Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction – and this batch of odd home remedies proves it! This just goes to show that seniors don’t always have to spend a lot of money on prescriptions and doctor visits to cure some common problems.
You can often “cure yourself” right at home cheaply and easily — with things you may already have on hand. And if you don’t already have them, stock up now!
Here are 15 odd, unknown and totally awesome uses for common household items.
- Licorice. Corn and callus care. So let’s start right out with a reason to keep candy around the house! Just grind up the licorice and mix it with Vaseline to form a paste. Apply to corns or calluses and the estrogen-like property in the candy works with the ointment to soften your hard rough skin.
- Pencil. A gentle bite can relieve your headache. Some headaches are caused by tension that occurs when your facial muscles tighten up. If you put a pencil in your mouth and don’t bite down, your jaw muscles will relax – and your headache may just disappear.
- Bleu cheese. Reduces inflammation and muscle aches. If you don’t like the taste of bleu cheese here’s another way to get rid of it! Rubbing the crumbly cheese over your sore muscles will numb the pain and reduce inflammation. Just don’t go out in public without a shower!
- Tennis ball or golf ball. Stretches arches. Looking for an easy fix for tired achy feet or even plantar fasciitis? Just roll your bare foot over a tennis ball or golf ball from the heel to the ball of your foot for a couple of minutes. It feels great — and will help stretch the arch for long-lasting benefits.
- Apple. Whitens your teeth. Forget the whitening strips and expensive trips to your dentist. Eating an apple is like having a mini toothbrush working for you while you chew the crunchy fruit. It actually removes stains from your tooth enamel – naturally.
- Ice cream. Eases food burns. Have you ever taken a sip of hot coffee or a bite of cheesy pizza only to burn the roof of your mouth? Soothe it away with a spoonful of ice cream or frozen yogurt. The frozen treat will ease the pain – for a while at least – while the deliciousness makes you forget your pain!
- Your own tongue. Banishes brain freeze. If you love ice cream (and who doesn’t?) you’ve experienced that sudden all-out pain that hits you when eating a bite of the cold treat. Too big a bite? Too may licks with no pause in between? Whatever the cause, try putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth. The warmth of your tongue will help calm the nerves and get rid of the pain quicker.
- Vodka. It relieves foot odor. The alcohol in vodka works as both an antiseptic and drying agent. Both of those things kill bacteria, which cause odor. Just don’t expect your mom or the police to believe the smell of liquor is coming from your feet!
- Sugar. Hiccups cure. There are a lot of wives tales floating around on how you can get rid of this torturous condition, but a dry teaspoon of sugar has some science behind its claim. “Just a spoonful of sugar” calms the nerves in your diaphragm, relaxing the muscles that cause the spasm. Voila! Hiccups gone.
- Listerine. Heals blisters. Too bad Listerine wasn’t around a century ago when President Calvin Coolidge’s son died of a blister. A three-time daily application with Listerine on a cotton ball dries out the blister and relieves the pain. And if you’re using the original (caramel-colored) variety, it also makes a great wash-away henna rinse for your hair.
- Chewing gum. Gets rid of earworms. Earworms? What? We don’t mean little mites that invade your ears. We’re talking about those pop songs that get stuck in your head. The ones you can’t shake at bedtime or when you’re trying to concentrate on something else. Well, you know how hard it is to walk and chew gum? The same thing is at play here – so break out the gum!
- Duct tape. Removes warts. Really. Just clean the area and cover the wart with a small piece of duct tape (just slightly bigger than the wart). Every three days, take it off, file down the wart with a nail file and apply a new piece of duct tape. It may look a little funny, but it gets rid of warts better than freezing – and it’s cheaper and less painful!
- Ginger ale, ginger cookies, or ginger root in boiled water. Cures motion sickness. Whether you’re planning a cruise, taking a plane or just driving to the next city, if you experience motion sickness, here’s a tip for you. Instead of pills or patches turn to ginger – in any form. Ginger helps reduce acid and relax your stomach, stopping your nausea in its tracks.
- Tart cherry juice. Brings on sleep. Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, which helps you sleep. So before bed try a glass of tart cherry juice – and say goodbye to sleepless nights.
- Yogurt. Gets rid of bad breath. We’ve all heard that there are good bacteria and bad bacteria, but who knew that one of them can cause bad breath? The good guys in yogurt can help sweeten your breath – as long as it’s not coffee-flavored.
Discovery Village At Naples offers a variety of senior living programs to keep seniors healthy and active. Learn about our senior living options and amenities today when you contact us at 239.238.1790.
