DIY First-Aid Supplies

TW: brief mention of alcohol

Ideally you should be using actual first aid supplies which are sterile, but not everyone has access to those. Here are some ways to make your own supplies with stuff you probably already have. Make sure you clean all materials you use for wound care before hand and wash your hands.
If you are able to buy some first aid supplies, antibiotic ointment is the most important. You cannot DIY this and untreated infections can get worse if not properly treated.

Wound dressings (for cuts and scratches)

Do not use tissues, napkins, paper towels, toilet roll, or anything else that will shed fibres into a wound, this can cause infections. See below for info on what to use for burns.

Non-adherent gauze

Non-adherent gauze is great for cuts to the hypodermis or other cuts that are sticking to dressings. To make:

• Wash your hands.
• Gather and sterilise your materials (i.e. with alcohol). You will need a small pin (such as a sewing needle or safety pin), cling film or other soft and flexible plastic, tape, and gauze or something else absorbent (tissues are ok for this because they won’t touch the actual cut).
• cut/fold your absorbent material to be slightly larger than the cut(s) you will be covering. Make sure you have enough material to absorb any blood or discharge from the cut.
• Cut the plastic to be slightly larger than your absorbent material. Fold the plastic around your absorbent material and secure with tape on the back.
• On the side without the tape stab lots of small holes through the plastic. There need to be enough holes for the fluid from the wound to be absorbed, otherwise it will just sit on the wound.
• Use medical tape, bandages, or something else to secure to the wound, the side with the holes should be the side touching your skin. Change dressing daily and check for signs of infection.

Gauze

You can use folded clean non fuzzy cloth (like off of instead of gauze, although it will stick more to any wounds. Putting a thin layer of Vaseline/petroleum jelly on the part that will touch the cut will help it keep from sticking. Use medical tape, bandages, or something else to secure the dressing. Change the dressing daily and check for signs of infection.

Burn dressings

Do not put cloth, gauze, plasters/band aids, tissues, etc. onto a burn, this will stick and can make the burn worse.

Just use cling film!

For minor burns that won't have much discharge you can just tape on or otherwise secure some cling film or other similar flexible plastic on top. Make sure the cling film isn't too tight and avoid wrapping it around your limb, this can affect circulation. Change dressings daily and apply Vaseline/petroleum jelly, vitamin E oil, or aloe vera as needed to keep the burn moist. Check for signs of infection when you change dressings.

Non-adherent gauze

For burns that will have discharge that needs absorbing.
To make:

• Wash your hands.
• Gather and sterilise your materials (i.e. with alcohol). You will need a small pin (such as a sewing needle or safety pin), cling film or other soft and flexible plastic, tape, and gauze or something else absorbent (tissues are ok for this because they won’t touch the actual burn).
• cut/fold your absorbent material to be slightly larger than the burn(s) you will be covering. Make sure you have enough material to absorb any blood or discharge from the burn.
• Cut the plastic to be slightly larger than your absorbent material. Fold the plastic around your absorbent material and secure with tape on the back.
• On the side without the tape stab lots of small holes through the plastic. There need to be enough holes for the fluid from the wound to be absorbed, otherwise it will just sit on the wound.
• Use medical tape, bandages, or something else to secure to the wound, the side with the holes should be the side touching your skin. Change dressing daily and check for signs of infection.

To secure dressings

Tape

Use tape to secure a wound dressing. Make sure the tape you use isn't too strong that it will damage your skin. Non-medical tape is more likely to cause an allergic reaction, make sure to watch out for signs of an allergic reaction.

Tie/pin on with cloth

Cut a strip of cloth or use something like a scarf or bandana and wrap it around the dressing. Tie or pin with a safety pin the cloth together. Make sure you don't wrap the cloth too tight that it cuts off circulation.

Wound closures (e.g. steri-strips, butterfly bandages)

Wound closures are used to close wounds that gape. You can make butterfly bandages with tape by folding and cutting like this (see image below). Medical tape is ideal for this, but other tapes will work. Do not use anything that's very strong like duct tape that could damage your skin.

"To make a butterfly bandage:

1. Cut a strip from a roll of 1 in. (2.5 cm) adhesive tape and fold it in half lengthwise, sticky side out.
2. Cut a notch not far from the fold in each long side of the tape.
3. Unfold the tape, then fold the notched pieces together, sticky side in. The center of the tape will be non-sticky. Keep this part clean since it will be over the wound.
4. Place one sticky end of the tape on the skin to one side of the wound, then pull the other sticky end tightly across the wound to pull the wound edges together. If the wound is long, you may need more than one bandage." (“How to Make a Butterfly Bandage | NYP”)

Antiseptic

Do NOT put antiseptic (such as rubbing/isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine) onto a cut or burn or other broken skin. This kills both bacteria and healthy cells required for healing. Antiseptic should only be used for cleaning things like your sh tools, not your injuries.

• Anything with a high alcohol contents (like hard liquor or hand sanitiser)
• Boiling
• Baking

Saline solution

Saline solution helps clean wounds and can help with healing, especially for infected wounds. You can make saline solution using salt and distilled or boiled water.
To make saline solution:

• "Get a clean storage container and mixing utensil. Either wash them in the dishwasher or boil them for 5 minutes.
• Use 1 quart (4 cups) of distilled water, or boil 1 quart of tap water for 5 minutes. Do not use well water or sea water.
• Add 2 teaspoons of table salt.
• Mix the water and salt well until the salt is completely dissolved.
• Cool to room temperature before using.
• Saline solution can be stored at room temperature in a tightly covered glass or plastic bottle. You can keep it for up to one week [or up to a month if refrigerated]. Always label it and include the date" (“Chronic Wound Care: Home Instructions”)