I spent the better part of a day last week attempting to keep chicken soup and ginger ale down as my system fought off some mysterious one-day bug. I’d thought about mentioning my illness to my friends on Facebook (I don’t have kids, so what else am I going to post about?) but didn’t want to be inundated with hundreds of tips on sure-fire home-brewed remedies.
The folks at CBS 2 in Chicago took a look at a variety of DIY cures and treatments for a wide range of ailments, like rubbing Crisco on an eczema flare-up, using duct tape to trick your body into fighting off warts, or eating dry sugar to short circuit your hiccups.
They also mention this 2011 Prevention article that looks at other MacGyver-ish remedies, including yogurt for fighting off bad breath, lemon balm tea for treating cold sores, and sucking on a lemon to relieve motion sickness.
We’re guessing there are many, many more home remedies out there and we’d love to hear about them from y’all. So feel free to share your favorites in the comments. And we’d definitely want to hear if you tried a home remedy that had unintended consequences.
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I take Zinc and Vitamin C when i feel a cold coming on. I don’t even keep cold remedies in the house because those do the trick for me
Smear *menthol* shaving cream on a sunburn and let it dry. it takes the pain right out
White vinegar for severe sunburns, just put some in the cool bath or sponge it on skin directly. Smells horrid but works wonders!
To head off a cold/flu, I got this suggestion from a manager at our local grocery store: get a cup of warm chicken or beef broth, add a heaping tablespoon (more won’t hurt) of minced garlic (buy it in the jar, less muss/fuss than buying by teh clove and mincing it yourself), mix well, chug. If there’s garlic left in the bottom, re-stir with a tiny bit more broth and drink that too… It’s a German remedy that’s been passed down in his wife’s family and he swears by it.
No idea why it works, but there you go.
If you have itchy red eyes, soak a chamomile tea bag in cool water and apply on your eyes for about 15- 30 minutes. It helps alleviate your eyes and chamomile is a natural astringent.
Gargling with hot salt water helps a sore throat also doing nasal rinses with the hot salt water will help nasal congestion.
Ginger is good for menstrual cramps. Hot ginger tea as well as staying away from cold foods or beverages helps during that time of the month