Home Remedies: Simple Home Remedies Made with 4 Common Home Ingredients

What are home remedies really? Things that you can make yourself or do yourself at home rather than using fancy products – whether they be medicines, body care products, cleansers, or pet products. Home remedies are inherently environmentally friendly and about as 'green' as you can get. The other nice feature of home remedies is that you can usually save a bundle - especially in this case where you are using basically 4 ingredients which cost very little to use.

The 4 ingredients? Salt, lemons, vinegar and baking soda - with a few and sundry other herbs or oils thrown in occasionally. I received this environmentally friendly ‘recipe book’ if you will for my last birthday and have been using these ideas for cleaning, curing ailments, or trouble-shooting common household problems since last fall. The beauty of it all is – you only need 4 ingredients!

The book I received is called Salt, Lemons, Vinegar and Baking Soda (Hundreds of earth-friendly household projects, solutions and formulas). It apparently is out of print at the moment or as my research has shown me trying to locate it, sold out. If you can get your hands on a copy of it, it is well worth the expense. I have highlighted some of the best 'recipes' I have found in its pages, but also did some research via other sources to check or verify the formulas for success.

For these natural home remedies, you will need the following:

• Salt - Regular table version
• Lemons - Just regular old lemons
• Vinegar - Distilled white variety unless specified
• Baking Soda

Other additions that I have mentioned in these formulas below included

• Dried crushed lavender (or other fragrant herb)
• Olive oil
• Rose water
• Apple cider vinegar in specific formulas
• Kosher salt
• Epsom salt
• Sea salt
• Almond oil
• Dish washing liquid such as Dawn

Sore Throat Soother

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water

Pour salt into water and stir until dissolved. Gargle with a swig of the mixture for 5-10 seconds. Use 2-3 times a day. Reduces swelling and inflammation of the throat

Sinus Congestion Reliever

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup warm water

Dissolve salt in warm water and cool to body temperature. Put small amount in palm of your hand and gently sniff the water into a plugged nostril holding the other nostril closed.

Sore Throat Soother

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Add honey to small bowl; stir in lemon juice. Swallow the mixture slowly so it coats the back of your throat for as long as possible. The lemon juice is known to loosen congestion.

Mosquito Repellent

• Peel of 1 lemon

Cut the peel off the lemon and then rub the essential oil from the outside of the skin against your skin. You might have to pinch the lemon skin a bit to get it to release the oil contained in the skin. The strong lemon scent is what repels the mosquitoes.

Athlete’s Foot Treatment

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup warm water

Wash your feet before and after this treatment. Soak affected areas of skin in mixture made of equal parts apple cider vinegar and water for 20 minutes twice a day. Dry thoroughly. Sometimes it takes 2 weeks but it should clear it up.

Muscle Ache Reliever

• 3 cups apple cider vinegar

Add to warm bathwater.

Canker Sore Soother

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Small glass warm water

Make mouth rinse of the above, stir to dissolve and then sip and swish around mouth to coat sore. Repeat this 3-4 times a day.

Constipation Relief

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon honey

Add lemon juice to warm water and stir in the honey. Drink 1 glass of this and if necessary, repeat every few hours.

Bug Bite Relief

• 1 spoonful baking soda
• 1 spoonful water

Make a thick paste. Dab this mixture on affected areas and let dry. Rinse and repeat as needed.

Gas Relief Before It Starts

Add a pinch of baking soda to beans while they are cooking and it will reduce the ‘gas effect’.

Pet Bed Freshener

• 1/2 cup salt

Add salt to laundry – and during warmer weather, set outside to dry in the sun

Natural Flea Spray

• 1 lemon
• 2 cups water

Cut lemon into 4-6 pieces and place in large glass bowl. Bring water to boil and pour over the lemon pieces, then let sit overnight. Strain in the morning and transfer to a spray bottle. Use to spray dogs or cats generously from head to tail but avoid the eyes.

Skunked Dog Cleaning Shampoo This totally works! Been There/Used It!

• 1 quart hydrogen peroxide
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon dish soap such as Dawn

Mix peroxide with baking soda and dish soap in large plastic bucket – do not store as it will produce bubbles and explode). Wear latex gloves and bathe dog outside if possible. Work mixture into the fur but keep away from dog’s face and eyes. Let stand 10 minutes and then rinse.

Carpet Cleaner for Pet Vomit

• 2-3 handfuls baking soda

Sprinkle on mess and let baking soda dry, then scrape or vacuum up. Follow with a splash of club soda if any stains remain – do not scrub while wet as it will drive the stain deeper into fibers.

Keeping Clothes From Fading Color

• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup salt
• Color-safe detergent

Fill washing machine with cold water, add vinegar, salt and detergent. Wait a few minutes to let salt dissolve. Wash brights with similarly colored items in small loads and colors will be set for the future. If particularly vibrant colors, double the amount of vinegar and salt.

No Drip Candles

• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 cups warm water

Mix salt and water in plastic container wide enough to hold candles. Stir until salt is dissolved and add the candles. Weight down the candles to keep them submerged and then soak overnight. Let dry completely before using.

Car Window Anti-Icing Formula

• 1/4 cup salt
• 1-1/2 cups warm water

Dissolve salt in the warm water and wipe on your car windows BEFORE the storm hits. Snow and ice will have a harder time sticking to the windows. Make sure you take the car through the car wash when the weather clears to clean off the salt residue

Natural Fabric Softener

• Juice of 4 lemons
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

In large plastic container, add lemon juice to the cold water. Add baking soda, cover and shake. Add lemon mixture to the final rinse cycle.

Pretreatment For Grass Stains

• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Sprinkle baking soda on area, followed by the lemon juice. When mix starts to fizz, rub the fabric together – launder as usual.

Booster for Laundry Detergent Cleaning Power

• 1/2 cup baking soda

Add to wash cycle and clothes will come out perkier. If clothes are not particularly soiled, you may have to use less detergent. This works best with liquid detergents rather than powdered.

Homemade Lemon Oil

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil

Mix ingredients in glass jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine. Apply with soft cotton cloth to furniture and buff briskly, then allow to dry. Store unused portion in refrigerator for 3 weeks. If it appears cloudy on reuse, just let stand at room temperature until back to normal.

Crisper Vegetable Drawer Extender

• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 2 paper towels

Place paper towel in crisper drawer bottom and sprinkle with baking soda, cover with other paper towel. Replace every week or so as you replenish produce to keep produce fresher longer.

Fruit Fly Trap

• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 small piece overripe fruit

Place a small piece of overripe fruit in bowl and cover with apple cider vinegar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a dozen small holes in the plastic. The flies will enter through the holes and won’t be able to exit.