There’s Four Very Common Items Around Your House You May Not Realize Can Help With Mosquito Bites
In the state of Maine where mosquito bites are as a common as blueberries, it's important to know what you can do to stop scratching your arm off. For generations, people have been using aloe to soothe the itching and burning, and more recently, some specialized anti-itch products that promise to cool your bite. But what if you could use some simple household items and save some time and cash? According to lifehacker.com, there is.
USE TOOTHPASTE ON YOUR BITES
Sounds so weird, right? Toothpaste is usually something people always have around the house or even on a simple camping trick. Just placing a small amount of toothpaste on any itchy mosquito bite can instantly cool it. The one downside is the look, you can't rub in the toothpaste, you have to just leave it there. (ps. this works on acne too, seriously!)
THE OLD SALT AND WATER TRICK
Old farmers believe salt and water can cure just about any simple ailment. Got a canker sore, swish with salt and water! Those old farmers may have been on to something, because a mixture of salt and water can work on mosquito bites too! Take your typical table salt and and mix it with a few drops of water to create a paste. (meaning more salt than water) Then apply that paste directly to the mosquito bite. You will feel an initial sting (pouring salt into the wound will do that) but afterwards, you should feel amazing itch-free relief.
A DROP OR TWO OF LEMON OR LIME JUICE
Often times in a kitchen, you'll find fresh lemons or limes OR maybe some of that juice inside your refrigerator. If you can bear the initial sting, the citric acid inside those juices can offset the pesky proteins that cause you to itch, itch and itch again on those mosquito bites.
PLACE A WARM SPOON DIRECTLY ON THE BITE
This may be the easiest and most effective home remedy for mosquito bites. Take a metal spoon, warm some tap water and place the spoon under it until it gathers some heat. Then, place that spoon directly onto your bite. After a couple minutes, you should feel some serious relief instantly but if applied properly, the itch shouldn't come back again. Nice!
Lifehacker.com offers up a couple of other well-known remedies for mosquito bites here. Going camping this weekend? Bring your toothpaste and salt. We bet you didn't realize they were dual-purpose.