The foolproof home-grown remedy to remove splinters with ease
If you love gardening and/or carpentry DIY, you will certainly have gotten a thorn or a splinter in your hand at some point. Most resort to using a sterilized needle or tweezers to get the splinter out, but sometimes these remedies are not available (or always effective).
To avoid infection, it is necessary to remove splinters quickly and completely. So how can this be done when lacking sterilized equipment?
There is an extremely effective alternative remedy that can be used and we describe it below:
A very effective home remedy for removing splinters from the skin is simple to make:
You will need to get some baking soda, water and a plaster or gauze bandage.
Simply mix the baking soda with a little water to form a smooth paste. Apply the paste to the area where the splinter entered and cover with the bandage or gauze, which you should leave on for a few hours.
The mixture of bicarbonate and water will cause the skin to swell, pushing the splinter out, and make it softer so that tweezers can be used more easily. If the splinter is near the surface, it could even come out by itself.
After removal, disinfect thoroughly. Make sure you always maintain optimal hygienic conditions if you want to prevent infection.
There are also some other equally effective natural remedies for removing splinters:
- Banana peels: applied for a few hours on the affected area, banana peels will release enzymes that will facilitate the natural exit of the splinter;
- Potato slices: slices of potato applied to the splinter will act in the same way as banana peels;
- Water and salt: in addition to disinfecting the skin, water boiled with salt will help soften the skin making the splinter easier to extract;
- Ichthyol ointment: applied for about 12 hours, the splinter will come out naturally.
Did you already know about these useful splinter-removal tips?
