An "alcohol swab" is a small piece of fabric or cotton soaked in alcohol. It is used to clean and disinfect the skin before receiving a shot or having a small medical procedure. Full definition
When I was a new mom we were told at great length how to swab the area 6x a day with alcohol swabs to keep it clean and dry it out. (mymommymanual.com)
If pale color of skin surrounding lesion bothers you, u can always clean it with soap water or just by using a rubbing alcohol swab. (nutritionfacts.org)
Thorough skin preparation for all electrodes included shaving hair off the desired area, removal of dead epithelial cells from the desired area with abrasive sand paper, followed by cleansing with an isopropyl alcohol swab. (journals.lww.com)