8 Tricks for Removing Splinters

Add a Little Salt

To remove a wood splinter, add a bit of Epsom salts to a bowl of warm water. This works best when the splinter is in your finger or foot. Soak the affected area in the salt bath for 10 minutes or until the splinter swells up enough that you can remove it.

Vegetable Oil

Got a splinter you can’t get out? Try soaking the area in vegetable oil for several minutes. It should soften your skin enough to allow you to ease the splinter out.

White Glue

The easiest way to remove a splinter? Just put a drop of white glue over the offending piece of wood in your finger, let it dry, and then peel off the dried glue. The splinter will stick to the glue and come right out.

Don’t Buy That!

Drawing Salve may eventually help a splinter work its way out, but don’t waste your money when you’ve got so many other options already in your house. Did you keep the little bottle of salicyclic acid plaster you used to remove that wart? If so, you can dab a little on the area where the splinter is located and it should help the foreign object work its way to the surface within a few days. Hydrogen peroxide can also do the trick: Its bubbling action can bring the splinter to the skin’s surface. Money saved: $6.

Honey

Put this on your list of splinter to-dos: Smear a dab of honey over the splinter and keep the honey in place by sealing it onto the skin with a band aid. Check on your splinter every periodically to see if the moisture-absorbing honey has lifted it out.

One Potato, Two Potato

Potatoes are a lovely side dish, but did you know they are also a splinter removal tool? Cut one small, thin slice of potato for treating your splinter. Place it gently over the affected skin and secure with bandages to keep it in place. When you remove the potato, the splinter should come with it.

DIY Solution

Don’t squeeze. Instead, try this homemade splinter solution: Combine baking soda and water until you have a thick paste-like mixture. Apply to the affected area, and wait several hours until the splinter works its way out of the skin.

Duct Tape

If you get a splinter, a little duct tape does the trick to get it out. Cut off a piece and gently press it to the affected area.

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