Infection - non-SI... mud/dirt in little cut, probably over worried

[broken spirit]

This wasn't a self-inflicted cut... I was jogging the other day (yesterday, I think) and it had just rained a lot and I slipped... my knee got a little scraped, but no real blood... my hand, same deal, a bit of scraped up stuff, except for one cut across my palm. Barely a cut, probably about a centimeter long. I didn't notice it at first since it wasn't really bleeding that much. Well, it was awhile before I got home and I didn't really take that much care in cleaning it out (again, I didn't know there was an actual cut under the mud and asphalt on my palm)...
Today I noticed that there was dirt in where the scab was forming... I tried to remove the scab and clean it with alcohol, but it hurt and I left it alone for a bit. I feel so wimpy complaining about a tiny cut, but it truly hurts. It's raised, and if I touch anywhere near it, it stings and throbs a little. It's really painful to hold on to anything (on the metro to D.C. today, I couldn't hold onto the metal poles) and it just bothers me. There's a red streak that is perpendicular to the cut... so there's not really any red on the ends of the cut, just in the middle, and they extend. So its kind of like an X... sorta.
TO THE POINT... what should I do? I don't know if there's still any mud, if its begining to get infected, if I'm just over reacting, or a combination of those.

[Animad]

I would try cleaning it out as good as you can with a wound wash or a mild soap/water solution(rinsing it thoroughly with plain water)/ a disinfectant. If you can't do it because of the pain you should get someone else to do it but it needs to be done as soon as possible really to prevent problems healing, reactions by your body to anything that might have gotten into your wound (though some of these may be good, they can be damaging) and prevent any infection. To me it doesn't sound infected right now and it is still a bit early for most infections to set it but it really does need cleaning out and once it's clean it will be a good idea to cover the wounds in anti-bacterial cream