How to Clean Chemical Burns

A chemical burn is different from a typical thermal burn in that the damage comes from the chemical reaction with your skin. Although chemical burns are often associated with workplace accidents, they also can occur in the home. Battery acid, lime and bleach are all common causes of chemical burns. If you suffer from a chemical burn, you must wash the burn injury to prevent further damage.

Things You'll Need

• Several clean cloths
• Water
• Clean bandage
• Baking soda
• Vinegar

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the chemical burn source and move away from it. Remove any jewelry or clothing that may have the chemical burn substance on it. Avoid spreading the chemical burn substance to parts of your body or to other people.

• 2

  Neutralize the burn injury if you know what kind of chemical burned you. Alkaline substance like bleach should be washed with a weak vinegar solution made with two parts water to every one part of vinegar. Acid burns can be washed with a solution made of four tablespoons of baking soda and a pint of water.

  Neutralizing the chemical burn can relieve any pain symptoms by preventing the chemical substance from continuing to burn you.

• 3

  Flush the burn injury with running water for 20 to 30 minutes. You may have to flush the burned area even longer if the burning sensation continues. If the chemical burn is covering large areas of your body, you may need to use a shower or garden hose to accomplish this.

• 4

  Pay special attention to chemical burns affecting the eyes. As you flush the chemical substance from your eyes, position the affected eye below the unaffected eye to avoid spreading the chemical burn. You can also fill a sink or container with water and place your entire face in it, changing the water several times. As you flush the chemical substance from your eyes, open and close your eyes several times to be sure that you are washing every part of your eye.