13 bizarre home remedies our grandparents tell us really work
Do you remember those bizarre home remedies your grandmother or grandpa used on you when you were a kid? Well, there’s a reason for it! Baby boomers grew up in a period where you had to make things work through trial and error. You couldn’t just Google your way through it.
Luckily, this means that most of their knowledge was tested and some of them indeed help with alleviating issues from common aches and pains. The good news? Most everything can be found using items from your kitchen. From using castor oil to induce labor to removing a wart with duct tape, the list is endless. Here are a couple ideas we’ve found:
1. Garlic for a toothache
What makes this herb so special is the compound known as Allicin, this is the juice which is created from the Allin content when garlic is cut or crushed. It is Allicin which is responsible for garlic’s strong healing properties, making it a powerful antibacterial agent and a natural anesthetic, giving pain relief to the affected area it is applied to.
We recommend rubbing half a garlic clove against an inflamed tooth for 7- 10 minutes to reduce pain and heal the infection.
2. Lemon juice for a Earache
I can verify this handy trick myself as my ears frequently like to torture me when I get even the slightest cold. Squeezing lemon juice onto a Q-tip or cotton ball and gently applying just inside your ear will help restore the pH balance and neutralize the icky bacteria.
3. Orange rind for a head cold
Getting rid of this common ailment is easy: Just “pare very thin the yellow rind of an orange”. “Roll it up inside out, and thrust a roll inside each nostril.”
4. Vodka for foot odor
This one makes sense. Alcohol kills bacteria, and bacteria causes odor. Therefore, alcohol should eliminate food odor when applied to the foot. Prevention recommends wiping your feet with a cloth soaked in vodka. Rubbing alcohol works just as well as drinking vodka.
5. Pencil for headaches
Prevention says this simple remedy works because headaches are often caused by the subconscious clenching of the jaw. To treat a headache, place a pencil between your teeth and relax your jaw muscles. You’ll be surprised just how quickly your headache disappears.
6. Hair Loss
Brew a pot of some nettle or horsetail herbal tea, both of which have high levels of silica, a chemical that can help strengthen the hair tissue you still have. Be careful not to go overboard, though, as silica can have toxic effects on your kidneys in high volumes.
7. Yogurt for bad breath
Stink breath in the morning? Eat yogurt says Prevention. The healthy bacteria in the yogurt can counter the bad odor-causing bacteria.
8. Licorice for calluses
Licorice can soften calluses, says Prevention. Unfortunately Red Vines won’t quite work. Instead, mix ground licorice with 1/2 teaspoon petroleum jelly and rub the solution into calluses and corns.
9. Olive oil for motion sickness
The woozy feeling gets worse when you start producing too much saliva, something the tannins in olives can help air out.
10. Always stock ginger
It’s best to always keep your ginger in your pantry! Treat headaches with ginger root or munch on some ginger for cold sweats.
11. Keep Epsom salt in the bathroom
Put Epsom salt in your bath and help ease and soothe tight muscles.
12. Potato for spider bite
Okay, we admit it. This one sounds super weird. But according to Don’t Waste the Crumbs, it really works! Cut a large slice of raw potato and then use medical tape to bind the potato to the bite. Replace the potato slice with a fresh one every 12 hours. After one week the bite should heal.
13. Indigestion
Feeling bloated after enjoying a nice meal? Pop a couple of these fiber- and potassium-filled apricots for dessert and you won’t have to worry about undoing the top button of your pants.
Source:umpah.com, dontwastethecrumbs.com,littlethings.com, remedydaily.com
