Home Remedies: Fact or Fiction?

I've always loved to try home remedies. There was a column in my hometown newspaper I would read religiously every Saturday. In it, the woman offered a ton of great inexpensive and worthy home remedies. 

One of my favorites came from a writer friend. I was bemoaning my thermos-type coffee pot wouldn't come as clean as I wanted it no matter how hard I scrubbed it. She told me to fill it with a little OxiClean and water and let it sit for a while. I tried it and was amazed at the results. The inside shone like the day I bought it! 

Now we have the Internet for home remedies. I've found suggestions of peanut butter to removed gum from your kid's hair. Ice cubes sharpen the blades of your garbage disposal, and lemon or orange peels make it smell fresh. 

There are a gazillion tips out there. Some work, but some are just plain ridiculous. Doing research for an article I was writing, I found some wild home remedies. I truly don't suggest trying these, but if you're in need of a good chuckle ... read on.  

1. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop. Not a bad idea, providing you can find a changeling. 

2. Men: Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink. Warning: You might want to pack your bags before trying this. 

3. For high blood pressure sufferers -- simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer. I have to say it is cheap alternative to prescriptive drugs. 

4. A mousetrap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. The broken fingers might provide an excuse from work. 

5. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you'll be afraid to cough. Caution: never, under any circumstances, take the laxative and a sleeping pill on the same night.  

6. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape. I had a coat for years that was hemmed with duct tape, which survived through a dozen or more trips to the dry cleaners. 

7. If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem. Seems like common sense.

If you have some great tried-and-true home remedies, I'd love to hear them! Leave a comment.