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The HBHW Recommends
Frugal Homemade Remedies
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Got the sniffles or your head is hurting? No need to head to one of the mega drug stores and pay a fortune in over-the-counter medications. Many of the ailments that plague us and our kids on a regular basis can be treated with some frugal homemade remedies.
Disclaimer - I am not a health care professional, just a regular person sharing some old-fashioned tips. Use at your own risk. When in doubt, please see your doctor or other health care professional with any questions or concerns.
Headache
As soon as you start to feel a headache coming on, drink a big glass of cool water. Headaches are often a sign of dehydration in which case the liquid will help better than an aspirin.
If you don’t catch it in time, or the water didn’t help, try wetting a cloth and adding a few drops of mint oil to it. Lay the cool, wet cloth over your forehead, close your eyes and relax for a few minutes.
Cough
Heat some milk and stir a spoon full of honey in it and sip slowly. Right before bed, when coughing usually gets worse, you may want to take a spoon full of honey. It will coat the throat and stop the cough - Don’t give raw honey to children under the age of 2 though.
Get some Vicks (generic works fine) Rub, rub it on the bottom of your feet and put on a pair of socks. Then hop in the bed. The coughing should stop within about 15 minutes.
Get a cold, wet washcloth and put it on over your throat, then cover it with a dry towel.
Cold
Good old fashioned chicken soup is always my first choice. Be sure to breath in the steam from the hot soup… it’ll help open up your sinuses.
Another excellent remedy is to take the juice of a lemon and mix it with a cup of hot water and honey to taste. The honey will sooth a sore throat, the steam coming out of the cup will make your sinuses feel better and the vitamin C in the lemon helps your immune system.
Other than that plenty of fluids and rest should get you better in no time.
Sore Throat
Gargle with either garlic tea (press up to 6 cloves of garlic into some very warm water), or sage tea (steep sage leaves in boiling water for a few minutes… take the sage out and allow the tea to cool a bit.
Keep your throat covered with a cloth or scarf.
Drink some hot milk with honey to sooth the throat.
Ear Ache
Chop up a piece of onion, wrap it in some cheese cloth or a thin kitchen towel and place it on the ear. This works best if you’re laying on your side with the hurt ear up and then lay the onion on it.
Insect Bite
Get a solid deodorant stick and rub it on the insect bite.
Chew some parsley and put it on the bite. Takes the sting out within a few seconds.
Poison Ivy / Oak Rash
Take the rind of a watermelon and rub it on the rash.
Nausea
Drink some warm peppermint tea, eat some licorice or eat some ginger. Gingersnaps and candied ginger work well.
Fever
Get in a slightly cool bath. The cool water will help get your body temperature down. Alternatively you can make cool towel compresses. Dip a hand towel in cool water, wring it out and wrap it around your calves. Cover it with a larger dry towel. Repeat for the other leg. Rewet the towels with cool water as needed.
Make some linden flower tea and sip about 4 cups a day to get your fever down.
I’m sure there are plenty more homemade remedies out there that our mothers and grandmothers have relied on for years and years. Feel free to share the ones you know of as a comment below.
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May 19th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
HOME REMEDY:My Grandmother used to go fresh mint.It really does help settle the upset tummy.She would have you chew on the leaves until completely pulverized. Then you just discard it.If you don’t have a plant handy, substitute a peppermint patty.This has helped more times than I can remember!
May 19th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
If you’re eating chicken soup for a cold, add a dash of Tabasco sauce. It really clears up the sinuses.
May 19th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Trouble sleeping? Drink some chamomile tea, put some lavendar in some sheer fabric and rub it over your pillow and set it nearby, and, as my husband says, “DREAM about it”, meaning, whatever you can’t stop thinking about…..turn it into a dream! The way I do that is allowing myself to begin thinking nonsense thoughts about it, wandering, disconnected, like you do in dreams.
May 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Trouble waking up? Eat an apple. It wakes you up better than caffeine! Of course, going to bed earlier is what we REALLY need! Get up a half hour earlier and as soon as you get dressed, exercise. It will clear your mind, get your metabolism going, and allow you to plan and pray. Be sure and eat some protein right afterward, (like an egg) so your muscles have fuel to build with. Otherwise, your body won’t build muscle as well.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
ginger tea, made from peeled sliced ginger root(about a 2 inch piece) is great for colds and also for upset stomach even after chemotherapy.just simmer the ginger until the water looks like weak regular tea, for the colds drink it hot with honey. apples are good for headaches but you have to eat the peel.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:10 am
When we were kids and would get a bee sting, my mother would get out the meat tenderizer. We would make a moist paste of it, apply to the sting, and it felt better quickly. I don’t know why it worked, but I still use it today for horse fly bites, etc.
May 20th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Just be sure not to drink the sage tea if you are a nursing mother as it will reduce your milk supply. So is also a nice home remedy for drying up milk supply:-)
May 20th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
okay for bee stings make a baking soda paste and put it on the sting… for tooth ache use clove oil or cloves in whole pieces put on area that hurts… for fever I use alcohol rub it works wonders… those are a few remedies that were passed to me from my mom… oh if you get gum in your hair use peanutbutter or ice to get it out… I have used this and it works… someone in my house gives the 5yr old gum and she always falls asleep with it in her mouth … and it ends up in her hair…lol
May 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
here is a plant remedy to keep bugs off… use pepper juice and mix with water in a spray bottle… all bugs have taste buds and if its hot they wont eat it…. spray on plants… any plants… this works great…
May 20th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Tea Tree Oil. A friend recommended it for skin irritations and I’ve used it on a few rashes, insect bites, and she used it on poison ivy to take out the itch. When Compoud W nor freezing worked to remove a child’s warts, we tried tea tree oil. It worked! Applied every day for a few weeks we saw results nothing else has managed.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
“Get a cold, wet washcloth and put it on over your throat, then cover it with a dry towel.” People always think I’m weird when I tell them this one! I’m glad to see it here because I know it works! My mother and grandmother used this, and I have used it on my own children when they were young. I don’t know how it works, but I know it does.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
If tea tree oil is applied to a small cut or abrasion as soon as possible, it will heal much faster.
“Lambs Ears” ` lovely low fuzzy-leafed plant is easy to grow and spreads beautifully. It needs at least partial sun. The leaves make wonderful bandages - they stick even less than the commercial dressings that are not supposed to stick to a wound. Just use some first aide tape to keep the leaf in place.
Treat an insect bite with Jewel weed - take a leaf, mush it up really well and just rub the juice on the itch. It really helps!
If you know your skin has been touched by poison ivy, oak or sumac, FIRST flush thoroughly with COLD water and then wash well with soap and warm water and rinse thoroughly. The cold water tends to wash away the urishol (itch causing oil.)
If you can keep an aloe vera plant handy, if you get a burn in the kitchen, immediately break off part of a leaf and rub the juice on the burn. Often, the burn won’t even show up, but you must do it right away.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:06 am
Living in the South and being an avid gardener I’m often afflicted with severe insect and ant bites. I carry a spray bottle of kitchen or bathroom cleaner containing bleach with me in the garden. When I’m bit, I just spray and the itch or sting VANISHES! It’s amazing.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Sinus Trouble: This is what I’ve found that works. I have gotten some of the same advice from my physician’s assistant and doctor. Boil a pan of water on the stove. Take it off the stove and put in on a trivet on the table. Take a towel and put it over your head and the pan and breathe the steam. A super hot washcloth placed on the face where the sinus pain is also helps. I also suggest taking ibuprofen as it helps to reduce the swelling. My dh finds using his neti pot helps. I like to use my saline nasal spray. It often flushes out whatever pollen or dust that is bothering me quickly.
Sty: If you have a clogged tear duct or a sty, put a hot washcloth on it. It helps your tear duct relax and let go of the dirt and you will get well faster.
May 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
At the very first sign of a BLADDER INFECTION,drink one cup of strong burdock root tea. This remedy is very effective if taken early on. It is not recommended to drink more than one cup as this herb is a diuretic and will disturb your electrolite balances. Burdock root is available at your health food store and is inexpensive.
May 26th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
If you rub with alcohol to bring down a fever - be sure to rub down the body (direction of head to toes). If you rub up (toes to head) the fever could rise.
May 26th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I have found that epsom salts are helpful with many types of rashes. I am allergic to so many things - when I have a small rash that I know isn’t ivy or sumac - I will use a compress with hot water and epsom salt. It stops the itching and helps draw whats causing the rash out of the skin. The rashes stop itching and heal much quicker.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:27 am
a solution of water and REAL apple cider vinegar (with the mother in it)can be used as a gargle for a sore throat. Used two or three times a day for a day or two and the sore throat is entirely gone. I use as much vinegar as I can stand, and always let just a little go down my throat. This has never failed to work.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
For sore throats hollow out a cone shape in a swede and put a dessertspoon full of golden syrup, treacle or molasses (depending on what’s available)in the hollow and leave in a warm spot overnight. The juice from the swede mixes with the syrup and is very soothing on the throat when taken by the teaspoonful. Use a new swede with every batch made.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:56 am
For a sty, use a wash cloth soaked in warm water. Once the sty opens and is oozing the puss. You can use a match from a book of paper matches, the cardboard end to pull the puss out of your eye. Works like a charm. For some reason the puss is attracted to the cardboard end of the match.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Regarding the steam bowl, if you have a respiratory infection add a few drops of therapeutic or medicinal grade each of essential oils of lavender and eucalyptus and breathe deep. Make sure you don’t put your face too close and get burned by the steam.
Any sort of skin burn can be cured almost instantly by putting therapeutic grade lavender on the burn as quickly as you can. It’s like magic. In fact, the burn-healing property of lavender was discovered by accident by a chemist who suffered a lab explosion. His arm was burned and he dunked it into a large beaker, thinking it was water. It turned out to be lavender oil and the burned healed right up.
When using any essential oil, know this: Lavender oil is the safest of the essential oils to apply directly to the skin. Other oils should be mixed with a carrier (such as olive oil or any massage oils) and tested on your skin before you begin using them. A patch test in the middle of your arm (like when you test before using hair coloring) suffices. Mix a drop of the essential oil with a few drops of olive oil and rub on arm. Cover with band-aid. If it burns, use olive oil to dilute it (water won’t work) and don’t use that oil. I would do this even if you are going to only inhale the oil vapors, just to be safe.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I live in New Mexico but I am not originally from here. Being a white girl from Ohio, I have found that the best thing to clear my sinus’ is green chili. I just put it on something like a chicken burrito or eggs and after a couple of bites I can blow my nose. By the time I’m done eating I can breathe! And it lasts for hours. Might not work for everybody but for someone like me who has a low tolerance for spicy stuff, it works great.
For an upset stomach my mom used to give us warm jello water. Loved it and it worked. Have to be careful and not over do it because the sugar can cause loose bms and cause dehydration.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Sore throat: at the first hint of a scratchy throat, dip your wet fingertip into the salt canister and “swab” all around the back of your throat. It’s the same idea as gargling with salt water, but quicker. I can usually knock out a sore throat within a day’s time, doing this several times a day.
Sinus congestion/infection: again, salt. In this case, mix up salt water. The ratio is 1/4 teaspoon salt to 1/2 cup water. Use a syringe bulb, a little nasal mist bottle, or simply cup your hand and sniff it up.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Please don’t use rubbing alcohol for fevers. Try meadowsweet tea, or better yet, go with elderberry flower tea. Combine with some echinacea and peppermint (though not for those under 2) For an earache, the onions are a fabulous idea, but you need to heat them first until they are translucent. Just cut the onion in half and bake. Let cool a bit before putting on the ear. Mullein flower in olive oil is a real charm. I make my oil with a bit of SJW and garlic as well and works in a day or two. Cough? Try mullein leaf in tincture form; too hairy for a tea. Wild cherry bark and marshmallow root are fabulous as well. For skin rash and the like, try plantain. Plantain leaf poultices are also very good for pulling out pus. Lemon balm, rubbed over a nettle sting or insect sting works well; bruise the leaf well and rub it on. Equal combos of meat tenderizer and baking soda will quickly relieve the pain of hornet or bee stings; mix with a dot of water and apply liberally, top off with a cold water bottle or ice pack. Hope that helps!
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
I was given this trick by a friend who has lived in a cold climate her entire life:
At the first sign of a cold, mix equal portions of apple cider vinegar and honey (use about 1/4 cup each for a two day supply). Every couple of hours take two tablespoons of the mixture. The honey and vinegar are both natural antiseptics, apparently. Works for me almost always on the common cold.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
For a slight earache put a few drops of warm olive oil in the afflicted ear and cover with cotton wool. The earache will disappear within a few hours. My GP recommended this one a few years ago and I have never needed expensive prescription eardrops since.
June 4th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
If you get a sty, steep a tea bag in warm water for about a minute, squeeze bag so it isn’t dripping and then place it on the sty until it cools. The tannins in the tea help reduce the inflammation and help the sty heal faster.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Question May 20th Becki Gibson wrote about pepper juice mixed with water and used to spray on plants. Where do you find pepper juice? Do just mix ground pepper with water?
June 9th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
For insect stings Ammonia works wonders. Better than all the remedies I’ve ever tried and I think I’ve tried them all. A Tarantula Hawk stung one of my boys when they were little and it was the ONLY thing that worked. Bees, ants, mosquitos you name it and instant relief when the ammonia was applied.
June 10th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
For getting rid of hicups that won’t go away take a drink of water hold it in your mouth plug both your ears and swallow the water. This has always worked for me not sure why, but it does.
June 18th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
At the very first sign of a cold,gargle peroxide. DO NOT SWALLOW. Do this faithfully 2-3 times per day for 2-3 days and 9 times out of 10 the cold will not take. This one helped my grandmother not miss work on the maternity ward.
If you have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, do not use SJW nor echinacea. These can cause a flare up.
For small burns in the kitchen when aloe is not available, dab on a bit of mustard. Yes, just plain mustard right from the fridge.
Insomnia? Try some melatonin. Found in the vitamin section at the store. Very safe and gentle for young and old alike.
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Insect Bites:
I keep a supply of tea tree oil in my bathroom cabinet. This not only works wonders on insect bites but also on any cuts or wounds. It is an amazing acne remedy by putting some on your spots. It is also an amazing lice remedy. Just check out the internet. It stinks but it works on so many things!
Also…. Another really amazing bug bite remedy is Tiger Balm. I currently have a few huge spider bites on my ankle and as soon as I put Tiger Balm on them, the itch instantly goes away.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:31 am
any ideas on how to get rid of toe nail fungus?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
to bring down a high fever fast place cold compresses under armpits and in the groin this is where the blood is closest to the surface and works the quickest.And don’t underestimate the power of the common old paracetamol 2x(500mg) 4th hourly does wonders but remember no more that 8 in 24hrs (4gm)
In Australia everyone has Tea Tree oil it is great for fungals.And Betadine liquid kills ringworms.For swollen arthritic joints try 5 drops juniper berry oul and 5 drops rosemary oil in 20mls carrier oil helps reduce swelling and pain.Nappy rash is helped greatly if you use cornflour as a dusting powder just ensure you wash of any urine and pat dry before use.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
A great way to get rid of hiccups fast is to eat a spoonful of peanut butter. I’ve used this for our family for years and it works ever time
Way better then waiting for them to go away on their own 
June 30th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I have read that Vicks Vaporub supposedly works wonders for toenail fungus. I’ve never tried it long-term, though.
I find that my neti-pot is a godsend when I start to feel a sinus infection. I just rinse my sinuses - So much better than taking drugs! I recommend a neti pot to everybody I ever talk to! You can find them in any drug store/Walmart/Target etc.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:04 pm
A great way to take ticks off painlessly is to get a cottonball, put a dallop of liquid soap on it, and place over the tick. Learned this from my nanny, who learned it from a school nurse, and it works every time…I know it isn’t really an “ailment,” but still, who wants to pin down their kid and squeeze off a tick with tweezers, can we say ouch!
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
Jewel weed- otherwise known as touch-me-nots, is great for poison ivy. Just crush in into a poultice. You can even buy jewel-weed soap- or better yet, make your own. It’s also really important to get all the oil from the poison ivy off…. remember to scub under nails as well. Oil under the nails is the most commen way people get poison ivy in the naughty bits.
Oregano oil is good for fungus as well as tee-tree oil.
A good body scrub for dry rashy skin and KP (goose bump, dry acne like rash, usually on the upper arms) can be made from coffee grounds and olive oil. Just mix leftover grounds and olive oil to body scrub consistancy and keep it in the fridge. Olive oil congeals at fridge temperature, making it easier to handle. You can also mix in Vit. E., honey, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, or other extras you fell will improve it’s function. After washing, use a washcloth, scoop the gunk onto it, and scrub in a circular motion. You can buy expensive ‘cellulite’ scrub at stores which has coffee in it, the caffeine is alleged to improve circulation and help decrease cellulite. It makes a mess, but the coffee grounds are a great exfoliant, and the olive oil moisturizes the skin.
I make dog shampoo out of zote soap, which has citronella extract in it and repels bugs. Just shave the zote into slivers and mix it with simmering water on the stove.
Be careful with cherry bark or willow bark tea for children who have fevers. The active ingredient in these preparations is salicylic acid, AKA aspirin, and can cause Reye’s syndrome in children. Any substance that can be ingested and causes a change in what the body would do otherwise is a drug, even if it’s a natural herb grown organically in your backyard. Never assume ‘natural’ or ‘herbal’ is safe!
July 25th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Urinary & Yeast Infections - add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water. It is best to drink it ice cold. Drink 1/2 gallon a day throughout the day for about a week. It doesn’t taste very good, but apple cider vinegar only costs $2.50 a bottle. A bottle can make about 8-10 gallons. If you compare that to over the counter products and their side effects, the choice is clear. Drinking this from time to time will help restore healthy kidney & liver functions. Especially those who are forced to drink well water, or untreated city water.
July 25th, 2009 at 9:13 am
How To Whiten Yellow Teeth - Just gargle every night with straight peroxide. Swish around for 1 minute. Make sure you rinse your mouth afterwards with water. You should start seeing results in a few days. Once you are satisfied with the color of your teeth, reduce the times you gargle to once every few days, or once a week. Please note that you can never get your teeth as super clean as you see on TV. Be happy that your yellow stains are mostly gone using this remedy. This can also be used for those who cannot afford expensive denture cleaners as well.
July 28th, 2009 at 1:35 am
At the first sign of bladder/urinary tract infection (i.e. burning when you urinate) drink straight cranberry juice. I’m not sure why this helps but I believe my mom (who is a nurse and has always used this remedy) said that it has to do with the acidity and it helps kill and wash out the bacteria. Don’t drink cranberry juice cocktail, that’s weaker than regular straight cranberry juice.
For hiccups, it always works for me to take a sip of water in my mouth, tip my head back as far as I can and swallow.
If you get water in your ears (and especially if it’s starting to make your ear ache) try some vinegar drops. Put a few drops in the affected ear and lay with that ear up (so the vinegar can soak in your ear) for a few minutes. Then take a cotton ball or something else to catch the vinegar and lay the other way for a few minutes to drain the remaining vinegar. It helps dry out the inside of the ear. You CAN use rubbing alcohol. I have, however, and if your ear is infected and any bit painful, the alcohol stings very, very badly. The vinegar is relatively pain free.
For sore throat and sinus congestion, I get some temporary relief from hot mint tea. I love mint tea and always have some on hand, though I know not everyone does.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
My ENT recommended an external ear drop mixture of equal parts white vinigar, rubbing alcohol and distilled water to prevent swimmers ear/external ear infections; put in a few drops, wait a few minutes, drain and repeat on other side. Works beatuifully, if a little funky smelling. Also tea tree oil does work very well for an anti-fungal. Add it to a foot lotion base to apply to toes and nails and prevent or treat mild athlete’s foot. Add to a conditioner or shampoo for a dandruff remedy. I would think adding a little lavendar oil as well would help with the, imo, funky tea tree oil smell.
I can’t tell you how much I and my ENT swear by nasal irrigation for sinus problems. I’d had 2 surgeries, repeated (10 x a year!) infections and finally had developed an anti-biotic resistant sinus infection. We were running out of drug options. So gave me a RX topical antibiotic, steroid combo for nasal irrigation and he told me to start irrigating in addition 1/2 hour before irrigating with the medication. I use the Neil-Med irrigator bottle, put in saline and squeeze, I didn’t like the drippy awkwardness of the neti pot. I finally moved up to a water-pic with the irrigator attachment. You can get them online.
You can also safely make your own saline solution using distilled (nothing but water, no additives, salt, or fluoride - perfectly clean) water; google the recipe online, it’s a combination of kosher salt or pickling salt (no additives, pickling salt is very finely ground) baking soda, and distilled water. I’m going on 5 years, with no sinus infections at all. Don’t use the commercial saline sprays, for true irrigation, they are way too expensive and tend to have additives that cause stinging. That familiar you got water in your nose at the pool feeling. A properly made saline should not feel unplesent at all. You can even warm it to body temperature if you want. It goes in one nostril and comes out the other bringing with it a lot of nasty goo. This is also a great way to reduce the misery of a cold, allergies, or an upper resiperatory virus or flu. Combine with a steam inhale to moisten and loosen up the gunk before irrigating.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:20 am
For Sore Throats: I use Emergen-C as a swallowable gargle. I have kept the raspberry flavor on hand for years for my daughter who refused to gargle with salt water, salt/vinegar water, etc. She loved the flavor and would gargle and then swallow it. There’s lots of vitamin C as well as minerals, etc. It also seems to work best at the very onset.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:00 am
Children’s Hiccups- Rub temples 20 times while child drinks a cup of water.I found for each of my kids that different things work.1 teaspoon of sugar works on another.
Sunburn- I have found that noxema straight from the jar lightly rubbed on burn is wonderful.Do this a couple times a day.Better than vinigar.The menthol and minty smell also helps me feel better.
August 16th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Read some of the homemade remedies published here and found them most informative and others humorous as so many of us get different ones passed on to us by parents from different parts of the country or other countries…….I wonder if it would be fun to get southern, northern, eastern, midwestern, and western ones in categories so you could see where they originated? Might be interesting.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Earache: 1 part alcohol mixed with 1 part peroxide in a small container. Lay on your side and put (or have someone else)a dropper full in the ear. Leave in the ear for a couple of minutes, you will hear “bubbles”, you can heat up the mixture by running the container under hot water until warm, or putting it on a heating pad to heat it up before putting into your ear. Roll over and drain the mixture from your ear (use a kleenex or wash clothe). The peroxide will start working on any infection, or just cleaning, the alcohol will help dry up any infection.
Once the ear is cleaned you can put a drop or two of sweet oil (olive oil) in the ear. Use a piece of cotton ball to plug the ear. I also add fresh garlic juice to my olive oil, which I keep in a small container (an old brown or green prescription bottle works very well). You can either smash a fresh garlic bulb or use the juice out of a minced garlic jar. The oil helps soothe the ear and garlic has over 25 known antibacterial properties.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:31 am
To help ease a sore throat, save your left-over dill pickle juice in the refrigerator, take a sip or two every hour. You can also combine the dill pickle juice with left over jalaopeno pepper juice (not for kids). Old fashioned Root Beer Barrel hard candy, or horehound candy works better for me than the cough drops in soothing the throat. Leftover candy canes or regular hard candy pepperments (or hot peppermint tea) work well also, however, not for those with a hiatel hernia or acid reflux - pepperment sometimes aggrevates the condition. Remember to cover your throat completely to keep it warm.
Old fashioned Hot Toddie works to kick out not only a cold coming on, but will usually break a fever also. Must be drunk as hot as you can stand, a cup of water, 1 TBL of honey, 1 TBL of lemon juice and 1 TBL of whisky (medicinal use only). Heat on the stove for a couple of minuets until it is steaming - DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. Drink as soon as possible and immediately go to bed and stay COVERED.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Bee stings, wasp, etc., as soon as possible wash (or spray) the side with natural Witch Hazel astringent and while still damp put baking soda heavily on the site. Leave on for 10-15 minutes.
Hope some of these tips will be useful
August 19th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Horrible Cough?
Mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (any brand will do!) with 2 tablespoons of honey. Warm it up, and slowly sip. I PROMISE YOU!!! Your cough will dissapear in just a few minutes! No chemicals, costs pennys, works 10X better than any over the counter medicine on the planet!
Its saved my life (and sanity) more than a few times!!!
August 20th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
diaper rashes: cornstarch. keep it in an old spice bottle for easier sprinkling. dry the rash right up. be sure to clean area first.
ear aches: baby oil. add a drop to ear & lay on it to keep ear warm
excessive ear wax/cleaning ears: use peroxide. put a couple drops in ears, let it sit for a minute or so &use a bulb to suck out the peroxide.
or –> put a drop or two of baby oil in the ear, let it stay in all day & wash out with warm water the next time you take a bath or use a bulb & just rinse ears out with warm water over a sink using a towel to catch any dripping water. that’s from our old timey country doctor. so it gently please. ya don’t want to damage the ear drums…
soar throats, stuffy sinues: eat something hot/spicy. makes your nose runny & you can breath again.
coughing: drink some pickle juice. all the elders in our family have always done this.
staying hydrated while working in heat or playing sports in heat: drink/sip a little pickle juice every now-n-then. just works, reason ???.
when sick w/any kind of cold or flu: gargle w/warm salt water. it helps to get that crap outta your throat–the sinus drainage.
sore or swollen feet: sprinkle some epsom salt in a tub/bucket/bowl of warm (as you can stand it) water & soak feet until you feel like getting up again or water has cooled.
bruises, black eyes? grab a slab of beef/steak out of the freezer. it helps reduce severity of swelling & bruising.
August 23rd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
For cough and sore throat problem one can take a peace of ginger and roast it on fire for few minutes. Than add some black pepper powder and some honey to it and than keep it in your mouth and keep taking its taste like a toffee.
September 13th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Okay, so I had an absolutely horrible sinus infection. Our money’s low, and I didn’t want to have to go to the doctor’s office to be told what I already know. None of the medicines I took were working, and I’ve always loved natural cures. Well, I found out about oil pulling. I’ll admit, I was apprehensive, but 30 seconds into the “pulling” I could start to breathe. A few minutes, and my nose was clear! Check out this site: http://www.oilpulling.com/
September 13th, 2009 at 11:09 am
One thing that I have have seen heal earaches is just putting a clove of garlic in the ear. Take the skin off of the clove, you may want to cut it in 1/2, and place it in the ear. Don’t leave it for too long, it WILL burn your skin. (You may want to try it on the inside of your arm.) Just about 3-5 minutes should be good, it won’t burn until you take it out, so take it out BEFORE it starts burning.
My Greatgrandma always gives me a honey/lemon mixture when I have a cold/cough. Squeeze a 1/2 a lemon in a little bowl, and put 2-3 spoonfuls of honey in, then eat. It tastes weird, but you can adjust the amounts to taste. (The flavor grows on you)
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
For ’stings’, mosquito to bee , use the inside-white part-of a banana peel. Rub over the bite or sting. Takes the itch and redness away.
September 27th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
For an upset stomach or colic, fennel seed tea works wonders. Boil a cup of water with a teaspoon of fennel seeds (from the spice dept of the grocery store). Boil for three minutes or four minutes, strain the seeds, and cool. When luke-warm, sweeten with a teaspoon of clear Karo and drink. Adults can drink this hot, too.
It’s always best to ask the doctor or nurse practitioner before giving to an infant.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:01 am
You already know to apply cold water to burns, and even about ice when it’s necessary. Still, once you’re done with that, you often have the issue of scarring. For burns, once we’re done with cooling them down, especially small burns on the hand, my husband’s family has always dabbed on a bit of white toothpaste. You put it on and it does nothing for the pain, but the next day, the scarring you expect just doesn’t happen. I’ve always scarred from small burns when frying with oil, but since I married my husband and learned about the toothpaste, my hands have gotten prettier. (smile)
November 4th, 2009 at 9:20 am
To get rid of hiccups, eat a small spoonful of peanut butter!