Do you do home remedies? I LOVE them, and if they work, I love to share them! This list is VERY incomplete, as there are thousands of home remedies that work, and thousands that are questionable…And while it’s fun to read about even the questionable ones, it’s obviously the ones that WORK that we are really interested in!
Nothing works 100% of the time, or even on every person, but all of these are ones we have used with success, at one point or another!! May they work for you!
If I can fix “it” at home rather than make a trip to the Dr.’s office, or even the store, it saves us money AND makes me happy!
Obviously, there are times when you just NEED to go to the doctor to get fixed…I’m not talking about those times! And also…..I am not a doctor or anything close to it. So, if you need a doctor, go see a doctor!
BACK PAIN
Don’t wait until your back hurts to do this! If you are prone to back pain, do it regularly, as a preventative measure!
Straight from a chiropractor: Stand up straight. Then do three reps of each one.
- With arms hanging, go forward as far as you can then straighten up to neutral, then down and back up again, three times, always coming to neutral in between. Or optionally, you can clasp your hands behind your back and bring them over your back as you go down, for extra popping!
- Next, fold arms across chest and lean sideways, not far, but just stretching everything. Do it three times always coming up to neutral.
- Repeat it on the other side, again always coming back to neutral after every repetition.
- Lastly, with arms folded, lean straight back. Not horribly far, just enough to feel it. Come back to neutral, and repeat three times.
Done! You should have felt several pops as you do this exercise, and it feels SO good! AND if something is out of whack, it just gently reminds it where it belongs! I do this every night and I rarely have back troubles anymore!
CONSTIPATION
Kind of personal, I know.
Now obviously, we need to drink enough, and eat enough fiber and veggies and fruit and that will help this problem. BUT, sometimes that just doesn’t happen, SO, here are a couple of home remedies to the rescue! So simple, it seems silly that they work, but they do!!
1. Gently but firmly rub your hand clockwise, (picture the clock lying on your belly, face up) in a large circle on your abdomen…pretty much the perimeter of the soft part. Continue rubbing and massaging for about 1 minute. Soon your problem should be solved!
2. This one takes a little bit longer to produce results, but still very helpful. There is a spot…acupressure…three finger widths below your belly button. Press that spot and maybe massage it for approximately 1 minute. This often produces results in 20-30 minutes.
COUGHS AND COLDS
-If you or your child has a nasty cough that just won’t let you sleep, try slathering a nice coat of Vicks VapoRub on the bottom of your/their feet, cover with socks, and enjoy the quiet, restful night! I will say this may work better on dry hacky coughs more than moist, productive ones, but try it on every cough, you may have different results! When it works, it really does work!!
-During cold and flu season, cut an onion in half and put it on a dish near your bed, in your living room, etc. The strong smell will only last a while. It’s said to gather the viruses and keep you from getting them! This is one home remedy that you can’t prove, but it sure won’t hurt to do it, and I have heard people that used it and trust it 100%! Some people don’t even cut the onion.
-For a sore throat or cough, put about 3/4 teaspoon of honey on a spoon and fill the rest with a splash of lemon juice. Eat it right off the spoon. You can also put lemon and honey in a mug of hot water for a soothing hot drink.
-Sore throat — Straight from a pharmacist: Suck on a Werther’s candy. Better than any other throat lozenge!
FLY AND MOSQUITO REPELANT
In late June, there are two things that tell us that wheat harvest is near…Bing cherries appear in the store, and the biting flies show up. These flies aren’t big, like deer flies, or horse flies, but they are NASTY! They can ruin a completely beautiful day! They love to snack on humans and animals!
I’ve learned that there are hundreds of tips for mosquitoes, but few for preventing fly bites….interesting! Maybe I am just missing them? But here are a couple for both flies, and mosquitos! They both have to be repeated regularly, but are well worth it!
-Catnip!! I have just learned, AND experienced, that Catnip, rubbed on your exposed skin, is an excellent fly and mosquito repellant! No poisons and 100% as natural as you can get! And it comes with the bonus of a lovely smell! Just pull a bunch of leaves and crush them to release the oils, and rub on exposed skin…maybe it works if you rub it on your clothes? I haven’t tried that yet… Repeat as necessary-maybe every 1/2 hour.
How did I not know that?? We have HORDES of Catnip growing all over this farm…because if you let one plant go to seed, you will forever and ever have volunteer plants! And here I thought it was just for cats, and tea!
-Pine-Sol: In a spray bottle, dilute about a cup of Pine-Sol with equal parts water (doesn’t have to be exact). I spray it on our dog, careful to not get it in her eyes or nose. The relief is instant!! She isn’t a licker, so she doesn’t ingest any. It’s not for cats, because they lick so much! It isn’t long lasting, so repeat as necessary! This too, may work if it’s sprayed on your clothing, but I haven’t tried that, because I’m actually not a fan of the smell!
I also spray it on the porch walls and floor, furniture legs, and around the doors, and it really does keep the flies at bay for a while…. And the smell doesn’t really stick around for long.
INFECTIONS AND BURNS
-Honey: Apply a thin layer of honey on minor burns, cuts and scrapes; it soothes, prevents infection, and promotes healing.
-Aloe Vera: Excellent for burns, whether from the stove, or sunburn! You can get bottled aloe Vera, or you can just keep a plant in your home, for quick, fresh aloe! Just break off a tip and squeeze out the gel, and rub carefully on the burned area, for instant relief. The plants are extremely easy to grow, and prolific, so you always have an endless supply!
LEG CRAMPS
-Place a bar of soap under your fitted sheet near your legs. No one knows why it works, but some people KNOW it prevents cramps! Of course, drinking enough water during the day helps with cramps also!
-A simple fix for any cramp….except the very worst ones, is to massage, or firmly pinch the spot right under your nose, above the center of your lip. Continue for 30-60 seconds.
“RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME“
Do you lay in bed and your legs just can’t be still? You move this way and that, you rub and massage them all to no avail? Help is here! Cringy or not, here is a simple fix!: Get yourself out of bed and sit on the toilet for as long as it takes (usually not long at all) to have a bowel movement! Problem solved! Then go back to bed and snuggle in, because it’s time to sleep- legs and all! This may or may not cure the ACTUAL Restless Legs Syndrome, but it sure is worth a try!
**See the CONSTIPATION tips for help on this if you need it!
TOENAIL FUNGUS
*Note: You can get a prescription for pills for toenail fungus, but they have to check your liver for damage every few months, and I’m just not a fan of the prospect of ruining my liver, so that’s why I turn to these remedies.
Curing toe nail fungus is a VERY slow process, and it is VERY tough to get rid of it!
We have used all of these, and gained clear toenails….but failed to follow up with “support” treatments…for example every 3 to six months, give the toe a shortened version of the cure to keep it clear. Which is CRITICAL in keeping the fungus at bay!
Toenails normally take a long time to grow, but when you have fungus, they grow even SLOWER! These only work if you continue the treatment until your WHOLE toenail has grown out and is clear of fungus–several months, to a year!
–Vicks VapoRub — Rub some Vicks on the affected toenail, and massage it in around the edges. Leave a nice layer, put a sock on, and leave it on overnight. This method does indeed work, but I had to quit using it because toe skin got EXTREMELY itchy after using it awhile!
-Apple Cider Vinegar — This is the easiest, and the cheapest. Soak your toe/feet in a mixture of 1/2 water, 1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar, every night for three minutes. Let air dry. You can re-use the liquid. Repeat nightly until the clear toenail grows completely out and there is no more fungus. Most likely will take several months, to a year. Store in an airtight container.
–Colloidal Silver — Do this for two weeks, then rest a couple months and repeat. In a jar, mix 1/2 cup of distilled water, and 2-3 tablespoons of Colloidal Silver. Before bed, dip a piece of cotton ball into the mixture and completely cover the affected toenail. Cut off the finger of a plastic glove and carefully pull it over the toe and the saturated cotton, making sure the cotton stays on top of the toenail. Wear a sock, so the toe cover doesn’t get rubbed off in the night. Repeat every night for two weeks. Then, repeat the process every couple months.
WARTS
Have a wart on your hand, foot, arm? Get a little piece of duct tape, a bit bigger that the wart, and cover it, pressing it firmly in place. Replace every day or two. SOON, your wart will be gone! Mine usually take from two to 5 days to disappear. If you find, that if in a few months it comes back, just repeat the process. some come back , some don’t. I actually had a dermatologist tell me this trick….the other option was a $280 squirt of liquid Nitrogen!
I know there are THOUSANDS of home remedies. Some are just hearsay, and some really do work! If you have some tried and true cures, please share them in the comments! I love to find new remedies!
Thanks for coming….! Summer keeps me busy, so I have less time to work on my blog. And maybe you have less time to read it….? Please excuse my non-routine of posting new articles!🙃 I hope to return to a schedule in the fall!
Good Thoughts
Home remedies: because sometimes, what you need is what you already have.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As in, when you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Share this:
Discover more from Julie of the High Plains
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I am writing to tell you about the bar of soap in your bed to get rid of those PAINFUL night time leg cramps. I happened to use a bar of unwrapped soap and it works!!! What a relief!! So easy. Thank you for the hint!!