What to keep in a household first-aid kit

Choose a container and a known place

Use a clean, dry, portable container that closes securely. Keep it in a familiar place adults can reach quickly and young children cannot reach. Tell household members where it is, and keep a small kit in a vehicle or workplace if that fits your plans.

Pack practical basics

The American Red Cross list is a starting point, not a fixed requirement. Choose supplies that household members know how to use and that fit the activities you prepare for.

• A first-aid reference guide and a card with current local emergency contacts.
• For a family-of-four starting point: two 5-by-9-inch absorbent dressings and 25 adhesive bandages in assorted sizes.
• Adhesive cloth tape, sterile gauze pads, roller bandages, triangular bandages, and antiseptic wipes.
• Nonlatex gloves, a one-way-valve breathing barrier, an instant cold compress, and an emergency blanket.
• A non-glass thermometer, tweezers, and rounded-tip scissors.

Adapt it to your household

Ask a clinician or pharmacist which personal supplies belong in your emergency plan. Keep any personal medicines in their original labeled packaging, follow their storage instructions, and check their dates separately from the basic first-aid supplies.

Add contact information and any non-private reminders that would help a household member locate the right supplies. Keep documents containing sensitive details somewhere secure.

Check the kit and practice

For immediate danger or a serious injury, contact local emergency services and follow current instructions from local health and emergency-management authorities.

• Inspect it on a regular schedule and after each use.
• Replace supplies that are used, opened, damaged, or past their labeled expiration date.
• Keep the container dry, clearly labeled, and easy for adults to carry.
• Learn first aid and CPR through a recognized local course, and make sure household members know where the kit is.