Salt and Baking Soda Remedy for a Sore Throat

If you're searching the Internet for home remedies and natural, cheap ways to fight your scratchy, sore throat, open your kitchen cupboards and look for two things: salt and baking soda. Read on for how to use them and why they work together as an effective home remedy for sore throats.

Soothe a Sore Throat

Using your microwave or stove top, heat one coffee mug's worth of water to very hot. Do not boil it, however, because you will be gargling with this water and you don't want it to scald or burn, which would make your sore throat feel even worse and may even trigger the very trip to the doctor that you were trying to avoid in the first place.

Add about half a teaspoon of ordinary table salt and an equal or slightly less amount of baking soda to the hot water in your coffee mug. Stir.

Standing over a sink, sip a small amount of your salt and baking soda home remedy solution to test for temperature. If it feels too hot, spit it out and let your mug cool a bit. Otherwise, lift your head back and let the home remedy solution drop into your throat. Let the solution rest in your throat for a moment and then gargle. Repeat twice, for a total of three times. Do this three times a day, for up to three days.

Why It Works

Before refrigeration, salt was used as a preservative to kill bacteria on foods as they aged. In the same way, salt is an antiseptic that can kill the bacteria in your throat, which stops a percolating infection in its tracks. The North American-based Salt Institute's website lists salt's antiseptic properties as ideal for gargling or using as a mouthwash.

Baking soda, too, has anti-bacterial properties, and is often used as a cleansing agent. It is also notably used as a home remedy soother for skin irritations like bug bites or rashes due to its slightly alkaline pH. It will act in a similarly soothing way on your inflamed throat tissues.

Additional Use

If you are battling nasal congestion in addition to your sore throat, you can use the same salt and baking soda home remedy to irrigate your sinuses and soothe a stuffy or runny nose.