How to Not Get a Cast Wet While Taking a Shower

Keeping your cast dry will prevent skin problems.

Wearing a cast takes some adjustment. Not only do you have to learn how to perform daily activities with your injured limb immobilized in a cast, you also need to learn how to balance with the cast’s added weight. You must take care of your cast, too. If you lean on a cast or put too much weight on it, it can break. If your cast gets too wet, it may need to be replaced.

Things You'll Need

• Terry cloth towels
• Plastic bag
• Waterproof tape or rubber band
• Movable shower head
• Scissors (optional)

Instructions

Instructions

1. Wrap the cast in a terry cloth towel. Tuck the edges of the towel under both ends of the cast. The towel will help protect the cast should any water or dampness reach it.

2. Cover the towel with a plastic bag. Either wrap the plastic bag around the towel or cut open the sealed end of the bag and slip it over the cast.

3. Secure the plastic bag by wrapping waterproof tape around the top and bottom of the cast. You also can use rubber bands to secure the plastic bag.

4. Point the shower head away from the cast while you are showering. If you can’t move the shower head, angle your injured body part away from the spray.

5. Dry yourself completely (including your hair) when you are finished showering.

6. Take the plastic bag and towel off the cast.

7. Check the cast to make sure it is dry.

Tips & Warnings

• If your cast gets wet, you may be able to dry the inside material with a blow dryer. Put the dryer on a low setting and blow the air from the outside of the cast.

• Check the plastic bag for holes if you use it more than once.

• You can use a bread bag or grocery bag for small casts. Trash bags work for large casts. You can also buy a cast cover, which has adhesive straps that secure it, at pharmacies.

• If you can, take baths rather than showers. That way, you can place your injured body part and its cast outside the tub.

• Some casts are completely waterproof. You can bathe and even swim with them. Your doctor will determine whether or not a waterproof cast is best for you.

• If your cast gets wet, the skin underneath it could become irritated or infected.

• If your cast is not completely waterproof, never submerge it in water.

• If you put a blow dryer on a high setting when drying your cast, you could burn yourself.

References

• University of Notre Dame: Cast Care
• Advanced Orthopedic Specialists: Cast Care Instructions
• Children’s Orthopedics of Atlanta: Cast Care
• Everyday Health: Cast and Splint Care Tips Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
• emedicine health: Cast Care