Home Remedies for Congestion

It’s that time of year again for many of us – less daylight, busy holiday schedules and colds and flus making the rounds.  The discomfort (and even pain) associated with congestion is one of the most common symptoms.  (Not to mention that the inability to breath is just plain annoying.)  In this post I’ve gathered together several home remedies for congestion that will hopefully get you breathing right and on the fast track to healing the next time you’re battling congestion.

Home Remedy for Sinus Congestion #1 – Tomato Tea

From Earth Clinic, a great site for home remedies, the top choice for sinus congestion is a recipe called “Jean’s Famous Tomato Tea“.  This recipe has received rave reviews for its ability to clear congestion.

TOMATO TEA RECIPE
2 cups V8 Juice
2-3 cloves Garlic crushed (use more if you can)
2 T Lemon Juice
Hot Sauce (the more the better, so as much as you can handle)

 Mix and heat in a pan or in the microwave. Sip slowly and re-warm as needed to get the full effects of the fumes. Let it sit in the back of your throat to bathe it. Suck the fumes through your sinuses and also down into your lungs. Its all natural and healthy, so drink as much of it as you want or need until you are SURE the infection is gone. This is past the time when you “feel better.”

Home Remedy for Sinus Congestion #2 – Apple Cider Vinegar

Whether you drink it, inhale it, gargle it or squirt it up your nose, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is another popular choice for treating congestion. For drinking, some folks take a shot of it straight up, others add lemon juice and cayenne, or mix it with water and honey. Popular proportions on Earth Clinic are 6 ounces of water, two tablespoons ACV, two – four teaspoons honey, consumed warm, every 6 to 8 hours.
To inhale ACV, boil some ACV on the stove and breathe the fumes, or mix a drop or two in your saline nose spray.

Home Remedy for Sinus Congestion #3 – Steam – With or Without Herbs

A hot, steamy shower is a godsend when you’re stuffed up, but you can sneak it a little relief in a much smaller area by using a bowl of boiling water tented with a towel. Take a large bowl and add fresh or dried herbs such as eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint or New England Aster. (A few drops of high quality essential oils may also be used, or you can skip herbs altogether, but in my experience they do help.) Pour in boiling water. Lean over bowl and inhale as best you can, tenting your head with a towel to trap the vapors.

Home Remedy for Sinus Congestion #4 – Hot Tea – Herbal or “Regular”

Hot tea with lemon and honey has been a congestion fighting favorite of mine for years.  Momma always stocked Lipton tea bags, but now I buy my black, green and oolong in bulk, and sometimes enjoy some tulsi (holy basil) tea blends as well.  Lemon is a great mucus clearer on it’s own, and can provide extra vitamin C, and honey is naturally antibacterial, so do include them in your brew.
For extra “oomph”, try herbal tea such as mullein, sage, ginger, peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, wild thyme and blackberry.
To make an herbal tea, cover 2 teaspoons dried leaves or 1/4 cup fresh leaves with 1 cup boiling water, steep for five to ten minutes, then strain and enjoy.  (For ginger root, use about a 1/2 inch piece of fresh root, or 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of dried root bits.)  I like to steep in a tea pot or cover my tea mug to keep the vapors from escaping.
                                                                  

Courtesy of Common Sense Homesteading 11/08/2012 

Benefits of using green cleaning products and homemade cleaners

Synthetic household products contain harmful chemicals that react with ozone from the air, creating toxins like formaldehyde. The inside of homes contain around two to five times as many of common chemical pollutants than areas outside of homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Considering people spend around 90 percent of their time inside, the denser concentration of chemicals is significant. Indoor pollutants can cause headaches, flu-like symptoms, neurological issues and possibly increase the risk of respiratory disease. Natural products for cleaning are therefore better for health. Using green cleaning products is also better for the environment. Buying natural cleaning products helps to support green companies, but if cost is an issue people can still participate in eco-friendly cleaning practices by making homemade cleaners.

Natural Products for Cleaning and Disinfecting...

Make homemade cleaners with simple ingredients such as vinegar, club soda and baking soda. Make an all-purpose cleaner by combining:

• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 gallon water

A spray bottle filled with club soda makes a perfectly efficient glass cleaner.

Homemade cleaners for floors are also simple. To clean linoleum or vinyl, combine:

• 1 cup vinegar
• 3 drops of baby oil
• 1 gallon of warm water

People can still get tough jobs done and stick to natural cleaning solutions by adding 1/4 cup of borax to the floor cleaner.

Wooden floors are easy to clean with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and vegetable oil.

Most homes do not need strong, chemical disinfectants. A natural disinfectant can be made by mixing:

• 4 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons borax
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap
• 3 cups hot water

Homemade cleaners for bathrooms:

Natural cleaning products keep toilets, bathtubs and showers sparkling without harsh chemicals and unpleasant bleach smells. To clean a toilet, add 10 drops tea tree oil and 3 cups white vinegar into the toilet bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.

Vinegar is an excellent ingredient for homemade cleaners used in bathtubs and showers because unlike soap, vinegar does not leave a residue. Fill a spray bottle with half water and half vinegar for a basic shower cleaner. Add liquid detergent for extra strength. Leave the spray for 30 minutes before rinsing off.

Remove rust stains with a paste made from water and cream of tartar.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Kitchens:

Most commercial dishwasher soaps have bleach or phosphates. Some manufacturers do sell low-phosphate detergents, but homemade cleaners work just as well for dishes and dishwashers as they do for other items.

Make a natural dishwasher soap by combining equal parts washing soda and borax.

To hand wash dishes, use a liquid soap and add 3 tablespoons of vinegar to the soapy water.

There is also a natural cleaning solution to a dirty oven. Make a paste by combining:

• 1 1/2 cups baking soda
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water

Spread the paste inside the oven, but not on the metal areas. Leave the paste in the oven overnight. When morning comes, add 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of water in a spray bottle and spray inside the oven. The solution must be rinsed off well to avoid a residue.

Houses maintained with natural cleaning products are less toxic and even smell better, which is beneficial because synthetic air fresheners can trigger asthma and allergies. A natural way to make the house smell sweeter is to dip cotton balls in vanilla extract and place them around the home. Houseplants help to freshen air too.

                                                                     Courtesy Of: Sarka-Jonae Miller of The Natural News