A new non-woven theatre swab was compared with traditional gauze in laboratory and clinical studies. Results of both clinical and laboratory-based studies showed the non-woven swab to be as effective as traditional gauze in terms of softness, conformability, ability to pad or pack, resistance to snagging and shredding, and ease of counting when wet. The non-woven swabs were also superior to gauze with regard to their ability to retain fluid. Manufactured from polyester and hemisynthetic viscose, the non-woven swabs can be produced to a uniform standard and are less expensive. It is concluded that the new non-woven material has practical and economic advantages over traditional gauze.