You wake up after a long and peaceful sleep and what do you see? A huge mosquito bite on your arm that is itchy, red and twice the size it should be. Or, maybe you have to get up early for work the next day and you just can’t sleep. Or you’re playing with the children and one of them gets a nasty cut but you forgot to top up the first aid kit. These are just a few of the examples of different things that can happen in and around the home that you may not necessarily be prepared for. However, this tips and tricks article will provide some simple household remedies for common issues that can happen to us and our children around the home.
Itchy rashes – spritz yourself with European mineral water. Mineral rich water relives the pain from rashes and can be used to treat itching and redness. When it is applied to irritated skin, the minerals will act as anti-inflammatory particles.
Acne – scrub your face (gently) with coarse salt and a small amount of neem oil. The
salt acts as an antiseptic while the neem oil is an antifungal oil. After rinsing these off, add yogurt to your face as a mask and leave it for about 15-30 minutes. Believe it or not, the lactic acid in yogurt is a natural exfoliant that helps to clear acne. It also gives the face a glow, and removes discolouration and fine lines from your face.
Mosquito bites – crush a low dose (81mg) aspirin tablet; add a tiny bit of water to dissolve it and then apply to mosquito bite. It will act as an anti-flammatory and it will reduce the swelling, itching and redness caused from bites. This remedy is also effective with pimples and ingrown hairs.
Minor burns – soak a small towel in cold black or green tea and apply to the affected area. The phytonutrients in the tea will help to reduce inflamed blood vessels.
Nausea – squeeze a lemon/lime into a glass of water and drink it. This almost instantly relieves nausea. Ginger and peppermint have been said to be good for nausea as well.
Painful Cuts – clove powder can prevent cuts from being infected and can kill some of the pain.
Warts – place a piece of duct tape over the wart. Every 3 days, file down the dead skin that appears and replace the tape. This method is sure to remove warts.
Food poisoning – use black tea with burnt toast. The tanic acid from the tea and the charcoal in the toast will reduce the effectiveness of the toxins caused by the food poisoning and help the affected person get better much more quickly.
A hangover – a cup of tomato sauce and some Tabasco sauce should do the trick for this one.
The common cold or flu – in the early stages, take an unpeeled grapefruit and cut it into four pieces. Put it in a pot and add enough water to cover the grapefruit. Do not allow the water to boil. Add a tablespoon of honey and stir, then drink it.
Congestion and bronchitis – boil water, let it cool for a bit and mix in about a teaspoon of vapour rub. Place a towel over your head and inhale the steam emitted for about 5 minutes. Or instead of vapour rub, peppermint leaves, tea bags or oil can work as well.
Toothache – soak a cotton ball in clove oil and place it on the tooth for a few minutes to alleviate pain.
Headache – a simple foot massage, yes, a foot massage, focused on the bottom of the feet can aid in the alleviation of headaches.
Foot odor – wiping the feet with vodka removes all odor from the feet.
Hiccups – swallowing a teaspoon of dry sugar is said to alleviate hiccups after a few minutes.
Gas and Bloating – after eating a big meal, chew on some fennel seeds. They are a
natural carminative (an agent that prevents and relieves gas) and therefore will aid in the elimination of gas.
Heartburn – eating almonds after a meal can help with heartburn as they are good for digestion. Other items that aid in removing heartburn include apple cider vinegar, apples and bananas.
Insomnia – drinking warm milk 15 minutes before bed or a cup of chamomile tea before bed can do wonders for those with insomnia.
Fever – put peppermint oil (pure for adults, diluted for children and babies) on the bottom of the feet and the back of the neck. This will help reduce the fever.
Bleeding caused by cuts – apply organic/pure cayenne pepper power to the wound to help clot the blood. After the bleeding subsides, rinse with cool water and treat it as you would any regular cut. Make sure cayenne pepper is the only ingredient in the powder being used. And yes, it burns!
Ear infection – apply pure 3% hydrogen peroxide int the affected air. The person must continue lying on their side until the bubbling subsides. Repeat every few hours until the symptoms are gone. Can be used for adults or children.
Sore Throat – mix ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar with a couple teaspoons of honey and
use with a glass of water six times daily until the symptoms disappear. The vinegar kills the bacteria in the throat. The honey is optional but is used because the apple cider vinegar tastes awful. Another good remedy is blending up juice with garlic. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and should fight the infection in the throat. Tastes awful…but it works.
While some of the ingredients for the various home remedies may not be in your home cupboard, they are easily accessible for reasonable prices from any supermarket. Why run off to buy pharmaceuticals when you can use these simple natural remedies to cure whatever ailment you have? The best part of it all? You hardly have to spend a cent.
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