How do I dispose of used wound dressings safely?

Put used dressings and supplies in a waterproof plastic bag, close it tightly, then double-bag it before putting it in the trash. Wash soiled laundry separately, and ask your provider whether to add bleach.

There’s a clear method, and it’s more specific than most people expect for something that ends up in the household trash.

Throw away the old dressing and other used supplies in a waterproof plastic bag. Close it tightly, then double it before putting it in the trash. For wet-to-dry dressings it’s the same: put all used supplies in the plastic bag, close it securely, then put it in a second plastic bag, close that bag securely, and put it in the trash.

Double bagged, each bag closed. That’s the whole of the disposal instruction.

The bag is also used during the change, not just at the end. Put the old dressing in a plastic bag and set it aside. Then remove your gloves into the same bag, wash your hands, and add the rest of the used material at the end before sealing it.

Laundry has its own instruction, and it’s the part most often missed. Wash any soiled laundry from the dressing change separately from other laundry, and ask your provider if you need to add bleach to the wash water. Whether bleach is needed is up to your provider, not something to decide at home.

One more that belongs here because it’s about reuse rather than disposal: use a dressing only once. Never reuse it.

Sharps, suction canisters and clinical waste collection are handled differently and vary by service. If your dressing changes involve anything beyond gauze and tape, that’s a question for the clinic supplying them.

What to watch for

Double-bag used dressings and supplies, closing each bag, before putting them in the trash.

Wash soiled laundry from the dressing change separately from other laundry, and ask your provider if you need to add bleach to the wash water.

Use a dressing only once and never reuse it.

Sharps, canisters and clinical waste are handled differently. Ask the service supplying them.

Wound Wizard is general education. The clinician or service managing the wound is the right one to ask.

What we look at

  • Specifying what supplies are used and how they are disposed of
  • Advising on laundry where drainage is heavy
  • Arranging clinical waste collection if it is needed
  • Reviewing how the changes are going at home

Sources

  1. Surgical wound care - open — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000040.htm
  2. Wet-to-dry dressing changes — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000315.htm
  3. Surgical wound care - closed — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000738.htm