Your First Aid Secret Weapon - The mighty and humble Vinegar

We’ve all seen the many hacks on social media where Vinegar is used for everything from cleaning windows to transforming dishwashers and washing machines. 

It seems there is nothing that this household product can’t do!

Vinegar is a natural antiseptic and possesses antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that provide utility in wound care as well as bacterial and fungal infections.

Vinegar is also often promoted as first aid for stings, with the acidity of the vinegar helping to neutralise.
Make sure you note though, vinegar is only effective for some forms of tropical jellyfish (most commonly box jellyfish), and it may actually increase the release of toxin from bluebottle jellyfish, which are common jellyfish in New Zealand.

I have added a small bottle of vinegar, as well as a tube of antihistamine cream to my Wilderness Kit, which I carry whenever the family goes on walks or heads to the beach. It has come in handy more times than I can mention, and quickly helps to take the sting out of bee and wasp stings.