First Aid & Emergencies

Skin wounds need to be thoroughly cleaned as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection and scarring and to promote healing.

If the wound is large, deep, too painful to clean, or has dirt, debris, or a foreign object in it that you cannot remove, see a doctor.

Stop the bleeding

Before you clean the wound, try to the stop the bleeding.

• Put on medical gloves, if available, before applying direct pressure to the wound. If gloves are not available, use many layers of clean cloth, plastic bags, or the cleanest material available between your hands and the wound.
• Hold direct pressure on the wound, if possible, and elevate the injured area.
• Use your bare hands to apply direct pressure only as a last resort.
• Remove or cut clothing from around the wound. Remove any jewelry from the general area of the wound so if the area swells, the jewelry will not affect blood flow.
• Apply steady direct pressure for a full 15 minutes. Use a clock-15 minutes can seem like a long time. Resist the urge to peek after a few minutes to see whether bleeding has stopped. If blood soaks through the cloth, apply another one without lifting the first. If there is an object in the wound, apply pressure around the object, not directly over it.
• If moderate to severe bleeding has not slowed or stopped, continue direct pressure while getting help. Do not use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Do all you can to keep the wound clean and avoid further injury to the area.
• Mild bleeding usually stops on its own or slows to an ooze or trickle after 15 minutes of pressure. It may ooze or trickle for up to 45 minutes.

Clean the wound

If you are not going to see your doctor immediately, rinse the wound for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

Minor wounds

• Wash your hands well with soap and water, if available.
• Put on medical gloves before cleaning the wound, if available.
• Remove large pieces of dirt or other debris from the wound with cleaned tweezers. Do not push the tweezers deeply into the wound.
• Wash the wound under running tap water (the more the better) to remove all the dirt, debris, and bacteria from the wound. Lukewarm water and mild soap, such as Ivory dishwashing soap, are the best. (Note: If you are cleaning a wound near the eye, do not get soap in the eye.)
  • Scrub gently with a washcloth. (Moderate scrubbing may be needed if the wound is very dirty.) Hard scrubbing may actually cause more damage to the tissue and increase the chance of infection. Scrubbing the wound will probably hurt and may increase bleeding, but it is necessary to clean the wound thoroughly.
  • If you have a water sprayer in your kitchen sink, try using the sprayer to wash the wound. This usually removes most of the dirt and other objects from the wound. Avoid getting any spray from the wound into your eyes.
  • Large minor dirty wounds may be easier to clean in the shower.
  • If some dirt or other debris remains in the wound, repeat the cleaning.