5 Home Remedies to Remove a Splinter

There’s nothing more painful than having a splinter. OK, maybe a few things are more painful, but having to dig into your skin with a tweezer for an endless amount of time is never a fun task. Especially if that splinter is seriously lodged in there.

But don’t worry, there’s some good news! Splinters can be coaxed out of your skin with a few simple home remedies. These typical at-home items will help you with that splinter problem without all of the painful tweezer digging.

Baking Soda

Add some water to a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to form a paste. After cleaning the area with the splinter, add the paste to the splinter area. Cover with a bandage and leave it for 24 hours. After removing, the splinter should be visible and you can pull it out with tweezers.

Duct Tape

Hate using tweezers for splinter removal? Duct tape will help rip that splinter right out! Some people have done this using transparent tape, but obviously, duct tape is a bit stronger and might be the best way to get a splinter out. If you have a splinter slightly sticking out that you can’t get out, place a piece of tape over it (after cleaning the affected area, of course). Once it’s on, pull the tape off in the opposite direction of the splinter.

Epsom Salt

Is that splinter really lodged in there? Soaking the splinter in Epsom salts to help draw it out. You can also try sprinkling the pad of a bandage with Epsom salts, and cover the splinter for a splinter removal trick. This will draw out the splinter. If you don’t want to pull it out with tweezers once it’s peeking out, continue adding a new bandage with salt daily and it will just fall out. Find out why you should not put Epsom salt in a hot tub.

Vinegar

Since vinegar is acidic and can shrink the skin around the splinter, that will help draw the splinter to the surface. Using white vinegar or apple cider vinegar will both work for this method. Soak it for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If it still isn’t working, try soaking it in warm water before placing back in the vinegar.

Banana Peel

Nope, this one really isn’t a joke. After eating that banana cut a small square piece of the peel and place it on the affected area for splinter removal. Secure with a bandage and let it sit overnight. Sure, having banana taped to you overnight may seem weird, but that splinter will easily come up and even stick that peel itself.