What to use when you have run out of dressings
Improvisation has limits. Some substitutes are reasonable and some are actively harmful.
Occasionally you need to cover a wound with what is to hand. Some improvisations are fine; others cause problems.
Reasonable in a pinch
- A clean, freshly laundered cloth or tea towel as a pressure pad.
- Cling film laid over a burn — genuinely recommended, not just tolerated.
- Clean kitchen roll as a temporary pressure pad, replaced with something proper as soon as possible.
Poor substitutes
- Cotton wool directly on a wound — fibres embed in the surface and are painful to remove.
- Tissue, which disintegrates and sticks.
- Any tape directly across an open wound.
- Household antiseptics not intended for wounds.
Treat improvisation as temporary
Anything improvised should be replaced with a sterile dressing as soon as you can get one. It is a bridge, not a plan.
The real fix
Running out is a stock problem. Two dressing sizes and a box of gauze swabs in a cupboard covers almost everything a household meets.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
Shop the range
FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.