Ask Adventure Network. Basic first aid tips for cleaning. In the big food chain, big meateaters munch smaller meateaters and humans find themselves, except for an occasional bear attack, comfortably at the top of the order and ready to eat anything. But then there's the invisible world of microorganisms in which you might be the food of invading germs. Infected wounds are a major cause of wilderness adventures ending sooner than planned.
Proper wound cleaning almost equals the prevention of infection.
The best method of wound cleaning is mechanical irrigation and the best irrigation fluid is clean fresh water or a solution of diluted povidone-iodine. Shake it up and wait at least five minutes to allow the iodine time to disinfect the water completely. A teaspoon of salt dissolved in this solution increases its effectiveness. Draw the solution up into an irrigation syringe. Hold the syringe 2 to 4 inches above the wound and perpendicular to the wound, and push down on the plunger forcefully.