Small-area cleaning problems rarely come from “hard-to-reach” geometry alone. They come from residue behavior: flux that strings and redeposits, grease that smears into a film, and ink/paint that bridges corners and leaves a visible boundary after solvent flashes off. When technicians respond by scrubbing, over-wetting, or reworking a pocket with a loaded swab face, the process becomes operator-dependent and rework becomes the norm.

TX803 is built for that messy middle ground in less critical steps: a compact polyurethane foam head that can carry solvent into a recess, maintain contact, and lift viscous soils without immediately collapsing. Its thermal-bond construction eliminates adhesive at the head/handle interface, reducing a common “invisible variable” when solvent-wet work is streaking or leaving a smear-prone transfer.

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

Texwipe TX803 is used for general-purpose cleaning in less critical areas where you still want controlled dimensions, lot traceability, and predictable foam behavior. It is commonly used to remove and apply solders and fluxes, apply and remove lubricants and adhesives, clean confined spaces containing thick solutions (paints/inks), and pick up powders and dust.

Practical positioning: TX803 is most useful when the work feature is too tight for a larger swab to stay flat and honest, but you still need a “solvent carrier + pickup” tool (not a pick, not a brush) that supports defined, repeatable technique.

• Compact foam head supports controlled solvent delivery and pickup for viscous residues (flux/grease/ink) in tight access work.
• Thermal bond construction eliminates adhesive at the bond line, reducing an avoidable residue variable in solvent-wet cleaning.
• Orange handle is a practical segregation cue to keep less critical swabs out of final-clean steps and validated work instructions.
• Published typical ions and NVR support qualification thinking and realistic background expectations.
• Reclosable, silicone-free bag packaging supports handling discipline when reseal and open-time limits are enforced.
• Lot coded packaging supports traceability during investigations and controlled substitution decisions.

Head: 100% polyurethane foam

Head bond: thermal bond (no adhesive at the bond)

Handle: polypropylene; orange for easy identification in less critical areas

Practical implication: foam can be an excellent “solvent carrier” in recesses, but it is still a surface that can be abraded. Treat burrs and sharp edges as a process risk; reduce pressure near edges, avoid dragging across sharp corners, and do not “power through” snag points that can create local fragments or particle release.

TX803 is intentionally compact. Use the small head to control wetness and contact in pockets and corners, but avoid forcing the foam into features that are narrower than the head width. When the geometry is tighter than the swab, pressure concentrates at edges and the process drifts into smearing and abrasion. Standardize stroke count and overlap so “quick touch-up” does not become uncontrolled scrubbing.

Attribute	TX803
Head material	foam (polyurethane)
Head width	3.6 mm (0.142")
Head thickness	3.5 mm (0.138")
Head length	12.0 mm (0.472")
Handle material	polypropylene
Handle width	3.0 mm (0.118")
Handle thickness	3.0 mm (0.118")
Handle length	59.0 mm (2.323")
Total swab length	71.0 mm (2.795")
Head bond	thermal
Handle color	orange
Design notes	rigid head, compact

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 step is film-sensitive or you trend residues analytically (TOC, HPLC/UV-Vis, ion chromatography), qualify the swab using your solvent, your surfaces, your stroke count, and your inspection method so the swab does not become the dominant background signal.

Ion	TX803
Chloride	0.06
Potassium	0.25
Sodium	0.30

Extractant	TX803
DIW extractant	0.15
IPA extractant	0.25

Operator takeaway: most “mystery residue” events in foam-swab work are technique drift — over-wetting, reworking with a loaded face, and finishing a corner with a scrub. Keep the head damp, rotate early, and switch swabs for the final pass.

• Packaging (TX803): 500 swabs/reclosable bag; 3 bags/case; 1,500 swabs/case
• Bag packaging controls: reclosable, silicone-free bag packaging
• Sterility: non-sterile (if sterility/SAL documentation is required, select a sterile swab family; do not assume a one-for-one substitute)
• Shelf life (series statement): non-sterile 5 years from date of manufacture
• Storage conditions: store at ambient conditions (59°F / 15°C to 86°F / 30°C)
• Traceability cues: lot coded packaging supports investigations; manufacturer notes “TEXWIPE” is embossed on the swab handle as an identity cue
• Country-of-origin (manufacturer statement): Made in The Philippines

General-purpose does not mean casual technique. TX803 performs best when the operator controls wetness, stroke direction, and discard timing. Define what “done” looks like (visual criteria, inspection angle/lighting, acceptable residue boundary) so the work does not drift into repeated touch-up.

• Wetness control (“damp” default): Wet the foam, then reduce to damp — not dripping. In corners, over-wetting floods the feature, spreads dissolved soils, and leaves drying marks.
• One-direction strokes: Use short, controlled pulls that bring contamination out of the recess. Avoid circular scrubbing unless the procedure explicitly requires it.
• Rotation and discard logic: Treat each contact face as short-use. Rotate early. Discard when drag increases, the face shows visible loading, or smear/streak begins.
• Two-pass logic for viscous residues: First pass removes bulk. Second pass uses a fresh swab with tighter damp control to reduce boundary films and redeposition.
• No re-dip discipline: Do not re-dip a used swab into a shared solvent reservoir. Decant into a small working vessel and replace it frequently.
• Segregation discipline: Use the orange handle as a line-level control: restrict TX803 to less critical steps to prevent accidental migration into final-clean or validation-sensitive work.

• Over-wetting and flooding a recess, leading to pooling, drying marks, and redeposition.
• Reworking the same area with a loaded face, causing streaks and smear transfer.
• Abrading the foam on burrs/sharp edges, creating fragments or increasing particle load.
• Using TX803 in a process window that actually requires a higher-cleanliness swab family and tighter extractables control.
• Cross-contaminating solvent by re-dipping or letting dispenser tips contact used swabs.

The closest alternatives are small-format foam swabs intended for tight-space cleaning. Selection usually hinges on foam construction (absorb/release behavior), bond method (thermal vs. adhesive), availability of published contamination data, and packaging/traceability controls that support consistent issuance.

• Contec CONSTIX® small foam swab classes: Often positioned for controlled solvent delivery and particle entrapment. Compare geometry fit, edge behavior near burrs, and documentation depth for your program.
• Berkshire foam swab families (small tips): Commonly evaluated for confined-space work. Compare bond approach, wetting behavior, and whether published typical cleanliness data is sufficient for your qualification expectations.
• Puritan foam swab formats (small general-purpose tips): May be available in similar size classes. Confirm bonding, lot coding, and whether supplier documentation supports controlled substitution decisions.

TX803 fits best in less critical steps where the cleaning risk is “tight-space residue behavior” (smear, film, redeposition) rather than ultra-low background requirements. It is particularly effective for tacky or viscous soils where a compact foam interface helps maintain wet contact and controlled pickup.

SOSCleanroom’s relationship with ITW Texwipe supports continuity of supply and documentation discipline, reducing the risk of unplanned substitutions that quietly change wetting behavior and residue outcomes. That matters in ISO-aligned 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 work instructions intact by preventing “make-do” material swaps when production schedules tighten.