How to Make an Onion Poultice for Lung Congestion and Crud

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

An onion poultice is a simple and historical folk remedy to relieve lung congestion, pneumonia, and coughs. It works against bacteria and helps your body break up mucus and congestion. This poultice can be made at home in just a few minutes, and is gentle enough for adults and children.

With winter advancing and indoor air quality being lower than ideal, this simple folk recipe can be useful. An onion poultice is warming, and can help warm the chest, and lungs, after a long day out doing winter activities. My family has used an onion poultice to help with congestion from bacterial exposure, viral exposure, and to relieve crud caused by cold temperatures and indoor air with recirculated allergens. The poultice is warming, and works slowly, so it is easy to monitor the person’s reaction to the onion poultice. An onion poultice is safer than a traditional mustard poultice, and can be used with children who won’t try to remove it.

The poultice is easiest to keep in place if the person is resting, or needing to stay laying down. You can wrap a long scarf around one’s chest and the poultice to help keep it, and the heating pad, in place if the person needs to move around. Always use a layer of salve or chest rub to protect the skin from the onion juices. Onion juice can be irritating with prolonged exposure, as will happen with this historical folk remedy.

However, you can easily learn how to make this onion poultice. The onion poultice is an historical remedy for lung congestion, pneumonia, coughs, and bacteria. It works quickly to break up mucus and clear up congestion. The aromatics fight infection, whether from wearing a cloth mask, allergens in the air, or general bad air, try an onion poultice to keep your lungs open and get rid of the crud.

How to Make an Onion Poultice for Lung Congestion and Crud

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Joybilee Farm
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 1x
Category: Herbal Remedy
Method: Poultice

Print Recipe

Description

Used for lung congestion and tightness in the chest in the pioneer era and where people were remote from medical help. Less likely to burn the skin like a mustard plaster can.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 onion, diced
flour sack towel or other light cotton (100% cotton is best)
Heating pad like a flax bag or rice bag. (rice or lentils in a sock works if you don’t have a ready made flax heating pad.)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cut up half an onion, diced
Put it in the middle of a flour sack towel
Lightly press with a kraut pounder or muddler to crush the onion.
Apply a salve to the chest (calendula salve, plantain salve, lotion bar etc). This protects from skin irritation.
Roll up onion poultice inside the flour sack towel and place on chest. Cover with heated flax bag or heating pad. Cover with clothing.
Leave it in place for several hours, replacing heating pad as needed to keep it warm.

Notes

For information purposes only. Not medical advice. Not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for a medical disease. Consult your doctor for personal recommendations in your specific circumstances.

Recipe Card powered by

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. Not meant to treat, diagnose, or prescribe.

After applying an onion poultice, Grandma would check the skin to ensure that there is no rash or irritation developing. She’d wash it off if there was irritation and reapply salve.

Poultice was kept in place for up to 8 hours. Replaced with fresh onion after 8 hours. Watch for skin irritation and take appropriate action, including washing off the affected areas, and applying soothing and cooling salves or creams. You may only want to use poultices during day time hours, as the poultice and heat pad can be hard to keep in place during sleep.

If there is any difficulty breathing, contact medical professional immediately.

Ginger for Colds and Flu

If you need another useful folk remedy to keep in mind, ginger might be as close as your kitchen spice cupboard. Ginger is a superb and easy to find herb that can increase circulation, aid digestion, and relieve many symptoms of the common cold or the flu. If you need an herbal remedy for cold and flu season and you need it right now, Ginger, will meet you where you are at.

Grab my FREE ebook, “Using Ginger for Cold and Flu Relief” and get the help you need tonight. Tomorrow gather the five antiviral herbs and get your Anti-viral tincture started. Tonight mix up an easy ginger drink for quick relief of the aches and pains, sore throat, and the general unwell feelings from the common cold.

How to Make an Onion Poultice Like Grandma for Lung Congestion and Crud