How to Wash Boils on the Skin

A boil is any skin infection, such as a carbuncle, cystic acne or a pilonidal cyst, that begins in an oil gland or hair follicle, according to WebMD. Boils are filled with pus, which is made of white blood cells and is the body's attempt at killing the infection. Boils that have come to a head and have been surgically lanced or have opened on their own to drain must be washed regularly in order to prevent a bacterial infection.

Things You'll Need

• Clean cloths
• Antibacterial soap
• Antibacterial cream
• Adhesive plastic bandages

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Instructions

• 1

  Soak a cloth in warm water. Lay the warm compress on the boil for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help relieve some of the pain associated with the boil and will bring the pus to the surface of the wound, causing it to burst and drain.

• 2

  Soak a clean cloth in a mixture of antibacterial soap and warm water.

• 3

  Gently wipe away any pus that has drained from the boil with the cloth.

• 4

  Allow the boil to air dry and then cover the area with a thin layer of antibacterial cream.

• 5

  Cover the boil with an adhesive plastic bandage.

• 6

  Repeat the process of applying the warm compress, cleaning the pus away from the boil and covering it with a layer of antibacterial cream two to three times a day. This will help ensure that the open boil does not become infected.