Make Those Germs Squirm - Kill 'Em All With CVS's Alcohol Prep Swabs!
Written: Jun 19 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Premoistened and sterile prep pads with 70% IPA solution.
Cons: Packaging can get destroyed if not stored properly.
The Bottom Line: A must have for any first aid kit, diabetic or germaphobe; CVS’s IPA Prep Pads cost less than others and do the same exact thing.
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| Freak369's Full Review: CVS Alcohol Prep Swabs |
Before I met Chris and was introduced to the wonder world of “left over medical supplies” when I’d wash his scrubs, I purchased most of my medical supplies online. Most of the local drug stores were charging and arm and a leg for things and there are some items that I’d rather purchase with a little anonymity. The final straw was when I needed to purchase syringes to give injections to one of my beloved guinea pigs and got into an argument with a pharmacist about purchasing them; he insisted that I needed a prescription for them and I called him an incompetent moron – let’s just suffice it to say that you do not need a prescription to purchase syringes however some places can refuse to sell them to you if you aren’t purchasing other supplies from them. This is mainly to cut down on drug users and abusers from obtaining them but I hardly look like a drug users and needed to buy the smallest syringes possible. After that incident I pretty much gave up on the retail drug stores and ordered everything online. The downfall of all this is that something you need to buy a certain dollar amount to qualify for free shipping in order to make it cost effective and worth your while – and that’s how I came across the CVS brand alcohol prep pads.
CVS Brand 70% Alcohol Prep Swabs
They call it a swab, I call it a pad – it’s the same thing so when I refer to these as pads, rest assured it’s the same thing, just a different term. The word ‘swab’ may be a little misleading to some people since a swab is something that is usually a larger Q-Tip styled applicator so for all intents and purposes, it’s a pad. One of the most redeeming qualities of this product is that it is portable – you can easily tuck a few of these into a first aid kit, purse, knapsack or even your pocket. They are guaranteed sterile until the packaging is compromised [ripped, torn, bent etc] and are extremely cost effective when compared to purchasing a bottle, gauze pads and cotton balls. These have a retail price of $1.69 for a box of 100 so you do the math on it – 1.6 cents per pad – something that you simply can’t complain about. The pads are made up one sheets that’s folded over so if need be you can open it up for a little more coverage and they are saturated enough that you will be able to swab down a relatively large area without the solution evaporating.
For me these are a lot easier to use when giving injections to pets, which is what I use them for most of the time. Ever try to hold on to a squirming animal and deal with a bottle of alcohol? Not fun, not in the least. It eliminates the need for cotton balls and gauze pads – something that the pets always saw as a toy and would end up playing with, again, not cool. I use these on my face [please, no screaming at me about that] to clean around my nose when I start to break out. I know there are specialty products made for such purposes but I’m a sort of minimalist kinda chick – if I can find something that can replace twenty other products, I go with it. They are one of the only products that keep blackheads and pimples under control and help to remove makeup and oil during the summer months. Sure I could use another brand but these are the cheapest I’ve found so far so until someone else starts selling them cheaper … these are the ones for me!
Alternative uses
These are great to have on hand to swab off phone receivers when using public phones. After I saw someone cough all over the receiver one afternoon, I swore I’d never leave the house without a few of these on me. There are specially made phone wipes but guess what, they are the same things as this [70% IPA] in the same type of package – at three times the price. You can also use these to remove tape residue on certain surfaces however you should avoid using this on certain plastics since it could haze or mar the surface. These are a real life saver after the holidays when removing tape from windows and mirrors, you can spend the better part of ten minutes trying to pick and peel off the tape or use a few of these to get the gummy residue off and be done with it!
One of the strangest uses – removing eyeliner from windows and mirrors; you might not think that this is something that would happen a lot but let’s face it, I’m not exactly a normal person. My bathroom is my only real “escape area” – the one place where I can close the door and be assured that no one dare interrupt me unless it is a life or death situation – so that means most of the time, that’s where I make those oh-so-sensitive phone calls. This means that when I need to write something down I usually can’t find a pen or paper so I jot things down on the mirror with one of the eyeliner sticks I no longer use. It will also remove lipstick, marker, crayon and pastels from most surfaces however you should test it out on a small section before you go full steam ahead to make sure that there won’t be any damage to the surface.
Things To Know
Since the pad is soaked with a 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol, there is an associated risk of flammability. This is a small risk but one that you should be made aware of before using. This also means that you will have some left over alcohol on your hands after using, something that could dry out your hands if you use them often. If this is the case, pick up some inexpensive latex or rubber gloves to wear when using these. These aren’t exactly something that kids should be playing with so make sure you really embed it in their heads that it’s not something to fool around with. However, and isn’t there always a “however” in my reviews, these are great for kids that have to give themselves injections. Completely portable and completely discrete – something that most kids strive for when they need to give themselves injections. Outside of that, disposing of the pad and package are you only other concerns.
The Bottom Line
These easy to open individual packets are a must have for anyone that travels, is going camping or wants to protect themselves from coming in contact with germs. For the price they are well worth the peace of mind that you get knowing that you took an extra precaution to protect yourself and your family from cross contamination – especially when someone comes down with a cold or the flu. Don’t fall victim to overpriced “sanitizing wipes” or specifically marketed swabs that are targeted towards those who are germophobic – if the active ingredient in the swab or pad is isopropyl alcohol of at least 70% then this products is a suitable replacement.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004 Freak369
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My Friend And Yours, Hydrogen Peroxide
Thanks to bops_mom for adding this to the database!
Recommended:
Yes
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