Home First Aid Kit Must Haves

November 25, 2020

Always Be Prepared!

There’s no place like home… And lately you’ve been asked to spend a lot of time there! Whether you’ve been fully bunkered down or finding time to get out for some fresh air, staying safe in your home is more important now than ever. From paper cuts to kitchen burns, having first aid treatment options readily available is a must – check out these most important home first aid kit ingredients.

The Common Items: Most homeowners have basic first aid items either in a kit or in a medicine cabinet. The easiest items to find will include:

Band-aids
Antibacterial ointment
Gauze pads
Aspirin
Sterile alcohol wipes

While these items are often easy to find in your household, getting them organized and keeping them stocked in a proper kit is important.

A well-stocked first aid kit will have 50 Band-aids, an unopened tube or 10 packets of antibacterial ointment, 3 individually wrapped gauze pads, 20 doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and 20 alcohol wipes. Because these items are likely to be used the most in your first aid kit, they are the most important to keep stocked.

The Less Common Items: There are plenty of items that many people are aware that they should have, but consider less important to keep stocked than the common items above. Some of these important, but less considered items include:

Cold compress
Athletic tape
Tweezers
Oral thermometer
Non-latex gloves

The above items may fall into the category of “over-prepared” in some minds, but each plays a vital role in the case of home emergencies. Non-latex or nitrile gloves are especially overlooked in many first aid kits, but remain essential to proper wound care. Alongside tweezers, nitrile gloves help assure that puncture wounds are kept sterile while treating them at home.

In order to properly stock your first aid kit consider 3 instant cold compresses, 1 roll of athletic tape, 2 pairs of tweezers (in case one becomes soiled before treatment is completed), 1 oral thermometer, and 2 pairs of non-latex gloves.

"Many first aid kits are designed to be used for home accidents, but should be prepared to handle home emergencies such as power outages, flooding or other natural disasters, or more severe injuries..."

The “Completely Prepared” Items: Many first aid kits are designed to be used for home accidents, but should be prepared to handle home emergencies such as power outages, flooding or other natural disasters, or more severe injuries which need home treatment while waiting for professional help. Items that may help prepare for such events include:

Emergency blanket
Burn gel
Hand-powered flashlight
Hydrogen Peroxide
Metal finger splints

There are plenty of other items which fit in the category of “I hope I never need this”, but the above five items are some of the most commonly overlooked pieces of the home first aid kit puzzle.

To be prepared have 1 emergency blanket for each member of your household, 1 bottle or 10 doses of burn gel, 1 hand-powered flashlight, 1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and 3 metal finger splints.
Building a home first aid kit and keeping it stocked can feel daunting or unnecessary, but being prepared for accidents which are sure to happen can provide you and your family a peace of mind like few other things can. If you’re unsure of your current kit’s stock, or feeling as though you may need more than you have, consider refilling as soon as possible! For more ideas or tips for a well-stocked home first aid kit, refer to world health groups such as the Red Cross for guidance.

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