Garlic is great to cook with, but check out below for some other really interesting ideas I found on how to use it around the home . . . some are very useful and some are really strange!
Acne
Slice open a clove of raw, fresh garlic and apply it to breakouts as a
home remedy for acne. Your skin won’t smell terribly good, but the
antibacterial properties of garlic will help lessen the appearance of
acne, even those deep acne cysts that can otherwise be difficult to
treat.
Pesticide
Whiteflies, aphids, cabbage loopers and squash bugs. All of these
creepy-crawlies and more can totally decimate the beautiful organic
garden you’ve been tending all season. Ward them off with an all-natural
garlic pesticide spray. Mince three garlic cloves and let them sit in
two tablespoons of mineral oil for 24 hours. Then strain out the garlic
and add the oil, along with a teaspoon of liquid dish soap, to a pint of
water in a spray bottle. Spray on infested plants.
Cold sore treatment
These unsightly lesions always seem to pop up at the most inopportune
times, like the morning before a big date. Raw garlic may work just as
well as commercial medical treatments, though the acidity may cause
discomfort at first. Cut a garlic clove in half and place it directly on
the cold sore for 10 minutes, several times a day. Garlic supplements
in capsule form may also speed up the healing process.
Mosquito repellent
If you don’t mind smelling like Italian dressing, garlic can work
wonders in warding off pesky mosquitoes without the use of DEET and
other potentially toxic chemicals. Try this oddball garlic mosquito
spray: let a few minced cloves of garlic infuse an ounce of mineral oil
for 24 hours, strain, and mix the garlic-scented oil with 2 cups of
water and 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Strain again if
necessary and pour into a spray bottle.
Glass repair
Did you know that garlic juice is a natural adhesive? While it’s not
up to any major jobs, it can be used to fill in hairline cracks in glass
and hold them together. Crush a clove of garlic and rub its sticky,
viscous juice into the cracks and wipe away the excess.
Flea deterrent
Need natural flea protection for your dog? Consider garlic. Many
natural pet health stores sell capsules of garlic and brewers yeast,
which are taken orally to discourage fleas from biting. You can also
grate a small amount of fresh garlic onto your dog’s food once per day,
but don’t overdo it, as it may be harmful in large amounts.
Athlete’s foot
Garlic is a potent natural antifungal, making it ideal for treating
fungal infections like irritating and itchy athlete’s foot. Add a few
cloves of crushed garlic to warm water in a foot bath and soak the
affected foot for 30 minutes.
Ear infections
A common folk remedy for centuries, garlic can indeed kill the
bacteria that cause ear infections. Of course, this doesn’t mean you
should shove a clove of garlic into your ear and hope for the best.
Crush a clove of garlic with a press and place it in a teaspoon of hot
olive oil for five minutes. Strain, allow to cool and drip a few drops
at a time into your ear canal. You can also purchase garlic oil made for
this purpose at natural health food stores.
Splinter removal
Splinters suck. They’re painful to remove, and sometimes they slice
too far into the skin to pull out. Instead of waiting for it to come out
on its own, try this odd trick: place a thin slice over the splinter
and hold on with a bandage. The garlic should help the splinter work its
way out of the skin within hours.
Skin cleanser
It’s not exactly common, but some women swear by using garlic as a
facial cleanser to dry out acne and tighten and exfoliate the skin. It
will definitely burn, so take care if you have any open wounds. Make a
paste of finely mined garlic, olive oil, facial cleanser and sugar;
massage into skin in circular motions, then rinse.
Gas prevention
High in sulfur, garlic can be the culprit for uncomfortable
stomach-distending gas for some people, but for others, it can
reportedly ease it. The trick may be consuming it on a regular basis in
order to maintain intestinal health. Garlic kills harmful intestinal
bacteria and promotes the growth of beneficial flora, making digestion
much smoother.
Yeast infections
At the first sign of a yeast infection, many women around the world
turn to a rather unusual natural remedy: raw, peeled garlic cloves (not
cut), typically tied in a strip of cheesecloth and inserted with a
tampon applicator. Garlic’s antifungal properties go to work on the
yeast, supposedly keeping the infection at bay.
Fish bait
Garlic’s strong smell may repel insects, but it has the opposite
effect on fish. Yep, that’s right, garlic cloves are recommended by some
fisherman as an unusual bait that can attract catfish, carp, trout,
bass and other species. Marshmallows or dough balls made from a mixture
of crackers and cat food are coated with crushed or powdered garlic and
placed on a hook to lure the fish with its scent.
Psoriasis relief
The persistent tightness and itching of psoriasis could be eased or
even prevented by garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties. Active
compounds in garlic interact with arachidonic acid, an omega fatty acid
in the skin linked to psoriasis. Garlic oil may be rubbed directly on
affected areas once or twice per day.
Cough syrup
Ease inflammation in the throat and clear up excess mucus by using
garlic as cough syrup. Try steeping raw, minced garlic in hot water,
straining it after five minutes and drinking the liquid as tea; you can
add ginger and honey to make it more palatable.
Mole removal
This method is almost certainly not recommended by dermatologists,
and mole removal is best left to medical professionals, especially since
skin doctors can tell upon excision whether the mole shows signs of
malignancy. However, many people choose to go it alone, and garlic oil –
applied several times per day and covered with a bandage – is an
oft-repeated DIY route.
Cold banisher
Can garlic cure and prevent colds naturally? It’s been in use for
this purpose for centuries, and there’s a good reason for that.
Researchers believe
that allicin, the main biologically active component of garlic, could
block enzymes that may impede bacterial and viral infections. Eat three
to four cloves of garlic per day, preferably raw and crushed, adding
them to soups, stews, pasta sauces and salad dressings.
Road de-icer
Garlic is among the oddball solutions that many towns across the
nation have been dreaming up to de-ice roads in winter. Ankeny, Iowa
smelled awfully savory in 2008 when winter transportation crews spread
garlic salt on the streets in advance of snowstorms. The salt,
apparently unfit for human consumption, was donated by a local spice
producer.
Hair loss help
Whether you’ve over-dyed your hair to the point of constant shedding
or you’re just going bald, garlic may be worth a shot before you resort
to more drastic measures (or just buy a lot of hats.) Some people
believe that massaging the scalp with garlic oil stimulates hair growth.
Parasite killer
Many alternative health practitioners advise using raw garlic to
expel intestinal parasites. Recommended as part of a cleansing diet that
also includes raw honey, lemon juice, pumpkin seeds, carrots and beets,
garlic consumed in quantities of about three cloves per day may help
clear nasty organisms out of the digestive tract.
Aphrodisiac
Does garlic turn you on? You may not like the smell of it on someone
else’s breath, but it may incite lust once it makes its way into your
stomach. Garlic has been used as an aphrodisiac since ancient times, and
modern medical knowledge may have an explanation: it aids circulation,
pumping blood to your extremities. This effect might even increase men’s
endurance in the bedroom.
Complements of EcoSalon :)
