Can you use alcohol to clean skin?

Why skip rubbing alcohol on a wound?

Keeping a wound clean helps reduce scarring, but drying it out is not the goal. Soap and tap water or saline solution clean a wound without drying it. Hydrogen peroxide and iodine are also best avoided for home wound cleaning because they can dry the wound. Keeping the wound moist supports faster healing. Soap and water do the cleaning, despite having less impressive names than the bottles in the first aid cupboard.1

How to clean a small cut or scrape

1. 1Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them before touching the dressing or cleaning the area.
2. 2If the wound is bleeding and nothing is stuck in it, apply pressure with a bandage or clean folded cloth. Clean the wound once the bleeding has stopped.
3. 3Rinse the small wound with bottled or tap water. Pat the area dry with clean gauze or a clean cloth.
4. 4Temporarily cover the wound with sterile gauze or a clean cloth while washing the surrounding skin with soap and water. Wipe away from the wound, using a clean swab or cloth for each stroke.
5. 5Remove the temporary covering and apply a sterile dressing or plaster. Keep the dressing clean and dry, changing it as needed. You can remove it after a few days once the wound has closed.

What if you have had a skin biopsy?

Follow your dermatologist's aftercare instructions. Basic home care usually starts the day after the biopsy: gently wash the wound and surrounding skin with mild soap and water, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Choose fragrance free soap rather than antibacterial or deodorant soap, and never scrub. Apply petroleum jelly from a squeeze tube and cover with a bandage or sterile gauze. Repeat daily for as long as your dermatologist advises. Most biopsy wounds heal in 7 to 10 days, but lower leg wounds often take longer. Antibiotic ointment is not routinely recommended after a biopsy because of the risk of an allergic reaction.4

Where does rubbing alcohol fit into splinter care?

For splinter removal, rubbing alcohol is used to clean the tweezers, so the tool gets the alcohol rather than a matching treatment for everything nearby. Wash your hands and the affected skin with soap and water first. After removal, wash the area again, apply petroleum jelly and cover with a clean bandage. Get help if the splinter is deep, near an eye, under a fingernail, breaks during removal or will not come out after 10 to 15 minutes.2

What about skin exposed to urine or stool?

Clean and dry the area promptly after each episode. Use mild, dilute soap and water, rinse well and gently pat dry, or use a soap free cleanser as directed. Avoid alcohol containing products because they can irritate this skin. A barrier cream containing zinc oxide, lanolin or petrolatum can help protect the area; reapply it after cleaning and drying. Seek medical advice for severe irritation.5

When cleaning at home is not enough

Get urgent medical help if a wound remains dirty after cleaning, becomes swollen and increasingly painful, drains pus or comes with fever. Seek emergency care for bleeding you cannot stop, a very large or deep wound, lost feeling, difficulty moving the area or an object stuck in a cut. Do not pull that object out yourself. Puncture wounds generally need professional assessment, ideally within six hours for minor injuries. While arranging care, clean with soap and warm water and cover with a bandage, not alcohol, peroxide or iodine.36