Mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with 1 cup of hot water. The astringent juice will help to shrink swollen throat tissue and create a hostile (acidic) environment for viruses and bacteria.
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- Salt and Water
Make grandma’s effective sore throat remedy by mixing ¼ teaspoon salt in a cup of warm water. Use the hottest water that you can tolerate as cold gargles are completely ineffective. If you have some, add a tablespoon of Listerine for some germ-killing power. This briny solution helps to wash away and neutralize acids in the throat, relieving the burning sensation and promoting fast healing of irritated mucous membranes.![]
- Ginger, Honey, and Lemon in Water
This sore throat remedy mixes 1 teaspoon each of powdered ginger and honey, ½ cup of hot water, and the juice of ½ a squeezed lemon. Pour the water over the ginger, then add the lemon juice and honey, and gargle. The honey coats the throat and also has mild antibacterial properties.
- Sage and Water
Sage can help soothe a sore throat and ease painful or swollen nasal passages. The traditional home remedy calls for 1 teaspoon sage, ½ teaspoon alum, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3/8 cup of vinegar, and 1/8 cup water.
- Hot Sauce and Water
he capsicum in hot peppers helps to alleviate pain and fights inflammation. Add five shakes of ground cayenne pepper to a cup of hot water for sore throat relief. It’ll burn for a bit, but try this gargle every 15 minutes and see if it helps. - Turmeric and Water
This tasty yellow spice is a powerful antioxidant. For a sore throat remedy, mix ½ teaspoon of turmeric with ½ teaspoon of salt into 1 cup of hot water and gargle.
- Wheatgrass Juice
A quick rinse and spit with this chlorophyll-rich liquid helps prohibit bacteria growth and ease throat pain. Wheatgrass juice is said to help stop toothache and revitalize weakened gums when held in the mouth for five minutes.
- Clove Tea
Add 1-3 teaspoons of powdered or ground cloves to water, then mix and gargle. Cloves contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to soothe and heal a sore throat.
- Green Tea
Green tea is well-known for its ability to naturally fight infections. Therefore, next time you have a sore throat, brew a little extra and gargle it to kill any bacteria that are hanging out in your throat.
Tomato Juice
For temporary relief of sore throat symptoms, gargle with a mixture of ½ cup of tomato juice, ½ cup of hot water, and 10 drops of hot pepper sauce. The antioxidant properties of lycopene will help get rid of a sore throat faster.Goldenseal and Water
Gargling with the herbal germ-killer goldenseal (1 ½ teaspoons of goldenseal tincture in 8 ounces of water) kills viruses and bacteria as it soothes inflamed throat tissue.
- Licorice Water
Licorice roots can help soothe a sore throat and eliminate cough-inducing phlegm. A study from 2009 found that post-operative patients who gargled with a licorice solution were less likely to get a sore throat post-surgery. Mix one teaspoon of licorice syrup or powder with eight ounces of water and gargle.
Note: Mix a fresh batch for every use. It’s better to waste a bit pouring it down the sink than to leave it in your glass, where it might become contaminated with bacteria. Also, don’t swallow the gargle, spit it out.