Don’t Forget This Important Spring Cleaning Task

Your emergency kits need a seasonal refresh, too. It could make or break your family’s safety in a crisis.

When seasons change, it's time to refresh and update your emergency kit Skylines/Shutterstock

Spring cleaning brings mops, buckets, and dusters to mind, but one item you may want to add to your cleaning list is your emergency kit. Yours may be lingering, dusty, and forgotten in the trunk of your car or a random closet, but it’s time now to pull out that backpack and refresh it for a new season.

Your safety in a crisis may depend on an up-to-date kit. Your needs may change from season to season due to health issues or a move to a different part of the country, for example, so your kit should reflect those changes. And, of course, warm weather requires supplies and gear specific to those temperatures.

A helpful rule of thumb is to schedule a spring or fall cleaning and refresh for your emergency kits. Add those dates to your calendar. Easter week and the week of Labor Day are perfect times for this task, just before summer and winter weather extremes arrive.

Review Your Kit for Warmer Weather

To get started, remove all the contents from your kit and lay them out on a table or countertop. At a glance, you’ll quickly see what might need to be replenished, replaced, or removed entirely. For example, with the warm months ahead, you’re unlikely to need hand warmers, and perhaps your high-energy protein bars must be replaced with fresher ones.

This is also the time to remove cold-weather clothing and replace it with a lightweight, light-colored shirt and quick-dry pants. You won’t need winter gloves or wool socks, so remove those, too! Thin wool socks and all-purpose work gloves are more suitable. A light-colored bandana will shield the back of your neck from the sun and can double up as a sweatband.

It’s not just hot weather to be mindful of. In many parts of the country, we can expect higher levels of rainfall. If this applies to you, add a sturdy but compact poncho or rain suit. Even a tiny, collapsible umbrella can help if you need to venture into the elements.

Add small containers of insect repellent and sunscreen for this time of year. Minimus.biz is the best online resource for products like these, perfectly sized for your kit. Also, check your grocery and drug store’s travel and sample-size products.

Any food items that include chocolate are probably not a good choice unless your summer temperatures are especially temperate. Foods that do well during the hot season are dried fruit, granola bars, hard candies, and vacuum-sealed jerky. Avoid anything overly salty since that will increase your thirst, and water might not be readily available in an emergency. While inspecting the contents of your kit, be sure to toss any foods that may be spoiled or food containers that have leaked or have open seals.

Address Health Concerns as You Clean Out Your Kit

Emergency kits, or bug-out bags, typically include multi-purpose gear like a multitool, duct tape, and paracord, but if you have chronic health issues that require daily medication or mobility issues, your kit contents need to include supplies for those, too.

An inexpensive pill organizer can hold daily prescription medications, supplements, and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or Benadryl. However, time and fluctuating temperatures can diminish their effectiveness. As long as you’re spring cleaning your kit, replace all those medications with fresh ones to ensure potency and effectiveness.

First-aid supplies should also be inspected, replenished, and replaced. Adhesive bandages can dry out, and packets of alcohol wipes can be punctured. If you purchase a new first aid kit specifically designed for portable emergency kits, customize it with the medical supplies you require.

A final consideration for your spring cleaning is the effects of hot weather on your body. It can quickly overcome a person, so add Liquid IV or Gatorade powder packets to ensure you continue hydrating your body and replenishing it with electrolytes. To help mitigate this, include a small battery-powered fan in your kit and even a tiny spray bottle. The airflow and spritzing water on your face can do wonders for staying cool.

Repacking Your Kit

Now that you’ve sorted through the contents of your kit, you’re ready to repack it, but first, look for spillage inside your backpack or kit container and thoroughly clean it before repacking.

If you haven’t used an item in a year or more, consider tossing it unless it is a versatile tool like a Swiss Army knife. The purpose of your kit is to provide the most necessary supplies in an emergency until help arrives or you make your way home. It shouldn’t weigh as much as a 4-year-old and hold everything but the kitchen sink!

Organize contents by category and pack them in plastic, transparent containers. You want to be able to see what each bag or pouch contains. These can be as simple as zippered storage bags, like Ziploc.

Your kit is refreshed and ready for warmer weather, and you can depend on it when the next emergency arrives.