What Household Products Can Be Used For First Aid?
Obviously, every person in a home should be able to dial the Emergency Number with clear instructions and a First Aid kit in homes is always a good idea, but what natural household products can be used for First Aid?
I know pepper can be used for cuts, aloe for burns (after it's been under running cold water for at least 10 minutes) but are there more?
anonymous answered:
Garlic
Garlic can be used on acne or infected spots due to its antiseptic properties. Simply rub the garlic clove on the infected area. Crushed garlic can be used to draw corns.
Onion
Onion can be used to relieve insect stings, nettle rash or hives. Take a fresh slice of onion and place it over the inflamed area.
Ginger
Ginger is useful for nausea and to prevent travel sickness. Chew a piece of crystallized ginger or drink fresh infused ginger herbal tea. This can also be useful during pregnancy.
Chamomile
Use an infusion of Chamomile flowers taken as herbal tea for shock and nervous upsets.
Peppermint
Use an infusion of peppermint leaves in a herbal tea for indigestion.
Aloe
The Aloe vera plant can be used to soothe minor burns, scalds and sunburn. Simply split a leaf open and apply the gel to the affected area.
Wild flowers
There are also many countryside plants and herbs having medicinal properties. These include :
- Daisies for bruises and sprains
- Yarrow for wounds and nosebleeds
- Lemon balm for insect bites
- Dock leaves for nettle stings
Other
- saliva is a good antiseptic
- ginger shredded strips, for sore throat & coughs
- limestone, for insect stings, infections (watchout it's pretty corrosive, only a small pinch)
- sugar crystals for reducing bleeding / helping clotting, from cuts & gashes
Nana answered:
- Ground cloves for a tooth ache.
- Honey for skin blemishes.
- Gatorade for headaches.
- Colgate makes a good salve for burns.
- Altoids for stuffy nose.
- Horseradish and olive oil mixture to massage in for muscle aches when you have the flu.
- For a sore throat combine a gargle mixture of vinegar and honey.
- When you think you have a urinary infection coming on drink alkaseltzer.
- Listerine for toenail fungus. Also for broken blisters.
- Elmer's glue to remove a splinter. Put it on let it dry and normally the splinter will come out when you peal off the glue.
- To bring a boil to a head use tomato paste and cover with a bandage.
- Peppermint for stomach ache.
musicmed answered:
Regular sudsy Ammonia is a great home remedy for bee stings. Just pour onto a cloth and cover the sting. It will minimize the swelling and ease the pain.
sidnee answered:
Hydrogen peroxide; I've used it for a toothache by gargling with a 50-50 mixture with water for several minutes and the tooth pain actually went away!
J B answered:
Clean paper towel, toiletpaper or napkin , along with electrical tape - make a great band-aid.
tiffany answered:
Salt also works for burns and alcohol for big cuts and gashes.
Lunatic Videos answered:
Turmeric paste on burns, cuts. Ice for sprains.
KB answered:
Insect bites: Vinegar (will reduce pain and swelling as well as help extract any stingers from bite), tobacco (pretty much same as vinegar)
Burns: Aloe
Pain: Frozen veggies as an ice pack.
Sunburns: vinegar or baking soda bath. Or (this is my personal favorite) draw a bath a put 2 chamomile tea bags in the water and soak - will take heat from sunburn and minimize pain and swelling.
Sty: Potato. Cut a potato in half and use a spoon to scrape potato, creating a "mush", place on affected area - the potato will help in relieving pain and swelling. It will also help "cure" the sty.