How to Get Pepper Spray Off Your Hands

Co-authored by Mohiba Tareen, MD

Last Updated: September 6, 2024 References

Pepper spray can be both harmful and painful when it comes in contact with your skin or eyes. The best way to counteract this, though, is to either avoid it or to remove it from your skin promptly. This article will show you how to remove pepper spray from your hands.

Steps

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1
Stop the behavior that got you sprayed (accidentally or intentionally).
- For instance, if you or someone else mishandled the bottle of spray (in relaxed circumstances or playing), be careful. By continuing the behavior, you can cause more exposure and more damage to be incurred on you or any person in the vicinity.
- Never do something illegal, because someone can pepper spray you to stop you from:
  - Committing a violent crime (e.g. in self-defense)
  - Leaving after you clearly committed a crime (e.g. by a citizen's arrest), especially when it's a felony, and
  - Resisting arrest if that person is a police officer who is arresting you, which is illegal, even if you're innocent.
Also, don't touch any objects you don't need to. As the pepper material can stick there and hurt someone else or you much later if not cleaned.^{[1]
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If you don't know, make sure you have no swelling, trouble breathing, hives, or any symptoms that warn you of an impending health problem.^{[2]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Don't hesitate. If you have any allergy problems or questions, call the Emergency Services. Trouble breathing, for example, may be the difference between life and death.^{[3]
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4
Gather the needed materials. (Still focus on your body, making sure you have no allergic symptoms. They may be slow in showing themselves). Get a basin or a container that can hold water and is clean. Be careful, and don't panic while getting the materials.
- Get some soap. Try dish soap, because it works fine. If the pepper spray was chemical, then you may be wary of mixing it with the dish soap, but you should be fine using Dawn or similar brands. What you may need is a fingernail brush.
5
Mix your dish soap into the water as you would for dishwater. You may want to use it liberally, as some pepper spray have oil in them, and they are meant to stick (but don't go overboard as it may cause skin irritation).^{[4]
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- Don't scrub too hard, even though it may be tempting. You can wipe and rub your hands together making sure that every part of your hands are being cleaned. You may want to do this for about a minute or 2.
6
Take your hands out of the water. After letting them dry a little (they shouldn't be dripping water anymore), you can wash them again. You should make sure to wash them like you did the first time. Do this step until your hands feel normal again. If they always felt fine (no pain or burning) then you should still wash them at least 5 times.
- Wash them more between 5-10, if you felt pain or burning, though. If your hands were very contaminated then you may want to change the dishwater between the first, second, and third washings.

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Tips

Wear gloves if you are helping someone else with this method.^{[5]
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Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
Don't hesitate going to the hospital or call the Emergency Services. You may really need them.

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Don't panic. During step 1, the pain may cause you to panic. But panicking can make it worse. It will stop you from focusing, may cause everybody else to panic, and will stop you from getting the help you need.

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Warnings

This method is meant for your hands, not your face and eyes. See a different tutorial for that.

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Don't put yourself into this situation or do something illegal, especially by committing a violent crime or a felony, or resisting an arrest made by a police officer, next time. You might not come out so lucky.

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Be aware of your allergies (pepper spray, dish soap, etc.), as you may endanger yourself further by not knowing your risk.

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