How to stop bleeding from a cut
The knife slips while you slice bread and your finger bleeds. Press a clean cloth firmly on the cut and hold steady pressure for ten minutes without peeking. Once it stops, rinse with clean running water, cover with a bandage, and keep it clean. Blood that spurts, soaks through, or will not stop needs your local emergency number, 911 in the US.
Why it matters: Most cuts stop with steady pressure, and knowing when it needs stitches matters.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, first. Reading a page is not training: take a certified class and practice on a manikin.
Steps
- Wash your hands or put on gloves if you are helping someone else.
- Press a clean cloth or gauze firmly on the cut.
- Hold steady pressure for ten minutes without lifting to look.
- Keep pressing; if blood soaks through, add cloth on top and press harder.
- Once it stops, rinse the cut under clean running water and cover it with a bandage.
- Change the bandage daily and watch for redness, swelling or pus.
- Take a certified first aid class to learn more, including severe bleeding control.
Stop and call a professional if
- blood spurts, pools, soaks through cloth quickly or does not slow with firm pressure: call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and keep pressing
- the cut gapes open, is deep, is on the face, or will not stop after ten minutes of pressure: get medical care for possible stitches
- the cut is from a dirty or rusty object, or an animal bite: ask a clinician about infection and tetanus
Common mistakes
- Lifting the cloth every few seconds to check.
- Using cotton balls that stick in the wound.
- Ignoring a gaping cut that needs stitches.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to stop bleeding from a cut
What to say
The knife slips while you slice bread and your finger bleeds. Press a clean cloth firmly on the cut and hold steady pressure for ten minutes without peeking. Once it stops, rinse with clean running water, cover with a bandage, and keep it clean. Blood that spurts, soaks through, or will not stop needs your local emergency number, 911 in the US.
What to show
- Wash your hands or put on gloves if you are helping someone else.
- Press a clean cloth or gauze firmly on the cut.
- Hold steady pressure for ten minutes without lifting to look.
- Keep pressing; if blood soaks through, add cloth on top and press harder.
- Once it stops, rinse the cut under clean running water and cover it with a bandage.
- Change the bandage daily and watch for redness, swelling or pus.
- Take a certified first aid class to learn more, including severe bleeding control.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if blood spurts, pools, soaks through cloth quickly or does not slow with firm pressure: call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and keep pressing.
Check question
How long should you hold pressure before checking?
Answer: About ten minutes. Clots need steady, uninterrupted pressure to form.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US national first aid guidelines for lay responders, 2025. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .