06/06/2025
Cleaning a wound is the first important step in preventing infection and promoting healing. There are a few simple steps to effectively clean a wound.
Before you clean the wound, you’ll need to assess the wound and collect your supplies. If you don’t have a stocked first aid kit, here are the supplies you will need:
- clean gauze, paper towels, or cloth
- soap and water (tap or bottled)
- sterile wound cleaning solution
- sterile bandages (or clean gauze and tape)
- sterilized tweezers (depending on the injury)
Before you can clean a wound, you’ll need to check it, assess its severity, and determine what you’ll need to do to clean it. When you assess a wound, here are the main things you’ll need to check:
- Where is the wound? If it is on the face or ge***al area, seek medical care.
- Do you think you see bone or blood vessels? If so, seek medical care.
- What caused the wound? If it’s an animal bite, seek medical care.
- Is it a puncture wound or a deep cut? If so, seek medical care.
- Is it still bleeding after you’ve put pressure on it? If so, seek medical care.
- How big is the wound? If it is large, seek medical care.
Cleaning a wound is the first step to preventing infection and ensuring healing begins. After you collect your supplies, you’ll need to get a good look at the wound. You may need to sit down before starting, especially if you are uncomfortable with the sight of blood or open wounds. Be sure you have a good view of the wound.
Before handling the wound cleaning supplies or touching skin near the wound, carefully wash your hands with soap and water and dry them using a clean towel or clean paper towels.
Follow these steps to clean the wound:
1. Assess the wound. Is it deep or bleeding heavily?
2. If the wound is on a limb where there is jewelry or tight clothing, loosen the clothing or remove the jewelry.
3. Using clean water, a saline solution, or a sterile wound cleaner, rinse the wound.
4. Clean the area around the wound as well.
5. Using clean cloths, clean paper towels, or clean gauze, pat the wound and surrounding area dry.
6. Apply the appropriately sized bandage.
7. Check the wound at least once every 24 hours. Clean the wound again and change the bandage.
Seek emergency care for a wound if:
- The wound is bleeding profusely.
- The person may have a broken bone.
- There is something in the wound, like glass shards, wood, metal, or other debris.
- The wound is a puncture wound made by a dirty object.
- The wound was caused by an animal bite.
- The wound has signs of infection, like pain, discoloration or redness, drainage, pus, or if the individual develops a fever.
- The person with the wound has signs or symptoms of sepsis, such as confusion, fever, sweating, shivering, shortness of breath, or extreme pain.
- The person has an extremity wound and cannot move the injured area, such as not being able to bend an injured finger.
