10 Cold and Flu Home Remedies

I woke up choking, gasping for air, stumbled to the bathroom trying to clear the mucus clogging my lungs and sinuses. I knew I had to figure it out quick and do some bathroom chemistry. so I grabbed a cup and poured 1/3 hydrogen peroxide and added 1/3 apple cider vinegar and1/3 hot tap water.

I quickly started gargling the mixture and spit it out, it started cutting the phlegm immediately. I continued gargling, rinsing with another cup of water between.it seems to have a drawing effect pulling from the sinus and the lungs. This is hands down the best mucus busting gargle ever. It's cheap, fast and works. It has never not worked for the people I have recommended it to. I call it Larry's gargle.

Holy cow I tried the apple cider vinegar and baking soda remedy last night. I had had a runny nose all day and was feeling a cold coming on. I made some fresh ginger tea with some honey and added the baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Before I went to bed I also put some hydrogen peroxide in my ears.

Today everything is pretty much gone. I still have a little pressure in my sinuses but I have not sniffed once today.

Thanks for your suggestion, I'm going to use this from now on!!

As long as I keep grains non-existent in my diet, I don't catch colds. But when something is going around my neighborhood and even food carts at the supermarket may have cold germs attached to them I start to feel a sore throat, sneezing, congestion appearing -- especially during flu season. Here's a remedy that I got off Earthclinic years ago that still works quickly and brilliantly if you catch those symptoms when they first start:

1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tablespoon of Apple Cidar Vinegar in 6 oz of water once in the a.m. and once 1 hour before bed. For me, it works EVERY time. Gave this remedy to my daughter one night when she was so congested she could barely breathe. She took it; her boyfriend refused. Next morning, she went to work; he didn't. Took the stubborn lad a week before he finally relented and took "the remedy." He slept like a baby and went on to work, greatly uncongested the next day. As usual, check with your doctor first especially if you are salt intolerant, have stomach issues, or taking medications. Fasting once -twice weekly can also help build up your resistance to colds.

I have had a cold and relapse 3 times including strep throat. Went to doctors to get rid of that. Cold was coming on again and I put Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), cayenne pepper, baking soda and I feel great. Will keep sipping ACV with Soda and cayenne ...determined to get rid of this

1 Mug boiled water

1-2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV w/ "The Mother")

1-2 Tablespoons of raw honey

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

Amount of each ingredient should equal tolerance to the strength of the tea. I don't mind spice but you can start with mild strength. ( EX: 1 tablespoon each of ACV and raw honey and 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper)

Drink as hot as you can. Repeat 2-3 times daily. This removed all the phlegm in sinuses and throat and had me feeling better in a few hours.

I felt better within 24 hours. Hope this helps!!

My story: went on vacation, got a bug/cold/running nose/coughing and so on. Came back, got worse. Tried all the Apple Cider Vinegar and cayanne, and so on. Did not cure it. finally went to the doctor, one steroid shot and nasal meds, got well sort of in 3 days. Its June 2, I am finally well, what I had was from zell. Ears got clogged up, sinusis bad, chest and lungs screw up somewhat. Yes the doctors meds killed all the stuff, but it still took another 7 days to finally leave my body, So, Apple Cider Vinegar and all these remedys did not kill this mess I had, but I kept taking them. I guess sometimes u gotta go see the doctor, IMHO

Glad you are feeling better. Just want to point out that if it took you another 7 days to feel better... It might just have been whatever it was running its course. It would be kind of hard to say it was the prescriptions if it took that long to go away I would think. (mo) Just a thought.

Someone posted on here a wonderful recipe which I tried, with a few modifications, and I just wanted to let you all know what I tried, because it was amazing. I have been fighting off a bug for a couple of weeks now (aches, sore throat, feeling run-down, a little sneezy) but it hadn't quite turned into something full-blown.

I made the following mixture: 1 tsp ACV, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp powdered cayenne, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp water. Then sip it slowly (tiny sips). It is somewhat thick and will coat the back of your throat. It tastes surprisingly good, soothed my sore throat instantly, and started to clear up my sinuses and the "lump" in the back of my throat which was developing. I have taken this mixture a couple times a day for the past two days and I'm feeling much better.

Hi, I've been sick now for more than a week. i got a bad cold, swollen throat feeling, tons of drainage etc and haven't felt well.

well I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar (couple tbs) , 1/4 tsp cayenne and a couple tbs of honey... I warmed it up and gargled a few times... Then 20 minutes later, I did it again and have felt 10 times better. I have been concerned this past week cause I've had issues swallowing, I guess from the drainage andsore throat... This has responded so quickly. I don't like the taste of Apple Cider Vinegar but I'm doing this anyway... I'm gonna do it a couple more times today. I've also tried sipping a little of it to. I know that has to be beneficial. Thanks so much everyone for sharing this WONDERFUL little natural trick... Thank you thank you!

There are many different remedies that work but nothing works as fast and effective as baking soda. At the first sign of a cold or flu, take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water 6x the first day, 4x the second day, and 2x the third day. 95% of the time the cold is stopped in its tracks within the first 24 hours. Works for any viral infection as far as my experience goes, as long as you catch it right away.

Baking Soda for colds

I had all the early signs of a cold / flu coming on yesterday - achy, runny nose, sore throat, cough. I started taking 1/2 tsp of baking soda in a glass of cold water every 2 hours last night, and cut back to every 4 hours this afternoon. It has been just over 24 hours, and I feel FINE. I can hardly believe it myself, but I KNOW I was exposed, I KNOW I was getting sick... now, I am fine. Absolutely worth trying if you are coming down with a cold or flu!

As soon as you feel a tickle or sensation in your throat. Take 1/2 to 1 tsp. of baking soda in a glass of water followed by a zinc lozenge under your tongue and you will never get a cold. My family has been doing this for years and it works. One night I was lazy and didn't do it; sure enough, next morning had a cold.

Crush some bay leafs about a small handful, add some cloves fresh or ground powder about a teaspoon, and fresh ginger about an inch to some boiling water, boil for a few minutes on medium then simmer on low for awhile 15 minutes or so. Drink this to relieve chest congestion and open sinuses.

I work in different schools for a large school district. I used to get sick a lot. Now I order dried elderberry off Amazon or other websites and make my own syrup. When I feel a sore throat coming on, I take about a tablespoon once an hour. It usually either knocks out the cold completely or cuts the symptoms and time down considerably. You can make a batch and freeze it for when you need it since it can ferment in the fridge if kept too long. There have been studies done that prove elderberry's therapeutic efficacy.

Even my husband, who doesn't like the taste, will ask for it when he is getting sick. It's the only thing I've found that actually works.

Black Elderberry Syrup Found this stuff in the drugstore and didn't have much hope. It contains no drugs or alcohol, just elderberry concentrate and a bit of agave. It is VERY sweet so it is more palatable if you dissolve a couple spoonfuls in a glass of water. But crikey! The stuff actually works. Take it a few times a day and you will be perking up in no time. I prefer it to the OTC stuff that simply suppresses symptoms. I think if you go that route you end up slowing down the healing process.