Every home should be equipped with a well-stocked First Aid kit in preparation for emergency. However, it is not sufficient just to own this kind of basic medical equipment; it is necessary to store it correctly as well.
Dressings in particular become ineffective if stored in the wrong conditions. It is crucial that the cupboard or box in which you keep your first aid bandages is both cool and, more importantly, dry.
If wound dressings become damp, the adhesive which holds them in place dissolves. This largely renders the bandage useless. In addition, enough moisture can cause the material of the dressing itself to disintegrate or, at the least, to weaken, and this also makes the administering of first aid impossible.
Experts advise that we keep several first aid kits dotted around the house, and that we also store one in our cars. In light of the fact that dressings need to remain dry, household emergency kits should never be stored in the bathroom because of the steam and water which accumulate there regularly.
Linen cupboards have been cited as good locations for your home first aid kit since they are, ordinarily, cool and dry. Certain kitchen cupboards also qualify as long as these are positioned far from the steam of boiling pots and kettles. Wherever you choose to store your home emergency kit, it is necessary that you check it every few months in order to ensure that components have not been spoiled over time, and that dressings remain clean and dry.