Laundry soap is still the most popular and environmentally friendly hygiene product. Despite the fact that a large number of cleaning and detergents are produced, many housewives still have a piece of this dark, unpleasant-smelling soap at home. Moreover, it is used not only for washing or cleaning. The useful properties of laundry soap can be used for cosmetic, hygienic and even therapeutic purposes. Its natural alkaline composition contributes to the destruction of bacteria, accelerates healing and relieves inflammation. Often use laundry soap for the common cold. If you endure the unpleasant sensations, you can quickly cure a cold and even chronic sinusitis with it.
Rhinitis treatment
A stuffy nose or a runny nose can permanently lower a person's working capacity and quality of life. This happens with a cold or flu, chronic sinusitis, or an allergic reaction. A runny nose is characterized by the presence of a large number of nasal discharge, sneezing, shortness of breath. This leads to decreased performance, sleep disturbance.
There are many medications to treat the common cold. But most of them have contraindications for use. Therefore, some patients prefer to use folk remedies. To treat the common cold, honey, aloe, Kalanchoe, onions, beets and other natural remedies are used. Some patients decide to try laundry soap from a cold. It acts in a complex way, since it not only destroys bacteria, but also relieves swelling, eliminating nasal congestion.
General characteristics of laundry soap
This detergent has the simplest composition: fatty acids and sodium salts. It also has a high alkali content. All other types of soap are made on its basis, only various colorants and flavorings are added to them. Therefore, laundry soap is the most hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly product. It is made by heating natural vegetable and animal fats with the addition of soda. Some varieties also include rosin, which provides a large amount of foam.
On sale you can buy laundry soap of different fat content, but 72% soap is especially appreciated. It is most often recommended to use it with cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. After all, it gives a lot of foam and can dissolve at low temperatures. Such a bar of soap can lie at home for a long time without drying out or deteriorating.
Useful properties and application
Laundry soap is the cheapest and at the same time universal detergent. Due to the large number of alkalis, it quickly dissolves any impurities, even fuel oil and oil paint. In addition, it has antiseptic properties and is able to destroy any bacteria, fungi and other pathogenic microorganisms. The beneficial properties and widespread use of this soap are also due to its natural composition and hypoallergenicity.
Such soap has been used since antiquity. And traditional healers, noting its properties to destroy bacteria and relieve inflammation, began to use it in the treatment of many diseases. This soap helps to heal wounds, burns, prevents their infection. Due to the high pH level, this soap can even destroy the rabies virus. Therefore, doctors recommend that after an animal bite, wash the wound with laundry soap, and then contact a medical institution.
Often used laundry soap for acute respiratory viral infections, runny nose and flu. Its use in such cases is also effective:
- for faster healing of scratches and abrasions;
- after a bruise to prevent bruising;
- with purulent wounds or abscesses;
- with thrush and fungal diseases;
- minor burns;
- with sweating or acne;
- for disinfecting laundry during washing.
Does soap help with a runny nose?
When it was proved that this tool not only cleans various impurities, but also destroys bacteria, they began to use it to treat and prevent various diseases. It is especially recommended to use laundry soap. It is used for acute and chronic rhinitis of various etiologies, sinusitis and even sinusitis. In chronic pathologies, it is best to use it during remission, since treatment can take 3-4 weeks. But then it will help prevent exacerbation.
Effectively laundry soap for the prevention of influenza and SARS. During the epidemic, it is recommended to lubricate the nasal passages with foam from laundry soap before going outside, it is also useful to soap your hands and wait for drying. The resulting film will prevent infection. This soap is also able to destroy any bacteria that are on the mucous membrane. It is best to use 72% dark soap from a cold. It definitely does not contain any additives, so it will not lead to an allergic reaction.
How to treat a runny nose with soap?
Most often, it is recommended to use this tool for prevention. During epidemics, you need to wash your nose with laundry soap. To do this, dissolve a small piece in warm water. This solution must be carefully injected into each nasal passage using a syringe or pipette. It is important not to blow a strong jet, as this can lead to the solution getting into the maxillary sinuses or the Eustachian tube.
There are also other ways to treat a runny nose with household soap. For example, it is recommended to lubricate the nasal passages with a cotton swab dipped in a soap solution in the early days of the disease. You need to do this every 2 hours. Some do not even prepare a soap solution for this. You can just rub with a damp stick on a bar of soap and grease her nasal passages.
Laundry soap for the common cold: recipe for use
In addition to the simplest washing or lubricating the nose with soap, more complex recipes are also used. For example, you can make an ointment based on laundry soap. For this, the following components are mixed in equal proportions:
- soap soap shavings;
- honey;
- onion juice;
- milk;
- alcohol or vodka;
- olive oil.
Place all components in a container and place in a water bath. Warm up, stirring constantly, so that everything dissolves. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, it must be poured into hermetically sealed containers and cooled. Store the ointment in the refrigerator, it is suitable for a long time. As necessary, a small amount of ointment is heated and used to lubricate the sinuses. Alternatively, cotton turundas are soaked in a warm solution and inserted into the nostrils for 15-20 minutes. This mixture can be treated even a prolonged chronic runny nose, for this it is used for 2-3 weeks.
Contraindications and side effects of such a medicine
Like any remedy, household soap for the common cold can not be used by everyone. Its natural composition contributes to the absence of allergic reactions. But still they are possible, especially if you use low quality soap or with chemical additives. In addition, it is important to consult with your doctor first, as some chronic inflammatory diseases of the nasal mucosa may become an obstacle to such treatment. After all, laundry soap dries the mucosa, can lead to its thinning. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use it for longer than 10-14 days.
Most often, this tool is well tolerated. A slight burning, tickling, or tingling sensation is a normal reaction that you just need to tolerate. Usually unpleasant sensations pass quickly, sometimes the patient begins to sneeze often and strongly. It is believed that sneezing is beneficial, as it clears the nasal passages of mucus, but for some it can be a problem.
Treatment of a common cold in children
Children often suffer from a runny nose, and many drugs should not be used. Therefore, parents try to find folk remedies. Laundry soap is well suited for children with a cold. It does not cause allergic reactions, but quickly helps to cope with infection and nasal congestion. The only drawback is the appearance of a slight burning sensation, which not all children can bear. But you can just dilute the soap with water and use it in a lower concentration.
The recipes for treating the common cold in children are the same as in adults. Use nose washing with soapy water, lubricating the nostrils with foam, the use of a special ointment. It is saturated with cotton turunds and inserted into the nostrils of the child. But you need to keep them no longer than 10 minutes.
Laundry soap for the common cold: reviews
This tool has been popular for a long time. Every house used to have a bar of laundry soap. There was no such abundance of drugs and disinfectants, so it was often the only antiseptic. Many defended with his help from influenza and SARS. And not only ordinary people, but also medical workers. They lubricated the sinuses of the nose, this helped them not to get sick when in contact with sick people.
But now, despite the fact that a lot of drugs and disinfectants have appeared, laundry soap is often used. Reviews and recipes for its use can be found in the article. Moreover, people note that it quickly helps to get rid of nasal congestion and reduces the number of secretions. But many after using it noticed that it strongly dries the mucous membrane. Also, some do not like the tickling and burning sensation that often leads to sneezing. But despite such shortcomings, most people and medical workers say that laundry soap for colds is very effective.