrush, duster, bandage and wand. They are a prized household sundry item. Industrious swab aficionados everywhere have come up with many uses for cotton swabs. Despite cotton swabs' versatility, however, doctors agree that they are not for cleaning ear canals.
Uses for Cotton Swabs
Small Cleaning Jobs
Use cotton swabs to dust and clean obscure nooks like guitar frets or button recesses in delicate electronics like DVD players and PDAs. Swabs also come in handy for cleaning keyboards, monitor edges and other computer parts. Use them to sparingly apply detergents or bleach to stains or to touch up mildewed grout. Even jewelry can be made sparkling clean with the judicious use of cotton swabs.
Cosmetics and Costuming
Cotton swabs are suitably shaped to reach the detailed contours of the human face. Because of their shape, they are handy for all events, from weddings to Halloweens. Utilize cotton swabs as makeup and face-paint applicators. Use them to apply glue for costume beards and hair. Cotton swabs are also very effective for applying nail-polish remover. Spray a favorite perfume onto cotton swabs that you then tuck in a tiny zip-lock bag. This technique will preserve the perfume for hours. The swabs provide a discreet way to reapply perfume without carrying a large bottle around.
First Aid
Cotton swabs are helpful in cleaning pierced ears, scrapes and small cuts. They work particularly well for applying antiseptics or topical ointments before bandaging. The wand-like quality of cotton swabs serves them well here, eliminating potentially germy fingertips from minor first aid.
Arts and Crafts
Cotton swabs are popular in the arts and crafts community. They can be indispensable during any number of building or painting projects. Use them to apply or remove glue when building models. Skillfully frayed cotton swabs work very well for making scale-model trees. They also make good paintbrushes and are very useful for mixing paint and blending colors.
Other Practical Daily Uses
Cotton swabs make convenient bookmarks. When planting a garden, try a wet cotton swab for picking up individual seeds from the pack. Make use of the paintbrush quality of cotton swabs by utilizing them to touch up scratches on furniture, walls and cabinets. For children, a small handful of cotton swabs is great for playing Pick Up Sticks.
Alcohol Swab
An alcohol swab is a gauze pad that has been saturated with alcohol. It is an important part of any first aid kit, as it helps to clean and disinfect cuts and scrapes. These swabs are also used in doctor’s offices, at shot clinics and any other place where quick, easy cleaning of an area is needed. The alcohol helps to rid the skin and other surfaces of potential sources of infection.
High-quality swabs are available from many sources. These are the type used by nurses to clean an area right before giving an injection, or to clean a wound, clear out pus or for any similar procedure. The swabs come prepackaged in small, foil pouches, ensuring the alcohol doesn’t evaporate and the alcohol swab is ready for use when it is needed. The packaged is ripped open, the swab is removed and used, and then both the package and the alcohol swab are discarded. If the swab has any blood or other material on it, is must be handled as bio-hazardous waste.
Alcohol swabs are commonly found in first aid kits, especially commercially distributed kits. These swabs are usually made of thin cotton or other material rather than the larger gauze pad swabs used by the doctor. All types are intended for one-time use and should never be saved or reused. Even a sealed alcohol swab will dry out, and it is important to rotate them with fresh ones on a regular basis, at least once a year. If desired, the tiny alcohol swabs in the kit can be replaced with larger ones.
An alcohol swab can easily be made at home, if one is needed. The commercial gauze-based swabs exist for convenience and portability. Keeping a package of gauze squares and a bottle of alcohol on hand will work just as well, though this setup can be a bit messy when dealing with a squirming child or other reluctant patient.
Alcohol swab is very handy for cleaning wounds, injection sites and surfaces such as phones and keyboards, and should be used as necessary to help minimize the risk of infection.
Myotcstore Related Products:
Alcohol Prep Pads Medium Sterile - 200 ea, 3 packBetadine Disposable Solution Swabsticks - 200/Case
Boogie Wipes Gentle Saline Grape Scent Wipes for Stuffy Noses - 10 ea
Curity alcohol swabs curad, sterile - 200 ea
Dynarex lemon glycerin swabsticks - 3/Pack, 25 ea
Organic Essentials Biodegradable Pure Cotton Swabs - 180 ea