In controlled environments, a “simple” cotton swab often becomes a controlled device: it delivers solvent, collects evidence, and influences what your test method sees. When sterility, traceability, and handling discipline matter (micro labs, environmental monitoring, aseptic workflows, and regulated quality systems), the packaging and paperwork can be as important as the tip material.

Texwipe STX705W is built for that reality. It is supplied sterile at point of use (gamma irradiated to a published Sterility Assurance Level), individually packaged for controlled introduction, and configured to support lot-level traceability and expiration control. The long wood handle is a practical reach tool for ports, recessed features, corners, and sampling locations where gloved fingers or short shafts compromise control.

Low-linting outcomes depend on technique and surface condition. No swab is truly lint-free; edge sharpness, surface roughness, solvent load, contact pressure, and stroke discipline govern what you see on the part or what you recover in a sample.

STX705W is used for sterile sampling and general-purpose controlled cleaning where absorbency and reach matter. The spun cotton head is suited to pickup and retention of powders, residues, and particulates, while the long wood shaft helps access recessed areas without compromising hand position or glove control.

Typical applications include environmental sampling, surface sampling, and cleaning with solvents such as IPA or acetone (validate compatibility with your surface, coatings, inks, and assembly materials). In microbiological and diagnostic settings, align swab selection and wetting/media steps to the lab method and the program’s sampling SOP so the consumable does not become the uncontrolled variable.

• Sterile at point of use: individually packaged peel-apart sleeves reduce handling risk during introduction into sterile or controlled areas.
• Gamma irradiation sterility posture: positioned as SAL 10^-6 with validation aligned to recognized radiation sterilization frameworks (commonly referenced under ISO 11137-family practices).
• Traceability and inventory discipline: lot code and expiration dating support investigations, trending, and audit narratives when results are questioned.
• Absorbent cotton pickup: a compressible fiber matrix can retain soils and powders that may not respond as well to slick foam surfaces.
• Published contamination characteristics: typical ion extractables and NVR baselines help risk-assess residue-sensitive work and plan qualification.
• Long wood handle reach: practical access to ports and recessed features while maintaining stable hand position and controlled contact.
• SOSCleanroom supply continuity: consistent sourcing supports correct product identification, correct packaging configuration, and fewer disruptive substitutions that change sampling or cleaning behavior.

Head: 100% USP-grade spun cotton

Head bond: water-based adhesive (adhesive bond line at head/shaft interface)

Handle: wood (hardwood); long-shaft format; handle color: brown

Practical implication: cotton is a fibrous, highly absorbent substrate. It can be excellent for pickup and retention, but it can also release fibers when snagged on burrs, dragged across sharp edges, or overworked with scrubbing motion. Treat sharp corners and rough surfaces as process risks; reduce pressure near edges, avoid circular agitation, and rotate/discard early to keep the swab from becoming a redeposition tool.

STX705W is a long-handle sterile cotton format (total length about 6 inches) with a small cotton head. The head diameter sets the practical contact patch and sampling footprint. Use that to standardize where and how you swab: define stroke length, overlap, and a discard rule so operators don’t “chase” a faint line by reworking it with a loaded swab. The long handle is most valuable when it prevents wrist twist and edge-digging in recessed areas.

Attribute	STX705W
Head material	spun cotton (USP-grade cotton)
Head width	7.0 mm (0.276")
Head thickness	7.0 mm (0.276")
Head length	17.0 mm (0.669")
Handle material	wood
Handle width	2.5 mm (0.098")
Handle thickness	2.5 mm (0.098")
Handle length	135.0 mm (5.315")
Total swab length	152.0 mm (5.984")
Head bond	adhesive (water-based adhesive)
Handle color	brown
Design notes	100% cotton head; long wooden handle

The values below represent published typical analyses and are not per-unit specifications. Use them as a baseline for risk assessment, method development, and troubleshooting. If your program is residue-sensitive (films, haze, streaking), qualify the swab with your solvent, your surfaces, your stroke count, and your inspection or analytical method so the consumable does not become the dominant background signal.

Ion	STX705W
Calcium	2.85
Chloride	0.31
Fluoride	0.22
Magnesium	0.06
Nitrate	0.89
Phosphate	0.67
Potassium	20.11
Sodium	18.26
Sulfate	1.04

Extractant	STX705W
DIW extractant	0.251
IPA extractant	0.781

Operator takeaway: cotton’s absorbency can hide a wetness problem. Keep the swab damp (not dripping) for cleaning steps, rotate early, and stop when drag increases. For residue-sensitive final passes, consider switching to a low-extractables synthetic swab family after cotton has completed gross pickup.

• Packaging (STX705W): 1 swab/sleeve; 50 sleeves/inner bag; triple bagged; 10 bags/case (500 swabs/case)
• Point-of-use sterility: individually packaged peel-apart sleeves help maintain sterile barrier until use
• Staged introduction: triple-bagging supports clean transfer into controlled areas; manufacturer describes an additional case liner layer as a fourth barrier
• Sterility assurance: gamma irradiated, positioned as SAL 10^-6 (validated under AAMI-aligned guidance; commonly associated with ISO 11137-family methods)
• Traceability cues: lot code and expiration date marked for inventory control; program expectation is that Certificates of Irradiation/Compliance match the lot used
• Country-of-origin (manufacturer statement): Sterile – Made in the Philippines, gamma irradiated in the USA

Treat STX705W as a controlled sampling and cleaning tool, not a “scrub stick.” Define the method (area, stroke count, wetting approach, discard rules) so the swab supports repeatable recovery and repeatable cleaning results.

• Sampling first: Follow the sampling SOP (dry vs. pre-wetted, contact time, pattern). For microbiological sampling, let the test method drive consumable handling so recovery is defensible.
• “Damp” solvent technique (cleaning tasks): If using IPA/solvent, keep the cotton damp, not dripping. Over-wetting increases pooling, drying rings, and residue redeposition.
• Single-direction discipline: Use single-direction strokes when cleaning. Avoid circular scrubbing that smears mobilized films and increases fiber release risk.
• Rotation and discard: Rotate early and discard when drag increases or the tip shows visible loading. A loaded cotton tip can become a redeposition source.
• Recessed geometry control: Keep the shaft aligned so the cotton head contacts with the broad face, not the edge. Reduce twist at the wrist to prevent “edge digging” and snagging.
• Do not re-dip: For solvent work, do not re-dip a used swab into a shared reservoir. Decant to a small working vessel and replace it frequently.

• Over-wetting cotton and flooding the surface, leading to pooling, streaking, and visible drying rings.
• Scrubbing motion that smears mobilized soils instead of lifting and capturing them.
• Dragging the tip across burrs or sharp edges, causing local fiber release and contamination.
• Reworking the same area with a loaded tip, causing redeposition and inconsistent results.
• Sampling method drift (area, pattern, wetting) that changes recovery and undermines trending.

The closest alternatives are sterile cotton-tipped swabs intended for controlled sampling and general cleaning. When comparing options, focus on sterility posture (SAL claim and validation approach), packaging layers for controlled introduction, lot/expiration traceability, and whether the supplier publishes typical contamination characteristics (ions/NVR) that help you qualify the swab for residue-sensitive work.

• Puritan sterile cotton-tipped applicator class (wood-handle sterile formats): Often used in medical and laboratory sampling. Confirm packaging layers and whether documentation and extractables data support controlled-environment qualification.
• Copan or similar sterile collection swab systems (dry swab families): Strong in sampling workflows. Compare barrier packaging, labeling/traceability, and how the swab material impacts recovery and background signal in your method.
• General sterile cotton swabs from medical supply channels: May be available, but frequently lack the cleanroom-focused packaging discipline, published contamination baselines, and documentation depth expected in regulated or ISO-aligned controlled environments.

STX705W fits sterile sampling and controlled wipeups where reach and absorbency matter, and where point-of-use sterility and traceable packaging reduce the risk of non-defensible results. It is a practical choice for environmental monitoring, microbiological laboratory workflows, and general cleaning tasks in controlled spaces where the swab must enter the area as a controlled item.

SOSCleanroom’s relationship with ITW Texwipe supports continuity of supply and documentation discipline, which reduces the risk of unplanned substitutions that change sampling recovery, wetting behavior, or background extractables. That matters in ISO-aligned cleanroom programs and in regulated environments where documentation expectations often track FDA quality systems and standards-driven methods associated with ASTM and IEST.

Operational support matters, too. Fast shipping and responsive customer service help keep validated work instructions intact by preventing “make-do” material swaps when production schedules tighten.