Easy Ways to Remove a Splinter
Splinter? No problem! Just try one of these home remedies for splinter removal.
Summer is a time for frolicking around in sandals, flip-flops, and of course bare feet. It’s also a time for splinters. Splinters are painful and can need medical attention, but most of the time the occasional piece of wood that gets stuck in your hand or foot can be remedied at home. Tweezers and/or sterilized needles work well, especially if the splinter isn’t too deep.
Sometimes, though, these common household items can incite screaming and crying when the patient is a child, or can be difficult to use if you are by yourself. If you’d prefer a more “natural” removal method, why not give one of these a try:
Tape
From Duct to Scotch to masking many people swear by this removal method. This method is best for more superficial splinters rather than deep ones. Simply break off a piece of tape large enough to cover the area, then pull off the tape in the opposite direction the splinter went in.
Potato Slices
Cut a potato into thin slices. Place one slice on the splinter (use the side without the skin). Varying sources suggest leaving it on the spot for 10-20 minutes to the whole night. If you decide to leave it overnight, secure the potato slice with two bandages to keep it in place. When you remove the potato, it should pull out the splinter.
Baking Soda Paste
This method is best for those tiny, invisible splinters. You should use this only after you’ve tried other methods, as this paste will cause the skin to swell and push the splinter out. Make the paste by combining about ¼ tsp of baking soda with enough water to give it a paste-like consistency. Apply the paste to the cleaned area and put a bandage on top to keep it in secured. Leave it in place for 24 hours, and then remove. The splinter may be sticking out and need to be pulled out the rest of the way with tweezers or sterilized needle. If you don’t see it, repeat this process for another 24 hours.
Which splinter removal do you use? Share your favorite remedy here.
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Does anyone have the “recipe: for Salty Pork = my grandmother made it when we butchered hogs, it was lard and salt and it ended up being creamy and it worked better than anything on things in hands and feet, I think it was a German or Czechlosavia recipe
I have a splinter in my hand but it doesn’t hurt but it hurts when I try to get it out I tried to search up stuff to get it out and found this so I’ll try it. But tomorrow rn it’s 9:17 so yeah
When I was about 14 years old we had shag carpet in our apartment and my mom had dropped sewing needles and pins that were lost. I happened to step on a needle when I was barefooted and it went up between my big toe and the next toe. My dad tried to remove it with tweezers but couldn’t reach it. He wanted to take me to the hospital but I begged him not to take me. I walked around with a sore foot for a week or two and an old woman who lived near us asked me why I was limping so much and I told her. She said for me to come in and sit down. She looked at my foot and I showed her the spot. She took a potato and cut it up and put a piece in between my toes and then put a bandage around it and told me to keep it on all night and remove it in the morning. When I took it off the next day, the potato had the needle stuck in it all the way. You can’t imagine how grateful I was to that old woman. I wish I could remember her name so I could give her credit. Sde saved my dad a lot of money!
Wow, that’s quite a story! Next time please go to the ER! But glad it worked out!
I have a wood splinter on the surface of my foot but too scared pull it out and it hurts to much to put tape on it so what do I do?
Hi, we list a few methods in the article but if it’s really in there and painful, we highly recommend you contacting your doctor. Good luck.
Splinter
I have a deeep splinter in my thumb and it rally hurts
Are u ok
Can something like one of these help shingles P H N
pain
Wash the area with Ivory bar soap, dry the skin then use the same Ivory bar to make a bit of a paste over the area. Leave over night. Pulls out impurities without drying the skin believe it or not. This trick also works for blackheads on the face.
Take a piece of salt pork and put it over the splinter with a piece of white cloth loosely tape over the top overnight the salt in the pork will draw splinter out or to /he top so you can get to it. Works very well on cactus needles,glass slivers,wood splinters etc.
Can we eat the salted pork for breakfast when the splinters out
No use in wasting it, because of a splinter
Young Sheldon would day to be careful eating splinters so that you do not splinter your esophagus. Because that can cause splinter reflux esophagitys GERD which will make everything you say sound stupid.
The tip of my thumb is covered with many tiny splinters that sting so bad if I even bump it! I have been digging them out for three days with blades and tweezers and needles and peroxide, and magnifying glass, but I’m not getting them out, and it’s sore! Help please?
I also have those too. I’m trying the peroxide, then the baking soda paste to sleep in.. good luck
how do i remove my thorn out of my right hand thumb
I stepped on a tree branch today, and it stuck me in my other foot.. I have been able to get some of it out but it so deep keep get anymore out.. And suggested how to remove it.. It is veey painful.. Thank you
I’m just trying this out, I have no clue if it will work, so if it doesn’t please do not kill me. I read Epsom Salt or Epsom salt paste will draw out the splinter and I also read about baking soda paste. So what I’m doing is mixing Epsom salt with baking soda, putting a couple of drops of water (just enough to make a paste), mix it and there is your magical paste. Put some on your splinter, cover with a bandage and wait a couple of hours before pulling out with some tweezers. I hope it works for you (and myself). 😀
I just used optic white toothpaste and covered it with a bandaid and within 20 minutes it pushed out enough to grab easily with tweezers
Dose this work with a needle stuck in yout foot?
Hi Redswena, no, a trip to the emergency room is in order for that!
I have a splinter that’s been in my finger 10 days it has pus up and is hard how do.i get it ouy
I have a very deep splinter in the sole of my foot. I don’t have baking soda, and none of the other methods are working.
Go get some baking soda.
Wear a dead chicken around your neck overnight after you soak it first in boiling water and drink it cold. Next morning kiss the chicken and tell it “Your the best night I ever had”. Works every time…no more splinter!
Hi this hurts and I need u to come to 341 russ and take it out
That’s just the messed up things to say
I like whisky. After the bottle is consumed the damn splinter don’t hurt no mo!
It hurts so bad and I can’t get it out!!
Place a raisin on the skin where the splinter is cover it with a band-aid. Leave on overnight. The raisin draws out moisture from the skin around splinter. You will be able to pull out the splinter with tweezers.
soak it in hot water for twenty minutes then put neosporine On a bandage and wrap it around infected sliver area and wait overnight the wound area should be so soft u can slice a slight hole were the sliver is then push it out
My mom’s old-time recipe that always works for me: Mix equal parts powdered laundry detergent and plain white table sugar, add a bit of water to make a paste. Put a dab in a bandaid and cover. Leave overnight. Repeat next day if needed. Somehow it pulls the splinter out. I bought one of the little laundry vending machine boxes just to keep on hand as I typically use liquid detergent.
Never put raw bacon on any open wound their are worms in it that go to the brain and if you dont have brain suffers you will die!! Not a good idea!! Always wash hands well after hand!ing pork or poultry.
i use hydrogen peroxide.
You folks on here asking how to deal with your specific situation should go see a doctor.
Prid Drawing Salve. Wal-Mart sells it. It’s in an orange tin. Best I’ve used for splinters.
After about 48 hours your body will try to eject the splinter, big or small. All you have to do is put some pressure behind it..it will come out. There might be some puss, but an antibiotic cream will help that..
I take a razor blade and gently slice the skin above the splinter until it pops up and i can grab it with tweezers, most times the razor blade can pull it out after the splinter is exposed if I scrape it sideways. Just got to be careful. I have always done this and my kids hardly felt it when I took splinters out.
This is exactly what I do. It is painless and easy.
Put a dab of vicks vapor rub ,bandaid overnight it will draw it out ,it will also work on risens and zits
Haven’t had to do this since my children were small….but I use to place an ice cube on the area, long enough to numb it. Then quickly use sterile needle and tweezers to remove.
Raw bacon, tiny piece, bandaid. Leave overnight?
Never failed
There is a thick one in my daughters but cheak and he will not touch it what should i do
If the splinter is under the skin I’m confused as to how these methods will remove it
Bread and milk, warm the milk until it is warm but not to unbearable mix with the bread apply to the area and secure with bandage or gauze leave overnight should be in bread in the morning …..milk softens the area bread dries and pulls splinter out with it.
Use a thumbtack and dig a little bit then pull out with tweezers it doesn’t hurt at all
I make small hole with neddle pour peroxide it works sometimes
I have a splinter under the skin on the side of my finger! last time I had one my dad used a needle to work it out and it made me feel so light headed, so I don’t want to try that again! I don’t know what to try!
Old school elmers glue… (White glue of any brand works)… Just rub it on the area, let it air dry, pull the glue off and the splinter will come with it painlessly….. Dont try superglue no matter what… I know it sounds crazy but i swear it works
I’ve got more than a splinter. More like impaled on a small stick which has broken off inside my calf and can’t get it out!! Not worth trip to the docs but I found a remedy that says to put a raisin under a bandaid leave it on the splinter for a day. Next day it should be poking out..
If you can find a specific kind of magnifying glass…I use a small one that folds open in 3 sections. Closed, it’s about 3/4″ square, and open it like a cube. It’s for the purpose of viewing the grain patterns of paper. Very powerful. I place it above the splinter and it appears to be 50 or 100 times bigger. Easier to pick at with a needle, or tape, etc, to pull it out.
i have one stuck in the middle of me foot :((((((((((((
I used a nail clipper to cut the skin a little bit then Cleaned my tweasers and pulled it out
I have a splinter in my big toe and I can’t see it at all :c it hurts
I have it in my big toe. It huuurts. I have to do pe in school too.
You should try soaking your hand in hot water for 10 minutes it should get a deep splinter out from under your skin so you can pull it out with tweezers. The needle method is way to painful.
After the tape idea, it prompted another one. I used a wax hair remover product on the splinter and, after 2 tries, it worked! Let it cool on the skin slightly but remove while the wax is still warm and pliable. Nice, easy, painless!
I’ve tried the tape n I was told to try the egg shell n its not working I’m going crazy it hurts n I can’t get it out!! OMG it hurts
old home remedy for removing splinters…a smear of elmer’s glue across the edge of the splinter…let it dry completely and then peel the glue off. The splinter comes out with it! Shared with my neighbor and she now swears by it. You could do as my son does though just wait until the fester up and open them up and slide them out then.