It’s July 13 and we’re celebrating National No Splinters Day. Never heard of it? WEll we’re here to tell you all about this holiday. It’s a fairly basic idea – how can we prevent splinters from happening. While fairly harmless, if left too long under the skin they can start causing more serious issues. Read on to find our tips for avoiding splinters, and why theory can be so dangerous.
National No Splinters Day FAQs
What is a splinter?
A splinter is a small sliver of material such as wood, glass, or metal that can get stuck under the top layer of skin.
How to get rid of splinters?
Many people opt to use tweezers, if you do use these, make sure that you sterilize them before. You can also use a needle, which should also be sterilized. Another method is to use strong tape – the idea is that the splinter will stick to the tape and come out when you pull the tape up. Remember to clean the wound too, to avoid infections.
What happens if you don't remove a splinter?
Occasionally, small splinters come out by themselves but there are dangers to leaving splinters in your skin. Because the splinter makes an opening in your skin, it’s easy for germs and dirt to enter. This can cause an infection, which when left untreated can cause serious illness. If the splinter is from something organic, such as a thorn, there could already be fungi or bacteria on it that can cause infection.
National No Splinters Day Activities
Sand and seal wood outdoor furniture
Wood is a common source of splinters, which makes your outdoor wood furniture a danger. Your garden set is often exposed to the elements and undergoes a lot more weathering that strips the varnish or sealant. Keeping your outdoor furniture sanded smooth and sealed will go a long way to prevent splinters, especially during the summer when they're getting used more often.
Reseal your deck
Keeping your deck in good shape is a great way to avoid nasty splinters in bare feet. If you have a wood deck, ensure that you inspect it regularly to make sure that no planks are cracked or splintering. Resealing your deck regularly will ensure the safety of your family and visitors.
Inspect wood railings and posts
Your balcony and stair railings are exposed to the elements year round, so it makes sense that they may crack or splinter faster than a normal railing would. Be sure to inspect them and see if they can be sanded and resealed. If the cracking is too severe you'll need to replace the pieces – splinters pose quite the danger to your family and even pets.
5 Common Splinter Sources
Wood furniture or railings
Exposure to the elements causes wood to splinter easier, so be careful when using park benches, picnic tables, or balcony railings.
Metal shavings or sharp edges
Don't overlook the dangers of metal splinters which can come off sharp edges or when working with sheets of metal.
Fibreglass
This is a useful material used for various things including house insulation, but can often cause splinters from the glass pieces.
Broken glass
Often shattered glass will break into big chunks but there are often small slivers that can imbed themselves in feet or fingers.
Thorny or woody plants
Cacti and plants such as rose bushes can also be overlooked sources of splinters.
Why We Love National No Splinters Day
Makes us more aware of small dangers
While we're all aware of splinters, we may forget how easy they are to get. We may overlook our railings or deck, and not do the proper maintenance to avoid causing injuries. No Splinters Day is a great reminder about the small ways we can injure ourselves.
Builds safety habits
Teaching kids to recognize splinter hazards, encouraging proper tool maintenance, and creating safer environments at home and in public spaces – these are lessons that last a lifetime. When we celebrate National No Splinters Day, we're really celebrating mindfulness, preparation, and the idea that a little prevention goes a long way toward making our daily lives more comfortable and safe.
Encourages you to do home maintenance
There are many home maintenance tasks that we forget to do. Sanding or resealing wood furniture and decks is probably one of them. This day encourages us to tackle those tasks. A little bit of home maintenance goes a long way and No Splinters Day is a reminder of that.
National No Splinters Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | July 13 | Monday |
| 2027 | July 13 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | July 13 | Thursday |
| 2029 | July 13 | Friday |
| 2030 | July 13 | Saturday |
