MRSA at Home: What’s Safe, What Isn’t, and When to Get Help

The short answer

When someone at home has a MRSA skin infection, daily life can mostly go on. The goal is to keep the bacteria from moving from the wound to hands, towels and surfaces, and from there to someone else’s skin.

MRSA spreads mainly through contact with infected skin, wounds and things that have touched them.⁵ So the things that deserve attention are the wound itself, the hands that touch it, and the towels, bandages and surfaces around it.

You don’t need to spray or fog whole rooms. The CDC says there is little evidence that this helps, compared with cleaning the surfaces people touch most.¹ Even schools usually don’t need to close when a student has MRSA; routine cleaning is enough in most cases.²

Caring for the wound

The wound is where MRSA is most concentrated, so this is where care matters most. Follow your doctor’s instructions first. General guidance includes:

If you are the caregiver, set up one clean spot for supplies: fresh bandages, tape, a trash bag and hand soap or sanitizer. Having everything in one place makes each dressing change quicker and cleaner.

• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after touching the area or its dressing.³
• Clean the area as directed, and change the dressing as often as your doctor advises.³
• Keep the sore covered with a clean bandage.³
• Put used dressings in a sealed bag so fluid doesn’t touch anything else, then throw them away with the regular trash.^1,3

What’s safe

Most normal routines are fine when the wound is covered and hands are clean.

• School and work. The CDC says most students with MRSA can go to school. They should stay home only if they can’t keep up good hygiene or have a draining wound that can’t be covered with a clean, dry bandage.² Adults should ask their doctor about work, especially in healthcare or food service.
• Laundry together. Clothes, towels and sheets that touched the infected area can be washed in hot water.³ Adding bleach where the fabric allows and drying in a hot dryer also helps.⁴ Our guide to laundry and staph has the details.

What to avoid

• Sharing towels, washcloths, razors, clothing or cosmetics³
• Touching someone else’s wound or bandage⁴
• Picking at or popping the sore¹
• Trying to drain the infection yourself. Leave that to a doctor.³
• Stopping antibiotics early. If they are prescribed, take them exactly as directed.¹
• Home remedies in place of medical care
• Pools, hot tubs or whirlpools before your doctor says it’s okay

Protecting everyone else at home

A few shared habits keep MRSA from moving between family members:

• Everyone in the home should wash their hands often with soap and water, not just the person with the infection.³
• Give the person their own towels and washcloths, and keep their razors separate.¹
• Anyone who helps with a dressing change should wash their hands before and after.³
• Keep the wound covered, especially around babies, older relatives or anyone with a weakened immune system.
• At the gym, put a towel or clothing between your skin and shared benches and mats.¹

If you’re not sure whether an activity is okay while the wound heals, such as swimming or contact sports, ask your doctor.

Cleaning the house

MRSA can survive on some surfaces for hours, days or even weeks.¹ Focus on the things hands touch most, such as faucets, light switches, remote controls, keyboards and other electronics.¹

• Use a disinfectant whose label says it works against MRSA.¹
• Read the label for the contact time: how long the surface must stay wet for the product to work.¹
• Check the maker’s instructions before cleaning electronics.¹
• Clean these spots more often while the wound is healing, and wash your hands when you’re done.

For a room-by-room plan, see cleaning your home when someone has staph.

When to get help

Call your doctor if you notice:

• A fever, or a sore that doesn’t improve within 48 hours⁵
• Redness, swelling or pain that is spreading or getting worse
• New red, painful bumps on the same person or on someone else at home
• Any signs of infection in a baby, an older adult, or someone with diabetes or a weakened immune system

Call 911 or go to the emergency room for signs of a serious infection such as sepsis. These include clammy or sweaty skin, confusion, extreme pain, fever or shivering, a high heart rate, or shortness of breath.⁶

It can help to keep a simple log of dressing changes and how the wound looks each day. If you do need to call, you’ll have clear answers ready.

With a clear plan from your doctor and a few steady habits, most households can manage a MRSA skin infection calmly and keep everyone else protected.