| abstract |
A novel reusable swab having a gelatinous elastomer swab head attached to one or both ends of a handle is disclosed. The gelatinous elastomer swab head exhibits a combination of properties including unexpectedly high elongation and tensile strength and excellent shape retention after extreme deformation under high-velocity impact and stress conditions. The gelatinous elastomer swabs of this invention are soft, flexible, and have elastic memory, characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram to about 800 gram Bloom. These and other properties are particularly essential for cleaning various surfaces, deeply recessed areas small crevices, curved surfaces, various hard-to-clean corners of a car interior, other nooks and crannies, and the like. |