One of the most annoying things about dealing with a cold or even just seasonal allergies is your body’s immune responses. Among these, a sore throat can be the most painful. It can be caused by all sorts of pesky germs, both bacterial and viral, so you will have to see your doctor to get the root cause treated. However, in the meantime, you can soothe the soreness with a very effective home remedy that you may already be familiar with: gargling salt water (saline).

Salt water gargle has been used as a traditional treatment for sore throats for many generations, and it is still just as useful today. This remedy helps in two key ways: It helps to dislodge mucus from the throat, which is likely what’s making you uncomfortable, and it will also make the chemical environment of your throat less ideal for bad microorganisms (the ones that are making you sick) because it tends to make your throat too dry and too salty for them to flourish. If you are suffering from allergies, a flush of saline will help to clear the back of your throat from the particles that are causing your allergic reactions. In other words, salt water serves as a treatment to remove irritants that cause your throat to become inflamed.

Of course, salt water gargle will not cure you if you are suffering from an infection, but it can certainly help, particularly if you are dealing with bacteria. If you have a sore throat and are wondering how to mix up a batch of saline, it is actually very simple. Follow these steps to put together your home remedy:

Salt Water Gargle Recipe:

1) Gather the ingredients.
You’re going to need 8 fluid ounces of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. If you find that you need more, keep the ratios the same. If you find that you don’t like the taste of brine, you may want to get some organic honey to add to it; this is optional, of course. Honey also has antibacterial properties.

2) Boil the water to kill any microorganisms.
Germs, both good and bad, exist everywhere, so before you use water to flush out any of your orifices, it’s a good idea to sanitize the water first by bringing it to a rolling boil for about 1 minute. Let the water cool before you use it. You do not want to burn yourself, so be sure that the water is less than body temperature (warm, not hot) when you are getting ready to gargle. Let the water cool on its own and don’t attempt to hasten the cooling by adding ice cubes, since this defeats the purpose of boiling.

3) While the water is hot, stir in the salt.
The salt will dissolve faster if the water is warm or hot, so do it then.

4) Gargle the water for about 30 seconds.
Do this roughly once per hour until you find that your symptoms have sufficiently diminished.

So the next time you feel that seasonal itch, give this remedy a try before you reach for over-the-counter drugs. It costs next to nothing and it’s all-natural.