Medicine Cabinet: What You Need to Have in Your Closet
You’re at home, and one of your friends accidentally cuts themselves. You look around your house but can’t find bandages. There’s no gauze. You want to clean the wound and search for hydrogen peroxide but can’t find any. This scenario happens more frequently in households that are down on medical supplies. Did you know some people don’t even have a medicine pantry in their homes? It’s about time you fix this if you fall into that category. Do you know what you need in your medicine cabinet? Today, we will review some of the top tools and first aid supplies you will eventually need in your home.
Bandaids for the Cabinet
The best advice for stocking your cabinet is always to have band-aids, gauze, and peroxide available for any random cuts. Band-aids will prevent blood from leaking from a wound, while gauze will stop the bleeding, and using peroxide keeps the cut from infection. Certain cuts and wounds need to be handled differently, and healing varies. For more information, see the guide here. Aches come out of nowhere and hurt. Pushing through the pain can be rough, and it’s a good idea to keep some Tylenol or other painkillers in your cabinet. Feeling under the weather? It’s wise to always have a thermometer in your home to check your temperature.
Cold Compress and Medicine
Have you ever gotten a black eye or a swollen muscle? It’s the perfect time to pull out the cold compress. Leave the bag in your freezer for emergencies so that it’s ready to soothe away your pain in a matter of minutes. Do you suffer from heartburn? Keeping antacids, such as Tums gives you the ability to fight back as soon as you feel your body begin to flare. Do you wake up from a rough cough throughout the night? Cough medicine helps suppress your cough and keep you asleep throughout the night. Having trouble sleeping? Research buying melatonin, which helps relax your body for a good night’s rest.
Allergies, Congestion, and More
Keeping decongestants on hand is always useful for those days you’re stuffed up. From Advil to Mucinex, there are many over-the-counter decongestants that will do the job. Do your eyes get dry frequently? Keeping a bottle of eye solution for those moments of dryness really comes in handy to restore clear vision. Last but not least allergy season seems to be year-round for different people. Keep a box of Sudafed in your possession or even Allegra.
We hope these tips help keep your medicine cabinet stocked with the best medications and supplies for any emergency.
Emergency Preparedness for Fires and Severe Weather
In addition to having medical supplies, it’s crucial to prepare for emergencies like fires or severe weather events. Here are a few essential items to keep in your home for safety and preparedness:
- Fire Extinguisher – A small kitchen fire can escalate quickly, so having a fire extinguisher readily available can help contain the situation. Check expiration dates regularly to ensure it’s functional.
- Burn Ointment & Sterile Dressings – Burns can happen during cooking or accidental exposure to flames. Keeping burn ointment and sterile dressings helps manage pain and prevent infection.
- Emergency Flashlights & Batteries – Power outages are common during storms, so a flashlight with spare batteries is a must-have.
- First Aid Kit – In case of injuries during an evacuation or shelter-in-place situation, a well-stocked first aid kit should be easily accessible.
- Bottled Water & Non-Perishable Food – Severe weather events can disrupt water and food supplies. Store enough bottled water and canned goods for at least 72 hours.
- Portable Phone Charger – Power outages can last for hours or even days. A fully charged power bank ensures you can make emergency calls if needed.
For more information on preparing for fires and natural disasters, visit Ready.gov’s emergency preparedness guide.
Got Medicare Questions?
We hope that this information on what to have in your medicine cabinet is useful to you.
Let us help you answer your questions so that you can get back to the activities that you enjoy the most.
Call (888) 446-9157, click here to get an INSTANT QUOTE, or leave a comment below!
See our other websites:
This article was updated on 2/27/25.