The last thing you need right now is another pill or solution that will promise to cure something but won’t. Even worse, a trip to the doctor could be time consuming for something minor that will lead to some simple advice (which is the worst advice). Instead, check out these home remedies that actually work before you leave the house for your ailments.
Smelly feet
Stinky feet got you feeling the blues? You should probably hit the bottle – no, not in that way. Soaking a cloth in vodka, and then wiping them on your feet will help you solve your problem in two ways: the dehydrating properties of vodka will destroy the moist conditions in which stinky bacteria thrive, while its antiseptic properties will ensure that the problem causing bacteria are eliminated.
Deep cuts
You never know when someone’s going to split their head or cut their finger, so when that happens, you’d better hope that you have a carton of eggs ready. When a wound requires stitches and you’re waiting for the ambulance to arrive, crack open an egg and peel off the membrane that lines the inside of the shell, applying it to the wound with pressure until it hardens. This was a method of containing wounds, which was popular in the 20th century, and works by creating a new skin. If that doesn’t blow your mind, nothing will.
Headaches
Feel like your head’s about to split, and not in a literal way? Holding a pencil between your teeth will help relieve this stress. Because you naturally clench your jaws when you feel anxious or angry, holding the pencil – not biting it – will alleviate this mechanical, and therefore mental, stress.
Cold Sores
If you’re the type to feel self-conscious when you get an outbreak of cold sores, then this one’s for you. Lemon balm tea is an herbal remedy that has been proven to be effective in containing and removing cold sores. Just boil up a cup, allow it to cool, and dab it on a few times in a day, and your cold sores will disappear.
Callouses
If you are sick of callouses on your feet and hands, but also have a bit of a sweet tooth, you might want to stock up on liquorice. Its oestrogen-like qualities rejuvenate rough and broken skin. Grind up the liquorice sticks, add a bit of petroleum jelly, and boil it for a paste that can be applied to heal rough skin.
Sore feet
It’s a known fact that tennis players have their homes’ floors lined with tennis ball halves after their big matches. Want to know why? It’s pretty much an amazing, free foot massage without all the awkward intimacy of having someone stare you down as they rub your feet. So grab a tennis ball and prepare to feel comfortable in your home.
Eczema
Being prone to breakouts of irritated skin is one of the worst things ever. By applying antioxidant-rich olive oil to the affected areas, however, these breakouts can be contained and the inflammation relieved.
Hiccups
Drink a glass of water. Stand on your head for fifteen minutes. Have someone from Arbourlea leap around the corner and frighten you. These are some of the false remedies that have never cured hiccups. A teaspoon of sugar, swallowed dry, though? It’s worth a shot.
Joe Bedet is a stay-at-home dad who is less than comfortable with the fact that, when he gets hiccups, his Arbourlea neighbours will frighten him at every corner.
