Use the SwabCheck sterile cellulose swabs to quickly and easily check for the presence of bacteria on a surface. Simply wipe a surface with a swab, insert the swab into a tube containing a special medium with an indicator dye for a specific microorganism, then incubate. The super-sensitive SwabCheck medium changes color even when only a single bacterium is present. The quicker the color change happens, the higher the number of bacteria that are present. No color change after the maximum incubation period indicates the absence of the corresponding microorganism.

The coliform SwabCheck swabs provide a simple method for detecting coliforms and E. coli in the environment. Presence of these organisms indicate poor hygiene in the production process or pollution of water at source. The medium changes color from purple to yellow when coliform is present; faster color change indicates higher level of coliform. Store swabs and gel media in temperatures between 5 and 25°C (41 and 77°F).