A few weeks ago, I shared how I keep our car clean and organized. And then last week, I showed you our “new-to-us” vehicle that we recently purchased after we totaled our other car in an accident.
I had lots of fun cleaning and organizing our new car — and packing it with necessary items like jumper cables, snow brush, blankets, sunglasses, car chargers for our phones… and a first aid kit.
After I shared my tips for keeping our car clean and organized, I received several comments and emails suggesting that I add a first aid kit to our vehicles… especially now that we have a baby.
I figured this was probably a good idea, so as I was getting our new car ready to go, I grabbed an empty diaper wipes container and filled it with a bunch of the sample size products I’ve gotten for free over the last few months.
I was surprised how many sample-size items I found in our bathroom cabinet — everything from pain medication, Band Aids, and individual cough syrup packets to cotton balls, tissues, and toothpaste.
Everything was the perfect size to fit in a small diaper wipes container!
I did have to use a few non-sample-size items, but I was still able to clear out some of the clutter from our box of sample-size products and create a fully stocked first aid kit for each of our vehicles!
Hopefully we won’t need to use it very often, but if we do, I have plenty more sample-size products to refill it with!
Marcia says
Love this idea! I highly recommend everyone attend a Red Cross First Aid class in order to make yourself aware of the latest first aid emergency care because they have changed over the years.
I have always kept a first aid kit in all of our vehicles, home, and camping gear. I also keep water, blankets (shock, cold, clothes changing “closet”) and changes of clothing.
Just last week my daughter and I witnessed a motorcycle wreck. We quickly stopped to assist. While she dialed 911 and retrieved the kit, I ran to the scene. As soon as she brought the kit the first thing I did was put on 2 pair of gloves. Why? in case the first pair had a pinhole or tear. As soon as I arrived home I replenished my kit.
It is also a good idea to check your items for expiration dates as medicinal items such as ointment or pills expire before we need them.
Re: toothpaste/mouthwash- it may not be an emergency item but when someone has thrown up it is nice to have the toothpaste or mouthwash to refresh your mouth with (morning sickness/car sick). Toothpaste can also be applied to bug bites to help stop itching.
Carrie says
Toothpaste probably isn’t a “first aid” item, but wouldnt it be nice to have, if you for some reason needed it?
Paula @ The Tween & Me says
I am a big believer in having a change of clothes and a first aid kit in the car, but wanted to warn you about keeping medicines in a potentially very hot location. I live in the south and with afternoon temperatures getting into the 90s, the temperature in a car could easily be 120! Medicines, like people and animals, need to be kept in a much more temperate area. I would suggest keeping those things in your purse to be brought in and out of the car when you’re not in it, or in a separate container that you keep with your purse and can grab it when you’re heading out. I’ve had chapstick and lipstick completely melt in my car, so I can only imagine the chemical changes medicine would go through in that heat.
Shar says
I agree with you Paula, I also live in the south and we have recently have temps in the 102-105 degree range. I would hate to know what chemical changes would occur in medications kept in a automoblie in that enviorment. I noticed the kit shown had toothpaste shown, is there a use for it as a first aid item? I am not aware of any myself 🙂
Debra Kapellakis says
That looks great. It is a good idea. BRAVO!
stephanie says
When I took a first aid class I was given a sample first aid kit. This included gauze, medical tape, bandaids, latex free gloves, and an ace bandage. There were a few more items that I cannot remember. The one that the instructor stressed the most was gloves. Most likely in your situation you will only be helping your family. But if you ever come across someone else you want to help, you should never help them without gloves on. They may carry diseases that could pass onto you if you get there blood on a cut cuticle or other open wound on your hand.
The first rule of first aid is to not put yourself in danger, because than you can’t help someone else out.
I like the idea of the diaper wipe box. There have been times I wish I had Tylenol in my car, or a bandaid for my kids or for someone else. I better make myself a first aid kit. I always hereto an extra blanket in the car in the winter but other things are definitely helpful.
Deni Breitenbach says
This is a wonderful idea! We keep a few sample size items for travel, we keep a quart size bag ready for flights and gallon size bags for ground trips.
The rest we donate to our local food pantry. They appreciate them and use them for single referrals.
As everyone knows, these are difficult times and sharing some of our extras of these items is a blessing for us and others.
MelissaPete says
We have what Nora (above) has in her car. I stocked a school backpack with extra clothes for each child, solar blankets, rain ponchos, flash light, water, crackers and fruit snacks, first aid kit, and a medicine bottle with all of our emergency type meds we might need while we’re out. When the girls were smaller, I had a fold up diaper changing pad with diapers and wipes in it. I just thought about what we might need if we were stranded in our car for a number of hours, and that’s how I put it together. Many great websites out there for car kits, 72-hour kits and such. I do love the baby wipe container for the first aid kits.
Erika says
I keep in my car, the basic first aid kit, but also have a very small spare diaper bag, which i have an extra change of clothes, wipes, diapers, 2 bottle of waters and a box of disposable gloves. why gloves?? An old coworker told my that on two seperate occasions her daughter has thrown up in the car and and she has had nothing. The gloves are there so i can use if i ever need them. The water is there in case i need to pour it over my daughter to rinse anything off her. Besides that, I also have a small blanket that i keep on hand and an old towel. That diaper bag has come in handy!
emoore says
I am saving many of my free samples for a care package for my daughter who starts college in the fall. I figure that an occasional package of essentials and treats will be a welcome sight at the mail boxes. I remember I used to love getting mail at college.
Nora@ The Dollar Holllering Homemaker says
We live in tornado country so we actually keep a full emergency kit in our car (with change of clothes for each member of the family, water, food, flashlight, etc). My husband keeps a smaller version for just himself at work and of course we have a bigger version at home.
Thrifty Mom in Boise says
Great idea. I keep a first aid kit in both of my vehicles and our travel trailer as well. You always hope you don’t need them but they have definitely come in handy when we did. Band-aids and aspirin are the most popular items to get used. I love how you recycled the diaper wipes container. Perfect size too.
Melissa says
I absolutely love this idea! I will have to make one for our car. I also have a ton of diaper wipes containers that I can use for it as well. Great idea! Thanks.