First Aid Kits for the Home: Contents and How to Choose

Every UK household should keep a first aid kit at home, and a second one in the car. The NHS says you can keep a home or car first aid kit handy by buying a ready-made one or putting together your own in a clean, waterproof box¹. Council emergency preparedness checklists across England and Wales put a first aid kit, alongside essential medication, at the top of what a household should have ready², and a home emergency plan should make sure everyone in the house knows where the kit is kept³.

A kit does not need to be large or expensive to be useful. What matters is that it covers the injuries an ordinary household actually meets: cuts, grazes, blisters, small burns, splinters, grit in an eye, a raised temperature. This page sets out what the NHS and UK official guidance say should be in the box, how to choose between a ready-made kit and one you build yourself, where to keep it, and how it fits into the wider emergency kit your household should hold for power cuts, floods and storms.

What a home first aid kit should contain

The NHS basic first aid kit list is the standard reference for UK households, and it is worth working through it against what you already have. A basic kit may contain plasters in a variety of different sizes and shapes; small, medium and large sterile gauze dressings; at least two sterile eye dressings; triangular bandages; crêpe rolled bandages; safety pins; disposable sterile gloves; tweezers; scissors; alcohol-free cleansing wipes; sticky tape; a thermometer, preferably digital; skin rash cream such as hydrocortisone or calendula; cream or spray for insect bites and stings; antiseptic cream; painkillers such as paracetamol, or infant paracetamol for children, aspirin (not for children under 16), or ibuprofen; antihistamine cream or tablets; distilled water for cleaning wounds; and eye wash and an eye bath⁴.

A child health version of the NHS list adds a preference for a digital ear thermometer and infant versions of paracetamol, ibuprofen and antihistamine for families with young children⁶. A local NHS self-care guide condenses the same list to the essentials: bandages, plasters in a range of sizes and waterproof if possible, eyewash solution, a thermometer, sterile dressings, tweezers and antiseptic⁷. The UK government's Be Ready campaign checklist, updated in October 2026, agrees: waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings and gloves, medical tape for dressings, and tweezers⁸.

Two points on the medicines. First, aspirin should not be given to children under 16⁴. Second, medicines have expiry dates and should be checked and replaced when they pass, which is covered below. For more detail on what each dressing and bandage does, see dressings, bandages and plasters, and for treating the injuries themselves, cuts, grazes and wounds.

Ready-made or build your own: both work

The NHS is explicit that either route is fine: you can keep a home or car first aid kit handy by buying a ready-made one or putting together your own in a clean, waterproof box¹. Northern Ireland's household emergency guidance says the same: you can buy a pre-made kit or you can put one together for yourself⁹, and a child health NHS source notes a basic first aid kit can be bought over the counter, or you can create one yourself⁶.

The choice comes down to your household. A ready-made kit saves time and gives you a working set in one purchase, and the case is usually designed to keep contents dry and visible. Building your own lets you match the contents to your family: infant medicines and a digital ear thermometer if you have small children⁶, extra plasters if you have a teenager who plays sport, antihistamines if anyone has allergies. Many households end up doing both: a bought kit as the base, topped up with the family-specific items.

Whichever you choose, the box itself matters. NHS 111 Wales advice on first aid kits for babies, which applies to any household kit, is to choose a waterproof, durable box that is easy to carry, with a childproof lock, kept out of the reach of children but handy for adults¹⁰. The same source adds that the box should be tall enough to carry bottles of lotion¹¹. The reasoning is simple: it is much easier to take the box to the injured person than the person to the box, so the kit needs a handle and some strength, and it must not be so accessible that children can help themselves to plasters, pins and medicines.

Check the kit regularly. Look at expiry dates on sterile dressings and medicines, replace anything used or out of date, and restock straight after an incident rather than leaving the kit short. A comparison of the two approaches in more depth is at ready-made kit or building your own.

Two kits: a large one for home and a smaller one for going out

Northern Ireland's first aid guidance suggests a practical split: you may choose to have two kits, a large one that stays at home and a smaller emergency kit for when you go out¹². The large kit holds the full NHS list, spare quantities and the medicines cupboard overlap. The small kit holds what fits in a bag or glovebox and covers the injuries that happen away from home.

NHS inform's summer health campaign recommends carrying a small first aid kit to help deal with minor ailments like cuts, grazes and blisters¹³. That is the shape of the going-out kit: plasters in a few sizes, a couple of sterile dressing pads, wipes, a small bandage, gloves, tweezers and a sachet of saline. It weighs very little and lives in a rucksack pocket, a changing bag or the car.

There is a third reason for the small kit, beyond day trips. Emergency planning guidance from North Hertfordshire advises preparing a household emergency kit and a smaller personal kit, for example in a backpack, for use should you need to be evacuated, and making sure everyone knows where the kits are kept¹⁴. If you ever have to leave your home in a hurry because of fire, flood or a gas leak, the backpack kit is the one that goes with you. The household grab bag is covered in more detail below.

Kit for walks, travel and the car

The car kit is the one official guidance is most consistent about. Neath Port Talbot council's emergency kit checklist says to keep a first aid kit in your car in the event of an emergency². Traffic Scotland's vehicle emergency travel kit list includes a first aid kit alongside jump start cables, an empty fuel can, water and food, a shovel and a phone backup battery¹⁵. Ready Scotland's emergency kit advice adds spare warm clothes and boots, a blanket and a phone charger to the car kit¹⁶.

The UK government's Be Ready campaign advises packing a few essential items in your car boot for wintry weather: a torch, in-car phone charger, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility clothing, jump leads, food and drink, and a shovel for snow, and notes a first aid kit can also be helpful¹⁷. A car emergency kit built around the same idea is worth keeping year-round rather than only in winter: spare warm clothes and boots, a blanket, a first aid kit and a phone charger mean you can stay warm, treat minor injuries and keep your phone charged if you break down or get stuck¹⁸. If you travel with a pet, keep a smaller first aid kit in your car or bag as well, so you can provide any care needed while away from home¹⁹.

For a household with children, the baby and child version of the going-out kit has its own additions: scissors for cutting clothes, plasters and tape to size, tweezers for thorns and splinters, and saline solution and an eye bath for washing dust or foreign bodies out of sore eyes¹⁰. A fuller checklist for the car is at car kit for injuries on the road.

*A car boot packed for winter: the first aid kit sits with the warm kit and the breakdown items.

Sterile dressing pads: covering wounds too big for a plaster

Sterile dressing pads are the workhorse of any kit beyond the plasters. NHS 111 Wales describes them plainly: the pads come in a variety of sizes and have a bandage attached, and they are used to cover most common wounds whenever a plaster is too small⁵. Because the bandage is attached, one item both covers the wound and holds itself in place, which is much easier than juggling a separate pad and roll of tape with one hand.

The reason to cover a larger injury at all is infection. NHS self-care guidance is that larger injuries should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection until treatment can be given by a healthcare professional²⁰. A sterile dressing keeps the wound clean in the gap between the injury happening and professional help, whether that is a walk-in appointment the next morning or an ambulance on its way.

The safety instruction that matters most concerns bleeding. NHS 111 Wales advises:

NHS 111 Wales⁵

Removing a soaked dressing disturbs the clot forming underneath and can restart bleeding. Add the second layer on top and get help. For heavy bleeding, the steps are at how to stop severe bleeding.

Eye dressings work on the same principle at a smaller scale. Use an eye pad or small dressing for a small wound, or for a non-embedded foreign object such as dirt or grit in the eye, until you get medical advice⁵. Anything embedded in the eye is a different matter and needs professional care. For choosing between rinse options, see saline pods or an eyewash bottle.

Tweezers and tough cut scissors: what each one is for

Tweezers are for splinters. NHS self-care guidance is that tweezers are for taking out splinters, and that if splinters are left in they can cause discomfort and could become infected²⁰. A fine-point pair in the kit handles the thorns, glass shards and wood splinters that come with gardens, beaches and wooden floors. The technique is at how to remove a splinter safely.

Tough cut scissors, sometimes sold as Tuff-Cut scissors, are for clothing. NHS 111 Wales explains that they are used to cut clothing to get to a wound or a fracture, and that they are safety scissors so there is no danger of cutting skin⁵. In a serious injury you often cannot see, let alone dress, the wound without removing clothing, and ordinary scissors near an injured limb are a risk. ProtectUK's Public Access Trauma kit standard includes two pairs of Tuff-Cut scissors²¹, and South Central Ambulance Service's defibrillator guidance recommends buying tuff cut scissors alongside an AED²².

A household kit needs one pair of each at minimum, and the going-out kit benefits from both as well. Baby kit guidance adds the everyday uses: scissors for cutting plasters and tape to size, and tweezers for thorns and splinters¹⁰. Keep them clean and dry, and check they still cut cleanly when you check the kit's dates.

Where the first aid kit fits in your emergency pack and grab bag

A first aid kit is one part of a wider household emergency kit, and every official preparedness checklist in the UK includes it. Essex Prepared lists a first aid kit among emergency items²³. Wiltshire's emergency kit guidance includes toiletries and a personal first aid kit, and notes that such kits are sometimes called 'grab bags'²⁴. Lincolnshire includes a first aid kit in its emergency advice²⁵, and Dumfries and Galloway's household emergency pack includes one²⁶. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's flood advice adds any prescription medicines to the first aid kit in an emergency flood kit²⁷.

The grab bag is the version you can carry out of the house at short notice. Essex Prepared lists its contents: essential or prescribed medication, glasses or contact lenses, useful phone numbers, a mobile phone and charger, house and car keys, money and credit cards, a first aid kit, basic toiletries, and a torch and radio²³. The first aid kit in a grab bag can be the small going-out kit from earlier, or a dedicated copy, so long as it is packed and ready rather than being assembled on the night.

If you are evacuated, the personal backpack kit is the one that goes with you¹⁴. If you stay at home through a storm or flood, the large home kit is the one you open. Both need to be findable in the dark, which is why the home emergency plan instruction is to have a first aid kit and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is³. The wider kit, including water, food and lighting, is covered in emergency kit: what a UK household should keep ready.

Burns, foil blankets and other additions

Two further items appear in official kit lists and are worth considering. The first is burn care. The London and South East Basic Surgical Network's first aid guidance covers burn safety, including that if clothes catch fire, extinguish them, and that fully irrigated chemical injuries should be covered with a wet compress²⁸. A dedicated burns addition to the kit, such as a hydrogel burn gel, pairs with knowing the cooling steps at burns and scalds.

The second is the foil blanket. An official flood warden kit checklist includes two foil blankets alongside adhesive and non-adhesive dressings, fabric and waterproof plasters, a triangular bandage, cleansing wipes, gloves, a conforming bandage, scissors, gauze swabs, a resuscitation mask, safety pins, microporous tape, tweezers and an instruction sheet²⁹. A foil blanket keeps body heat in when someone is cold, wet or shocked, and it packs flat enough to sit in a car kit or grab bag without notice.

Learn first aid alongside the kit

A kit is only half the preparation. Essex Prepared's advice is to have a first aid kit in your home and car and learn first aid, including downloading a first aid app for your smartphone, such as the free app from the Red Cross²³. An app on your phone talks you through what to do at the moment you need it, and it weighs nothing.

Training matters more than any single item in the box. The types of course available, how long they run and where to find one are covered at first aid courses, and free online CPR training at learning CPR free online. Children can learn too: teaching children basic life-saving skills covers what to teach at what age, including how to ring 999. The core skills every adult should recognise are at what to do first: danger, response, airway and breathing.

ProtectUK's guidance on first aid provisions makes a related point about public kits: a Public Access Trauma First Aid Kit supports the treatment of immediate, life threatening injuries such as major bleeding and those not breathing on their own, and may also be used by an injured person who is able to self-treat themselves³⁰. The same logic applies at home. A kit that anyone in the house can find, open and use, with an instruction sheet inside, serves the household better than a perfect kit nobody can work out under pressure.