Cleaning is first importance in preventing infection and helping wounds to heal

First, wash your hands very well with soap and water. If the wound is bleeding or oozing, wear gloves or plastic bags on your hands. Wash the skin around the wound with soap and cool, boiled water. Now wash the wound well with cool, boiled water (and soap, if the wound has a lot of dirt in it. Soap helps clean but can damage the flesh). When cleaning the wound, be careful to clean out all the dirt. Lift up and clean under any flaps of skin. You can use clean tweezers, or a clean cloth or gauze; to remove bits of dirt, but always boil them first to be sure they are sterile.

If possible, squirt out the wound with cool boiled water in a syringe or suction bulb. Any bit of dirt that is left in a wound can cause an infection. After the wound has been cleaned, apply a thin layer of antibiotic cream like Neosporin if you have it. Then place a piece of clean gauze or cloth over the top. It should be light enough so that the air can get to the wound and help it to heal. Change the gauze or cloth every day and look for signs of infection. If you have a dirty wound or punctures wound, and have never had a tetanus immunization, get one within 2 days.

NEVER put animal or human feces or mud on a wound. These can cause dangerous infections, such as tetanus. NEVER put alcohol, tincture of iodine, or Methylate directly into a wound; doing so will damage the flesh and make healing slower.