How to Clean Away Bad Skin From Burns

Burn wounds are painful, and itching and discomfort are generally present throughout the recovery process. However, properly cleaning the wound increases comfort for the burn victim and helps expedite healing. Removing dead skin from the burn, as well as keeping the area clean also minimizes the risk of infection.

Things You'll Need

• Cool water
• Warm water
• Unscented soap
• Clean washcloth
• Fine scissors
• Clean towel
• Clean gauze or bandages

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Instructions

• 1

  Soak the burned area in cool water for 10 minutes. For a small burn, you could use a cool, dampened washcloth. For larger burns, try the sink or a tub.

• 2

  Scrub the burned area gently with warm, soapy water and a clean washcloth. Be careful not to burst intact blisters. The blistered skin protects against infection.

• 3

  Use the washcloth to dislodge and remove loose dead skin. According to doctors at The Children's Hospital at the University of Colorado, Denver, "the area under these flaps of skin can become an ideal breeding ground for infection." They recommend using a fine scissors to trim skin from small broken blisters that cannot be removed with the cloth.

• 4

  Rinse the burn free of excess soap with clean warm water.

• 5

  Pat the area dry with a towel and cover burned area with clean gauze or bandages.