13 First-Aid Remedies That Used to Be in Every Home
These 13 first-aid remedies once sat in every family’s cabinet, passed down like secret knowledge, though many would raise eyebrows in a modern ER.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
First-aid in decades past was less about clinical approval and more about practical wisdom, passed from generation to generation. These remedies, often kitchen-based or oddly specific, reflect a time when trust in home cures outweighed concern over scientific validation. While many have fallen out of use for good reason, they remain a fascinating look into how families once faced injuries and illness with creativity, caution, and a dose of folklore.
1. Mercurochrome
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Back in the day, getting a cut meant one thing: out came the bottle of bright red Mercurochrome. It stung a little, stained your skin orange-red, and somehow made you feel like the worst was over. Parents swore by it, even though it contained mercury, which is why it eventually disappeared from medicine cabinets.
2. Camphorated Oil
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Used for chest rubs, sore muscles, or even just to “draw out a cold,” camphorated oil was the cure-all no one questioned. Grandma would rub it on your back and cover you with a blanket like she was sealing in magic. Today, it’s mostly banned due to concerns about toxicity if overused or swallowed.
3. Iodine Tincture
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That little brown bottle with the glass applicator used to be the go-to disinfectant. It was sharp, burned like betrayal, but somehow reassured you the wound was clean. Its use faded as gentler antiseptics came along and people realized it could damage skin tissue.
4. Sugar and Butter for Burns
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For minor kitchen burns, older generations mixed sugar and butter as a soothing balm. It felt cool at first, and the sugary crust made kids think it was working. Medical science now warns this can trap heat and cause infections, but that didn’t stop moms from slathering it on.
5. Bluing for Bee Stings
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Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing, originally used to whiten laundry, was also dabbed on bee stings to reduce swelling. It gave the skin a bizarre purplish tint, but folks claimed it worked better than ice. It’s since been shelved in favor of antihistamines and proper cold compresses.
6. Castor Oil
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This cure-all lived under kitchen sinks and tasted like punishment. A spoonful “to clean you out” was common for everything from constipation to “just not feeling right.” Though it actually does work as a laxative, it fell out of favor due to its aggressive results.
7. Whiskey for Toothaches
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A dab of whiskey on a cotton ball, pressed into a sore tooth, was the hillbilly Novocain of its day. Parents also rubbed a drop on teething babies’ gums — not exactly pediatrician-approved today. It numbed pain and calmed nerves, but its alcohol content made it a risky household fix.
8. Meat Tenderizer for Jellyfish Stings
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Many beachside first-aid kits once included meat tenderizer to treat jellyfish stings. The idea was that the enzymes could break down venom proteins. It wasn’t foolproof and often didn’t work, but it was widely used before vinegar and hot water became the go-to treatments.
9. Red Pepper in Socks for Colds
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Some families sprinkled red pepper into socks to stimulate circulation and “sweat out” a cold. It created a warm, tingling sensation that was oddly comforting — unless you had sensitive skin. It’s more folklore than science, but it shows how people turned to the pantry before the pharmacy.
10. Petroleum Jelly for Everything
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From scrapes to diaper rash, petroleum jelly was the Swiss Army knife of home remedies. A thin layer over a cut “sealed” it and supposedly helped it heal faster. It remains popular today, but is used more selectively due to concerns about pore clogging and overuse.
11. Mustard Plaster
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Used for chest colds and congestion, a mustard plaster was a pungent paste slathered on a cloth and pressed against your skin. It was meant to “draw out toxins” and heat the body from within. It worked, but also caused burns if left on too long.
12. Butter on Bruises
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When someone bumped into a table, grandma didn’t grab ice — she grabbed the butter dish. A glob of butter on a fresh bruise was said to keep it from turning purple. It never really worked, but that didn’t stop generations from trying.
13. Soap Poultices
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Grated bar soap mixed with sugar was applied to splinters or boils to “draw out the poison.” It was wrapped in gauze and left overnight, and sometimes it actually did help ease pressure. This old-time fix came from a belief in the drawing power of soap, and it stuck around for decades.