A home first aid kit is one of those things most households own and few check. The box that came with the family car may have been sitting in a closet for years, the bandages inside may be dry and the medicines may be past their dates. As the holiday season brings more cooking, ladders, travel and guests, now is a good time to check or build a home first aid kit. This guide covers what the American Red Cross recommends, what to add for your household, why expired medicine is a safety problem and a simple checklist you can finish in under an hour.
What belongs in a home first aid kit
The American Red Cross says a well-stocked first aid kit is a handy thing to have and recommends keeping one in your home and in your car, carrying one with you or knowing where you can find one, and finding out where first aid kits are located at your workplace. Kits come in many shapes and sizes, and you can buy one at a drug store or make your own.
According to the Red Cross page on the anatomy of a first aid kit, the organization recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (about 1 gram each)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- 1 emergency blanket
- 1 breathing barrier with a one-way valve
- 1 instant cold compress
- 2 pairs of non-latex gloves (size large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (about 1 gram each)
- 1 gauze roller bandage, 3 inches wide
- 1 roller bandage, 4 inches wide
- 5 sterile gauze pads, 3 x 3 inches
- 5 sterile gauze pads, 4 x 4 inches
- An oral thermometer (non-mercury and non-glass)
- 2 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- Emergency first aid instructions
The Red Cross also suggests including personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers, or other items your health-care provider recommends, and adds that kits are designed for specific activities such as hiking, camping or boating.
Add what your household actually needs
A generic kit is a starting point. Then customize it for the people and pets who live with you.
- Prescription medicines and medical supplies. The Red Cross survival kit list recommends keeping at least a 7-day supply of medications and medical items in your emergency supplies. Rotate them with your refill schedule.
- Allergy and children’s items. Talk to your pediatrician or pharmacist about which children’s medicines to keep and the correct doses for each age.
- Emergency contacts. Write down your doctor, pharmacy, a family contact and the national Poison Help line number on a card inside the kit.
- A flashlight and spare batteries, so you can use the kit during a power outage. The Red Cross survival kit list also includes a flashlight and extra batteries.
- Pet first aid. Ask your veterinarian what to keep for pets, as many human medicines are dangerous to animals.
If you have a medical condition, an older adult or an infant at home, ask your health-care provider what to add.
Why you should check expiration dates
Medicines in a first aid kit often sit untouched for years, and that is where trouble starts. The Food and Drug Administration explains in its guidance, Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines, that it began requiring an expiration date on prescription and over-the-counter medicines in 1979, that the date is a critical part of deciding whether a product is safe and will work as intended, and that expired medicines can be less effective or risky because of a change in chemical composition or a decrease in strength. The FDA adds that certain expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth and that sub-potent antibiotics can fail to treat infections. Its bottom line: if your medicine has expired, do not use it.
The Red Cross gives the same advice for kits: check them regularly, check expiration dates and replace any used or out-of-date contents. Dates are printed on the label or stamped on the bottle or carton, sometimes after the letters “EXP.”
How to dispose of expired medicine safely
The FDA says the preferred ways to dispose of expired, unwanted or unused medicine are a drug take-back location or a pre-paid mail-back envelope. Many retail, hospital and clinic pharmacies and law enforcement facilities have kiosks or drop boxes. The Drug Enforcement Administration also coordinates National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
If a take-back option is not available, the FDA says to check whether the medicine is on its flush list, and, if it is, you may flush it. If it is not on the flush list, the FDA directs you to follow its instructions for discarding the medicine in household trash. Read the label first, as some products include specific disposal directions.
The FDA also notes that medicines left around can injure children and pets who take them by mistake, and it cites a CDC estimate of 36,564 emergency department visits in 2020 among children aged 5 and under for unsupervised medication exposures. That is a good reason to store the kit out of children’s reach, and to keep medicines in their original containers.
A 45-minute first aid kit checkup
- Gather every kit in your home and car, plus any loose medicines from bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
- Lay everything out and compare it to the Red Cross list above.
- Check every date. Remove anything expired. Dispose of medicines safely using the steps above.
- Replace what is used up, especially adhesive bandages, gauze and gloves.
- Test the tools. Make sure scissors cut, the thermometer works and the flashlight has fresh batteries.
- Add a card with emergency numbers and allergy information.
- Pick a clear spot. Keep the kit where adults can reach it quickly but young children cannot, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is.
- Set a reminder. Put a calendar note to check the kit twice a year, for example when the clocks change.
If you do not have a car kit, see our guide to winterizing your car for 2026-27, which covers an emergency kit for the road.
Pair the first aid kit with other winter safety steps
A first aid kit is one layer of home safety. Others are checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which our guide to testing smoke alarms when the clocks change covers, and following the advice in our guides to space heater safety and winter power outage preparedness. If you plan to shovel snow this winter, read the safety guidance first; a kit helps with cuts and strains but is not a substitute for medical care.
When to call for help instead
A first aid kit helps with minor injuries such as small cuts, scrapes and burns. For serious bleeding, trouble breathing, chest pain, signs of stroke, a head injury or a suspected poisoning, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. For poisoning questions, Poison Control says you can use its online tool or call a poison center at 1-800-222-1222, and that both are free, expert and confidential. Consider taking a first aid and CPR class with the Red Cross or another recognized provider so you know how to use what is in the kit.
The bottom line
A first aid kit only helps if it is complete, current and easy to find. Use the Red Cross list as your base, add medications and supplies your household needs, throw out anything past its date through a take-back program or the FDA’s disposal steps, and set a reminder to check the kit twice a year. Spend 45 minutes this weekend and you will be prepared for the small emergencies that holiday travel, cooking and winter weather can bring.
