Build a Home First Aid Kit: A Fall and Winter Checklist

Health information notice. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always ask your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider. In an emergency, call 911.

Quick answer. A home first aid kit holds adhesive bandages, absorbent gauze dressings, cloth tape, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, gloves, scissors and tweezers, an elastic bandage, an instant cold pack, a thermometer, and a card with emergency numbers. Keep it where everyone can find it, and we suggest checking it at least twice a year, such as when the clocks change.

A first aid kit is for the small things: a scrape, a minor burn, a sprain. When you need one, you need it quickly. The American Red Cross lists what to include in a first aid kit, including adhesive bandages in assorted sizes, absorbent compress dressings, cloth tape and antibiotic ointment, and advises you to add personal items such as medicines and emergency numbers and to check the kit regularly. The list below is based on the Red Cross list, with a few additions.

Part of our guide: The Wound Care and First Aid Supply Guide.

What goes in a home first aid kit?

• Adhesive bandages in several sizes. Example: Band-Aid Flexible Fabric Adhesive Bandages, 30 to a box.
• Sterile gauze pads and rolls, plus medical tape. Example: Kendall Cloth Medical Tape, 1 inch. For fragile skin, a gentler tape such as ComfiTape Silicone Medical Tape is easier to remove. Browse Gauze.
• Antiseptic wipes to clean the skin around a wound. Example: First Aid Only Povidone Iodine Antiseptic Wipes.
• Disposable non-latex gloves. Example: Micro-Touch Nitrile Exam Gloves.
• Scissors and tweezers.
• An elastic bandage for wrapping a sprain. Example: McKesson Elastic Bandage, 3 inch.
• A digital thermometer. Example: Exergen TemporalScanner Digital Thermometer.
• A first aid instruction card with emergency numbers.

Prefer to start with a ready-made kit? The McKesson Travel First Aid Kit is a compact start for the car. Browse First Aid Products and Kits & Trays.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about medicines you may want to keep, such as pain relievers or antibiotic ointment, and the right use for each person in your home.

What should I add for fall and winter?

• Instant cold packs for bumps and sprains; follow the directions on the package. Example: McKesson Instant Cold Pack.
• Extra dressings and gauze. Slippery steps and icy walkways mean more scrapes and falls.
• An emergency blanket for the car kit.
• A flashlight with spare batteries, since it gets dark earlier.

What should I add if I care for an older adult?

Add larger bandages and gentle tape, since fragile skin can tear when tape is pulled off. Keep a list of their medicines and their doctor's number in the kit.

Where should I keep it?

• Keep one kit at home, in a cabinet you can reach quickly.
• Keep a small one in the car.
• Tell everyone at home where it is.
• Keep it dry and out of reach of small children.

How often should I check it?

The easiest habit: check your kit when the clocks change. In most of the U.S. that is Sunday, November 1, 2026 and Sunday, March 14, 2027. Replace anything expired, wet or used, and restock what you ran low on. Check the batteries in your thermometer and flashlight. The Red Cross advises checking your kit regularly and replacing used or out-of-date items. We suggest at least twice a year.

How do I care for a minor cut?

1. Wash your hands, and put on gloves if you have them.
2. Press a clean gauze pad on the cut to stop the bleeding. For serious bleeding, the American Red Cross advises steady, firm pressure directly over the wound.
3. Once the bleeding stops, rinse with clean running water and clean the skin around it.
4. Cover with a bandage or sterile dressing and change it when it gets wet or dirty.

When should I get help?

Call your healthcare provider for a deep cut, a wound that keeps bleeding after you press firmly, an animal bite, or signs of infection such as growing redness, swelling, warmth, pus or fever. Call 911 if blood spurts or flows without stopping, if blood loss is large, or if the person shows signs of shock such as pale, cool, clammy skin, a rapid weak pulse or confusion. Also call 911 for a serious injury or if someone is unresponsive.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I check my first aid kit? The Red Cross advises checking it regularly. We suggest at least twice a year, and checking when the clocks change is an easy reminder.

Should I keep a first aid kit in the car? Yes. A small kit is useful on the road.

What should I do with expired supplies? Replace them. Check the dates on sterile items and ointments.

What do workplaces need? OSHA standard 1910.151 requires employers to keep adequate first aid supplies readily available, and to have someone trained in first aid when no clinic or hospital is nearby.

Next steps

Shop First Aid Products, and see The Cold and Flu Home Care Kit.

Sources

1. American Red Cross, "Make a First Aid Kit: What to Include": https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html
2. American Red Cross, "Bleeding (Life-Threatening External)": https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-first-aid/bleeding-life-threatening-external
3. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.151, "Medical services and first aid": https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.151

This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always ask your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider. In an emergency, call 911. Last reviewed October 2026.