Softening Casts

• Put cloth in water to soak. It helps to have the cloth folded – depending on the size of the leg

 

• Put dry towel under casted leg

 

• Fill jug/small container with warm water

 

• Pour warm water very slowly onto cast and rub all over the cast. This gets the softening process started. The outside of the whole cast should be very damp

 

• Take the cloth out of the water, don’t squeeze – immediately wrap it around casted leg. It needs to be really wet to work well.

 

• Put clingfilm around the cloth – it helps to tuck it in at the top of the cast, and overlap the bottom of the cast.

 

• Put clingfilm around the cloth – it helps to tuck it in at the top of the cast, and overlap the bottom of the cast.

 

• Finally keep it all in place by inserting leg into a bag which you can tie around the top of the cast.

 

If your child dislikes water, it is often possible to unravel the cast once it has been well softened, rather than have a bath and use a knife to cut it. This can be very messy though!