A basic saline solution for cleaning wounds requires just two ingredients: non-iodized salt and clean water, mixed to a concentration of 0.9%. That ratio matches your body’s own fluid balance, so it won’t sting or damage exposed tissue. Here’s how to make it safely at home and use it correctly.
What You Need
The ingredient list is short: table salt, water, and a clean container. The salt should be non-iodized and free of additives like anti-caking agents or seasoning blends. Plain, non-iodized table salt or pure pickling salt both work. Sea salt with added minerals or iodized salt can irritate open tissue.
For water, distilled water is the safest option because it’s already free of bacteria and contaminants. If you don’t have distilled water, tap water works as long as you boil it first. The CDC recommends boiling water for a full minute to kill all organisms that cause illness. At high altitudes (above 6,500 feet), extend that to three minutes because water boils at a lower temperature.
The Recipe
The target is a 0.9% concentration, which means 9 grams of salt per liter of water. If you have a kitchen scale, that’s the most accurate method: weigh out 9 grams of salt and dissolve it in 1 liter of water.
Without a scale, use this conversion: roughly half a teaspoon of salt per cup (250 ml) of water, or 2 teaspoons per liter. For a larger batch, mix 8 teaspoons of salt into 4 liters of distilled water. Stir until the salt dissolves completely. The solution should taste about as salty as tears. If it tastes noticeably salty, you’ve added too much, and the solution could irritate the wound rather than clean it.
If you’re using boiled tap water, let it cool to a comfortable temperature before mixing. Saline applied to wounds is safest at or near body temperature, around 37°C (98.6°F). You don’t need it to be hot, just not cold enough to cause discomfort or shock the tissue.
Keeping It Clean
Use a container that’s been washed thoroughly with soap and hot water, or sterilized by boiling. Glass jars with lids work well. Avoid dipping fingers, gauze, or anything else directly into your stored solution, as that introduces bacteria. Instead, pour what you need into a separate clean cup or bowl each time.
Storage matters more than most people realize. Research testing homemade saline found that solution stored at room temperature grew bacteria within two weeks. Refrigerated saline, by contrast, stayed bacteria-free for at least four weeks. The practical rule: if you made it with boiled tap water, refrigerate it and throw out any remaining solution after 24 hours. Saline made with distilled water lasts longer, up to one month in the refrigerator. Either way, if the solution looks cloudy or has particles floating in it, discard it and make a fresh batch.
How to Clean a Wound With Saline
The goal of wound irrigation is to flush out dirt, debris, and bacteria without damaging the healing tissue underneath. You need enough pressure to dislodge contaminants but not so much that you injure the wound bed. The sweet spot is roughly 25 to 40 PSI. Tissue damage can start above 70 PSI, so a gentle but steady stream is what you’re aiming for.
The simplest way to get the right pressure at home is to fill a clean syringe (without a needle) and push the plunger firmly. A 35 to 50 ml syringe generates pressure in that ideal range when you squeeze with both hands. If you don’t have a syringe, you can use a squeeze bottle with a narrow nozzle, like a clean sports bottle. Hold it a few inches from the wound and squeeze steadily. Pouring saline gently over a wound also works for superficial scrapes and cuts where debris isn’t embedded.
Let the saline flow across the wound and drain away. Don’t try to catch and reuse it. For deeper or dirtier wounds, repeat the irrigation until the fluid running off looks clear. Pat the area dry with a clean cloth or sterile gauze afterward, then apply whatever dressing you’re using.
When Homemade Saline Is Not Enough
Homemade saline is appropriate for cleaning minor cuts, scrapes, abrasions, and piercings. It’s a safe, inexpensive way to keep everyday wounds clean during healing.
It’s not a substitute for sterile, commercially packaged saline in certain situations. Deep puncture wounds, animal bites, wounds with embedded debris you can’t flush out, burns larger than a few inches, and any wound showing signs of infection (increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus, or red streaks spreading from the site) all need professional care. Surgical wounds or wounds held together with stitches should only be cleaned according to the specific instructions your provider gives you, as the irrigation pressure and sterility requirements differ.
For routine wound cleaning at home, though, a properly made saline solution does the same job as the pre-packaged versions at a fraction of the cost. The key is getting the salt ratio right, keeping your tools and containers clean, and not storing it longer than it stays safe.