The Technical Vault
By SOSCleanroom
Open-cell 100 PPI foam
Thermally bonded (no adhesive)
Micro geometry control
TX757B Micro CleanFoam® Swab: open-cell solvent control for thin grooves, slots, and recessed wipe points
When a wipe bridges over the feature, a micro swab becomes the process tool.
TX757B micro open-cell foam head with compact handle for tight-feature access.
Practical solutions in a critical environment
Most “cleaning failures” are really geometry failures: a groove that holds a film line, a slot that traps particulate at the edge, or a recess that floods when an operator
over-wets to make a tool reach. In those moments, your process outcome depends on two things you can control: the contact patch and the wetness profile.
TX757B is designed for that reality. It uses an open-cell, 100 PPI polyurethane foam head (CleanFoam® Series B) that readily absorbs compatible solvents and solutions,
paired with a flexible head paddle and compact polypropylene handle so operators can keep the swab face engaged in thin, grooved areas without turning the handle into a lever.
Low-linting note: swabs are selected for controlled low-linting performance, but nothing is truly lint-free in every process condition. Surface finish, pressure, wetness,
and stroke discipline determine what releases and what stays captured.
What is this swab used for
TX757B is a non-sterile micro cleanroom swab used for precision cleaning and controlled fluid handling in small features where wipes cannot maintain stable contact.
The open-cell foam matrix supports solvent delivery and particulate pickup when technique is controlled.
- Cleaning thin grooves, slots, corners, and recessed wipe points in parts and assemblies.
- Applying and removing compatible solvents and solutions (commonly IPA), especially where wetness must be controlled.
- Scrubbing recessed areas and cleaning intersecting surfaces and joints.
- Removing excess materials and debris; picking up fine powders (process-dependent).
- Use scenarios where tooling or fixtures may be warm (manufacturer guidance: appropriate for use with temperatures less than 350°F; validate your process conditions).
Why should customers consider this swab
- Adhesive-free bond control: Thermal bond construction eliminates adhesive as a contamination variable at the head/handle interface.
- Open-cell foam behavior you can use: 100 PPI open-cell foam readily absorbs compatible solvents/solutions and helps capture particulates when you control wetness and change-out cadence.
- Micro-feature access without “handle leverage”: Compact overall length supports stable approach angles in tight stations and fixtures.
- Packaging discipline: Silicone-free and amide-free bagging helps remove common trace-contamination variables in sensitive processes.
- Traceability posture: Lot coding supports investigations, standardized work instructions, and incoming controls.
- Practical authenticity cues: Manufacturer notes trademarked light-green handles with “TEXWIPE” embossed on the handle as a line-side identification aid.
Materials and construction
TX757B is constructed from cleanroom-processed CleanFoam® open-cell polyurethane foam (100 PPI) and a polypropylene handle.
The head is thermally bonded to the handle (no adhesive), a design choice intended to reduce extractables and residue risk at the bond line during solvent-wet work.
What “open-cell” means in real use
Open-cell foam acts like a capillary network: it wicks solvent into pores, spreads wetness across the face, and can retain fine debris inside the matrix long enough to remove it
from a groove or recess. That is useful for thin features, but it also makes wetness control non-negotiable. Flooding a feature is usually an operator-variable, not a swab-variable.
Specifications in context
Micro swabs succeed when the head width fits the feature and the operator can keep the face flat without rolling onto an edge. For TX757B, the 3.2 mm head width and 10.0 mm head length
are tuned for narrow tracks and short recesses where you want deliberate, single-direction passes and predictable overlap.
| Attribute |
TX757B |
| Swab family |
CleanFoam® Series B (Open Cell), non-sterile dry swab |
| Head material |
100 PPI CleanFoam® open-cell polyurethane foam |
| Head width |
3.2 mm (0.126") |
| Head thickness |
2.6 mm (0.102") |
| Head length |
10.0 mm (0.394") |
| Handle material |
Polypropylene |
| Handle width / thickness |
2.2 mm (0.087") / 2.2 mm (0.087") |
| Handle length |
59.7 mm (2.350") |
| Total swab length |
69.7 mm (2.744") |
| Head bond |
Thermal (no adhesive) |
| Handle color |
Light green |
| Temperature guidance |
Appropriate for use with temperatures less than 350°F (validate your process) |
Cleanliness metrics
The values below are typical analyses (not specification limits). Use them to set realistic background expectations during method development,
incoming controls planning, and investigation triage. Your acceptance criteria should be tied to your validated method, surfaces, solvents, and risk profile.
Typical ion extractables (µg/swab)
| Ion |
TX757B (typical) |
| Calcium | 0.01 |
| Chloride | 0.05 |
| Fluoride | 0.01 |
| Magnesium | 0.01 |
| Nitrate | 0.01 |
| Phosphate | 0.01 |
| Potassium | 0.01 |
| Sodium | 0.06 |
| Sulfate | 0.03 |
Typical NVR (mg/swab)
| Extractant |
TX757B (typical) |
| DI water (DIW) | 0.03 |
| IPA | 0.01 |
Manufacturer notes these are typical values (test method referenced as TM2: Laboratory Testing for Swabs; method available upon request).
Packaging, sterility and traceability
| Packaging (bag) |
500 swabs/bag (5 inner bags of 100 swabs) |
| Packaging (case) |
5 bags/case (2,500 swabs total/case) |
| Packaging controls |
Silicone-free and amide-free bags |
| Sterility |
Non-sterile (sterile swabs available upon request; do not treat “sterile” as a substitute for residue control) |
| Traceability |
Lot coded for traceability and quality control |
| Autoclave posture |
Autoclavable in dry heat and steam (validate cycle parameters and post-cycle cleanliness requirements) |
| Country of origin (manufacturer statement) |
Not stated in the manufacturer product page or CleanFoam® Series B technical data sheet reviewed. If COO is a program requirement, confirm with Texwipe documentation (CoC/CoA) for the specific lot. |
Certification note: Texwipe lists TX757B as NSF Certified to be acceptable for use as a Cleaning Swab (P1) in and around food processing areas when used so that it does not have direct contact
with food or potable water and use is consistent with manufacturer directions.
Best-practice use
Treat a micro foam swab as a controlled transfer tool. Your target outcome is “lift and remove” — not “spread and polish.” Open-cell foam can carry more solvent than operators expect,
so define a repeatable wetness standard and a clear discard trigger.
Operator-level swabbing technique module
- Set “damp” as the default: A wet sheen is fine; free liquid is not. If solvent beads at an edge, you are likely to flood a groove and create tide marks after evaporation.
- Use one-way solvent handling: Dispense solvent to the swab (or a dedicated dispense surface). Avoid re-dipping a used swab into a shared container.
- Single-direction pulls in grooves: Pull contamination out and away. Overlap passes by ~25%–50% rather than scrubbing in place.
- Rotate early, discard early: Open-cell foam holds soil in pores; once loaded, it can redeposit. Rotate to a fresh face frequently and discard when the face looks glossy/loaded or starts to drag.
- Control pressure: Use only enough pressure to maintain contact. Excess pressure collapses pores, increases friction, and turns light films into streak lines.
- Watch edges and burrs: Sharp features raise snag/release risk for any low-linting tool. Reduce pressure and address upstream finish when possible.
- Stage cleanly: Open one inner bag at a time, stage only what you will use, and reseal promptly to protect baseline cleanliness.
Common failure modes
- Flood-and-dry rings: Over-wetting pushes solvent/soil into seams or corners, then dries as a ring or film line. Fix: damp technique, controlled passes, and earlier change-out.
- Redeposition from a loaded face: The foam looks “fine,” but pores are full. Fix: rotate faces sooner and discard at the first drag/streak cue.
- Geometry mismatch: A head that is too wide will ride edges and skip the bottom of the groove. Fix: match head width/thickness to feature clearance and define a verification step.
- Too much pressure: Collapses the foam structure and smears light soils. Fix: lower pressure and increase passes only if method calls for it.
- Poor staging discipline: Open bags, bench contact, and glove strikes become the contamination source. Fix: inner-bag staging and reseal habits.
Closest competitors
For a micro open-cell foam swab, the true “competitor” is any alternative that changes contact mechanics, solvent hold-up, and residue background.
When comparing, prioritize (1) bond method (adhesive vs. thermal), (2) published contamination background, (3) packaging controls, and (4) head geometry.
- Contec CONSTIX® critical-environment swabs (foam options): Often used in similar precision workflows; compare foam structure, residue background, and packaging controls.
- Berkshire Lab-Tips® foam swabs (open-cell examples): Useful for mechanism comparison; confirm bond approach and published cleanliness baseline for your acceptance limits.
- Other cleanroom-grade open-cell foam micro swabs from major manufacturers: Match dimensions and validate typical ions/NVR and packaging discipline before substituting into a qualified process.
Critical environment fit for this swab
TX757B is a strong fit when you need micro-feature access with controlled solvent delivery and a predictable baseline cleanliness profile.
The CleanFoam® Series B construction (100 PPI open-cell foam, thermal bond) is positioned for low typical ionic extractables and low typical NVR, which helps teams
set method expectations when residue lines, analytical interference, or yield drift are a concern.
Why SOSCleanroom emphasizes continuity of supply for qualified swabs
- Once a swab is qualified, substitutions can quietly change solvent hold-up, contact patch behavior, and residue outcomes in tight features.
- SOSCleanroom supports ITW Texwipe programs by keeping best-in-class swabs available with responsive support and practical packaging options for line-side staging.
- Texwipe’s published typical contamination data and lot coding align with documentation-driven controlled-environment workflows where repeatability matters.
SOSCleanroom note about SOP's
The Technical Vault is written to help customers make informed contamination-control decisions and improve day-to-day handling technique.
It is not your facility’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), batch record, or validation protocol.
Customers are responsible for establishing, training, and enforcing SOPs that fit their specific risks, products, equipment, cleanroom classification, and regulatory obligations.
Always confirm material compatibility, cleanliness suitability, sterility requirements, and acceptance criteria using your internal quality system and documented methods.
If you adapt any technique guidance from this entry, treat it as a starting template. Your team should review and approve the final method, then qualify it for your specific surfaces,
solvents, cleanliness limits, inspection methods, and risk profile. In short: use these best-practice suggestions to strengthen your SOPs—not to replace them.
Source basis
- SOSCleanroom product page (TX757B): https://www.soscleanroom.com/product/swabs/texwipe-tx757b-micro-cleanfoam-swab-open-cell/
- Manufacturer product page (Texwipe TX757B): https://www.texwipe.com/micro-cleanfoam-tx757b
- Manufacturer technical data sheet (SOS-hosted PDF copy; CleanFoam® Series B including TX757B): https://www.soscleanroom.com/content/texwipe_pdf/740b%20741b%20742b%20751b%20752b%20757b.pdf
- Manufacturer technical data sheet (Texwipe PDF; CleanFoam® Swabs TDS, US-TDS-051 Rev.09/21): https://www.texwipe.com/images/uploaded/documents/Swabs/Texwipe-Cleanfoam-Swabs-TDS.pdf
- ISO (cleanroom classification context): https://www.iso.org/standard/53394.html
- FDA (regulated manufacturing context): https://www.fda.gov/
- ASTM (test method and materials standards context): https://www.astm.org/
- IEST (contamination control recommended practices context): https://www.iest.org/
SOSCleanroom is the source for this Technical Vault entry.
Briefed and approved by the SOSCleanroom (SOS) staff.
If you have any questions please email us at Sales@SOSsupply.com
Last reviewed: Jan. 6, 2026
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