What Are Your Best Home Cold Remedies?

Vicks on chest and feet.
Lots of tea with honey and lemon.
Garlic - add to milk or eat with tsp of honey

We put vicks vapor rub in a pot and simmer it on the stove. I hate putting this one on my kids so we find that ut provides the same benifit if we do it this way plus it helps every one. We also use saline drops in our daughters nose. For ear aches we warm sweet oil up just a tap and drop 3 to 5 drops in ear hold in with a cotton ball. We usally do this at night. It works wonderfuly. I use this myself often because I do not have insurance.

I have not tested this myself just yet, but my neighbor is swearing by this and it's been in the newspaper and it's going around on the internet too. He claims this was his Grandma's "secret" recipe for curing a cold...but seems like more than just Grandma Larsen swear by this!!
You put Vicks Vaporub on your chest and put on a shirt and put it on the bottoms of your feet and put on socks. That way it doesn't get all over the place. Go to bed and wake up the next morning feeling great!
Good luck!

Saline nasal spray
I know they say use a humidifier, but I love our vicks vaporizer w/ kaz mentholated mineral oil in it for night time.
This sounds terrible, but very light thumps on the upper back to break up congestion seems to work.
On an old enough child, I like chloriseptic throat spray; the numbing effect temporarily gets rid of the urge to cough.
I'm hesitant to use a decongestant or cough suppressant (since most of them don't really seem to work anyway), but I think mucinex is great! They make one that doesn't have anything else in it besides the expectorant and it really works! Especially when they're getting over the cold but they have all the phlegm.
Good luck!

When we were kids, if we were congested my M. would give us onion juice to break it up. You slice an onion and layer sugar-onion slices-sugar-etc. in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it sitting on the counter. It will make a juice that is sweetened by the sugar. 2 tab. twice a day. She got it from her German grandmother. The sugar does not excite me too much, but neither does them being sick.

Everybody thought she was crazy except one of her friends who was the mother of 2 kids with systic frybrosis(I think it is the right disease,but I am sure I spelled it wrong!).
Her daughter would eat an onion like an apple when her lungs felt really bad and it would help her to feel better.
I hope this helps.

I was told by a M. in my MOPS group to put full strength vicks vapor rub on their feet and put socks on while they go to bed. It is suppose to stop night time coughing with in minutes. As for during the day, I have no suggestions. But at least they can get some rest at night.

We use a vaporizer, the plug in vapor smelly things, vicks on the chest, and vapor bath, before we think about calling the Dr. and thus the use of medications.

I think you're a great mommy for not giving the cold medicinces. Anyway, when my little ones are all stuffed up with colds, I use saline nose drops (little noses), vicks baby rub (I actually put a little on my finger and rub a very little bit under each nostril), and when it's time for bed and they are very congested, I will put them in their car seat to help with the congestion and go on a stroller or car ride until they fall asleep. I know how tough it can be when the little ones are sick. Good luck! If you find any other really helpful suggestions please share!!!

PREVENTATIVE:
Wash hands frequently
Sanitize the house frequently: computer, toys, light switches, etc.

DURING:
Humidifier
Steam from shower
Orange Juice
Fruits and Veggies
Gentle pats on the back to break up chest congestion
Time

I know it stinks but I have heard it is normal for toddlers to get up to 7-10 colds per year!!!

I know their are vapor baths for kids. I have used and they help. You can buy ucliptus leaves and throw them in the tub. I love Vick's or Metholadem for nose and chest. Pepermint oils help with conjestion, breathing etc. I use it for my asthma.

I have not used the plug in vapor products.

For the congested throat. Strip of flannel that you can wrap arround the throat at least twice. Wool to wrap arround the neck once. Safty pins to hold together wool. Wet the flannel with ice cold water. Wrap it arround the neck at bedtime. You do not want it tight just arround the neck. Your child will complain. Wrap the wool over the flannel and safety pin it together. This causes the blood to come to your neck. In the congestion should be in your head and the throat should feel good. It has always worked for me.

Sleeping in a sitting position may help the breathing. Use extra pillows or a chair.

You are right lots of TLC, fluids and sleeping help best. I feel that the body needs to fight off illiness to prevent attach of the aminue system (I cannot spell!) I also helps build strong bodies. A little suffering with a cold is nothing. Await for the big things, such as pnuemonia, to get drugs.

I think we feel worse then our kids do when they are sick.

Hi Mary,

Vicks vapor humidifier and having her at an incline at night so she could breathe. We also got these vapor mist things that you plug into an outlet and when she was at my inlaws, she was placed in her carseat by the vapor and she slept well...We also tooking a nursing pad and soaked it w/ the the vicks vapor liquid and kept it near her, so she would be able to breathe it in...hope that helps! We did suction using a little saline but that helped in the moment.

There really isn't anything. That was part of the point of the recent government action. Stuff is sold but it doesn't work and in the case of the cold medicine, not only does it not work but it actually can be dangerous. If a child has a fever, then tylenol etc would be given for that but for a cold, tlc, rest as you mention are the only remedies.

Hi Mary K,

We began taking Juice Plus about 6 months ago and my ear infection prone daughter has never been healthier. The best way to treat a cold is to prevent a cold and to do that follow follow this formula. FFVW. Fruits, Fish, Vegetables and Water. Frankly though, my family will not eat Vegetables. I've tried, I've snuck it into things, I've bribed, I've yelled you name it but my husband and daughter won't touch most veggies. Once I found Juice Plus and did the research on it and then saw some really impressive results in myself, my daughter, my husband, my mother and my mother in law, I decided I needed to be come a distributor.

I could go on and on about the research done on JP and benefits of JP. If you have any interest I'd be happy to discuss it with you in detail. Feel free to check out my website below and use my contact info on that site to reach me should you want to discuss it further.

http://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/pages/Home.soa?site=kc77819

Have a great week and good luck with cold season!

saline solution REALLY works. And honey for a cold. Good luck!

Try candied Ginger..works wonder for my daughter. It takes time to get used to the taste.