By Staff
It's amazing how many home remedies there are for just about every known illness.
From a sore throat to achy muscles, even ways to get rid of rust, you can find just about all the items you need in the cupboard of your kitchen or bathroom.
I've got some type of allergy or cold, so I began to scan an e-mail my mother sent me last week with some random remedies I thought I would be able to use without buying expensive medicine that will inevitably leave me lethargic.
While I only found one I thought I could use, I thought I might share the rest with you. Maybe somebody reading this column will be the brave soul that I am not and try a couple I have mentioned.
Some of the remedies I threw in there myself because I have tried them and they are known "cures."
Need to relieve headache pain? Drink two glasses of Gatorade.
Achy muscles? Mix one tablespoon of horseradish in one cup of olive oil and let it sit for 30 minutes. Apply to the muscle like a massage oil and instant relief. My dad works around a lot of farmers and they swear by Bigel oil. It's a strong liquid that is used to rub down horses after a long day of work. It works really well but make sure you thoroughly wash your hands.
Like most of the homes here, I've got older pipes that drip small drops of water. With those drops of water comes rust. To get rid of rust, saturate an abrasive sponge with the drink and scrub the stain. The phosphoric acid supposedly gets the job done. Out of windshield cleaner? My father also said that a glass of Coke gets rid of scum on your windshield.
Hurricane Ivan seems to be the blame for all those pesky fleas. Need to instantly kill fleas on your dog? Add a few drops of Dawn dish washing liquid soap to your dog's bath and shampoo thoroughly. Rinse really well to avoid skin irritations.
For all those allergy ridden people in the area, like me, suck on some Altoid mints to clear up your nose.
Have a blemish on your face? My best friend reminds me to put a dab of Neosporin on it and cover it with a band-aid overnight and voila, it's gone.
There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on medicines or cleaning materials when the most obvious are in your own home. Just use that common sense when trying out new remedies.
Mary-Allison Lancaster is the Managing editor of The Brewton Standard.
She can be reached by e-mail at mlancaster@brewtonstandard.com or by phone at 25.867.4876.