Home Remedies For Sore Throats

Home remedies for sore throats knock the socks off store bought sore throat remedies in my experience as they give the best instant sore throat relief and help ease connected cough, cold and flu symptoms.

But I do think it helps to have a bunch of different home remedies for sore throats up your sleeve as the best sore throat remedies for adults are not necessarily the best sore throat remedies for kid and because we want our sore throat remedy to do a bunch of different things.

Sore throats can be caused by:

Bacterial & viral infection
Inflammation
And stress from coughing

So we need home remedies that can help with all of these AND the sometimes razor sharp pain of a bad sore throat.

And of course we need home remedies that we can throw together super simply from what we’ve got in the house when we’re feeling rubbish.

So I’ve got a list for you here of my favourite home remedies for sore throats. There’s everything from quick gargles and the best sore throat teas to some amazing sore throat slushies, smoothies and popsicles. Some are best for adults and some for kids but they’re all quick and easy so you can get instant relief for the nastiest sore throat.

Do save the list for quick reference next time you’ve got a sore throat. And do check out my other simple home remedies for everything from coughs and colds to stomach pain and headaches. I do hope they help.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor and this post does not provide qualified medical advice. Sore throats can be symptoms of serious medical conditions including strep throat, scarlet fever and tonsillitis. You should seek medical advice for a sore throat with a fever, rash, vomiting or other symptoms not commonly associated with coughs and colds.

25 Best Home Sore Throat Remedies For Instant Relief

Sore throats are very often an early symptom of colds or flu like viruses so doing the basics – plenty of rest, fluids & hand washing – is a no brainer as soon as you feel that sore throat coming on.

You can then use a mixture of these 25 different home sore throat remedies to keep on top of the infection, inflammation and pain. Getting on top of symptoms early can also help to keep the infection and inflammation off our chest where it can get much nastier.

As with so many things a balanced approach really seems to help. We get the different benefits of different remedies without overdoing any of them.

I’ve ordered the sore throat remedies in this list roughly by ease of use with some super simple quick ones first, then some of my favourite remedies that take just a bit more effort and finally some others I use less but which may work well for you.

1. Salt Water Gargle

A salt water gargle is the easiest ever DIY sore throat remedy. Simply gargle half a teaspoon of salt in warm water, then spit out. It’s a handy sore throat remedy for adults as if you’ve no other ingredients in the house salt gargles will give instant sore throat relief but not a great remedy for kids until they’re old enough to gargle properly without swallowing the lot or spraying it everywhere!!

2. Honey Water

Honey water is my go to remedy for instant sore throat relief when I’m too tired to come up with anything else. Simply stir a tea spoon of real honey into a glass of warm water and drink it.

If you don’t typically have honey in the house, you have to get some – buy direct to support a local farmer – because honey is the best home remedy for everything from coughs and colds to sun burn and mosquito bites and is a natural antihistamine and natural antibiotic!!!

It’s also a key ingredient in the best sore throat teas and in the super duper sore throat smoothies and slushies I am going to share below.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar Gargle

An apple cider vinegar gargle is another super quick home remedy I swear by for instant sore throat relief. Again just stir a tea spoon full or so of apple cider vinegar into a small glass of warm water and gargle with it.

I find an apple cider vinegar gargle half an or so before bedtime and then a small glass of warm honey water as I get into bed can together really take the edge off a sore throat that will stop me sleeping.

Real apple cider vinegar is another natural ingredient I always keep in stock as it’s great for gut health and can help relieve all sorts of ailments from stomach pain to colds.

4. Lemon Ice Cubes

Lemon ice cubes are another amazing home remedy you always need to have in your house. I now totally swear by them.

Simply, buy a load of lemons, cut into quarters & scoop all the flesh & pith – minus pips – into a blender and blend away. Then pour into ice cube trays – especially any random tiny ones you have cluttering your kitchen – and freeze. Once frozen quickly pop them out into a freezer bag or container.

Now obviously you need to be a bit organised in advance but these little babies are life savers for making the best sore throat teas and you can also use them for sore throat soothing:

Lemon ice water
Lemon sore throat smoothies – see below
Lemon sore throat slushies – again see below
And those random tiny ones are brilliant as instant sore throat relief lozenges. Sucking away on a lemon ice cube helps numb the pain and lets the natural antiseptic powers of the lemon get to work on the infection.

5. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is yet another super quick sore throat remedy.

It has natural antibiotic and anti-histamine powers so can help with both infection and inflammation and that lovely creaminess can give on the spot topical pain relief to our poor old throat.

You can just dose yourself up with a teaspoon of softened oil or stir a teaspoon into a glass of warm water and sip down.

6. Yoghurt

A couple of quick spoons of natural unsweetened yoghurt can also bring instant relief to sore throat pain. It’s also great for our gut bacteria and looking after our gut will, bizarrely, actually help us fight sore throat infections.

Yoghurt won’t provide as long lasting relief as some of these other home remedies for sore throats but it’s a good top up to keep you going earlier in the evening so you can save up a really warming sore throat tea until just before bedtime for maximum impact.

Simple DIY sore throat teas can bring amazing instant relief to even the most painful store throat and they truly are a zillion times better than store bought sachets I promise you, so it is worth learning to make a few easy sore throat tea recipes. They really do only take 5 minutes or so.

7. Thyme Sore Throat Tea

Thyme is a super useful herb which yet again has natural antibiotic and anti-histamine powers and has traditionally been used to heal sore throats so it really is worth growing a little pot so you’ve always got some to hand. Alternatively just keep some good dried thyme in stock.

To make thyme sore throat tea just boil fresh water and then pour over a small handful of thyme and leave to steep for 5 minutes before straining and stirring in a spoonful of honey.

8. Lemon & Honey Sore Throat Tea

This is another super simple sore throat tea. You could just squeeze some lemon juice into some freshly boiled water but this is where those lemon ice cubes – see #4 – become so handy. I just chuck a couple in a small pan with a cup of water and bring to a gentle simmer before stirring in a teaspoon of honey. You get more flavour and more sore throat relieving power from the intensity of all that lemon flesh.

9. Ginger Sore Throat Tea

Ginger is yet another natural ingredient it’s always worth having around. It’s good for sore throats, morning sickness and head aches but also worth eating regularly for general gut health, so do get some in.

The ginger root itself seems to be most effective but if you can’t get hold of easily or it seems too much faff just stock good quality ginger powder.

Steep a teaspoon of dried ginger or fresh ginger peeled and sliced in freshly boiled water for 4 or 5 minutes, stir and then strain over a teaspoon of honey for lovely warming ginger sore throat tea.

10. Chamomile Sore Throat Tea

Some herbal sore throat teas are – to be honest – a bit obscure and most of us would use ’em once and then clutter the cupboard with them for ever and a day, but chamomile tea is worth getting into as it’s a good standby remedy for insomnia, headaches, anxiety and period pain as well as sore throats.

Chamomile is naturally soothing for sore throats but also seems to heal infections and is anti-spasmodic so may relieve coughing.

11. Lemon, Cinnamon & Ginger Tea

This sore throat tea is basically just lemon tea and ginger tea combined with a teaspoon of cinnamon added in. The combined effect is very warming and the cinnamon has anti inflammatory and also analgesic – pain killing – properties.

12. Sore Throat Popsicles

The warmth of sore throat teas can be wonderful especially if our throat feels swollen but sometimes when our throat is just raw sore something ice cold can help more because it numbs the pain.

And that’s where sore throat popsicles come into their own, especially as a sore throat remedy for kids. Simply freeze in a popsicle tray or bags a big batch of any of these sore throat tea combinations:

Thyme & honey
Lemon & honey
Thyme, lemon & honey
Ginger & honey
Lemon, honey & coconut
Ginger, honey & coconut
Chamomile & honey

Just stir in and dissolve a teaspoon of honey and coconut oil if you like the favour before pouring into the popsicle moulds

13. Sore Throat Sprays

Sore throat teas can also be used to make sore throat sprays. It’s worth steeping the tea for longer for greater impact before straining and adding the honey.

14. Simple Cough Mixture

A couple of teaspoons of this simple homemade cough mixture can also give instant sore throat relief for kids with really raw sore throats. I make up a little jar of it in the morning – it only takes a few minutes – and kids can then have four or five doses throughout the day.

OK, so after giving you the best very quick sore throat remedies I’ve now got a bunch of super sore throat home remedies for you that will take a few minutes more to make but really do pack a punch in easing sore throat pain and helping us fight the underlying bugs causing the sore throat.

15. Super Sore Throat Smoothie

Sore throat smoothies are a brilliant way to blast our body with bug beating, anti inflammatory ingredients that give quick sore throat pain relief and fight infection.

My favourite super sore throat smoothie just involves chucking the following in a powerful blender for a minute or so

Half a can of pineapple
1 banana – frozen is great
2 or 3 lemon ice cubes or juice of half a lemon
Good knob of ginger peeled & sliced or teaspoon of dried ginger
Couple of dollops of natural yoghurt (sugar free)
Teaspoon of honey
Teaspoon of coconut oil
Ice cubes – use plenty if you haven’t used frozen banana or lemon so it’s nice and cold
Enough cold water to dilute

The pineapple is brilliant if your throat is feeling really swollen as it contains anti-inflammatory bromelain and in my experience is a real winner with kids. Another good recipe for adults is this sore throat smoothie with sage, ginger and turmeric.

16. Super Sore Throat Slushie

If your throat is raw sore, make this super sore throat slushie. It’s packed with lemon, ginger and honey but the coldness of the ice really helps to numb the pain. You could also add cinnamon or thyme for extra umph.

17. Super Sore Throat Tea

If I have got a rotten sore throat I always have a cup of this super sore throat tea before going to bed. Again it involves throwing half the cupboard at the infection as it’s packed with lemon, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, thyme and honey. It is super warming and a great quick remedy to keep sore throat infections from migrating onto your chest.

18. Super Sore Throat Soup

My other go to home remedy when a sore throat is in danger of becoming a horrible chesty cough and infection is this simple soup recipe. It’s basically a variation on a classic bone broth or paste e fagioli but again it’s packed with immune boosting, infection fighting ingredients:

Gently fry a finely chopped onion, a couple of sticks of celery & a carrot in olive oil for 4 or 5 minutes
Add 2 or 3 chopped tomatoes
Add 4 or 5 cloves of crushed garlic plus a chopped chilli pepper, finely chopped knob of ginger, teaspoons or so of turmeric & cayenne pepper to taste & stir round for half a minute or so
Add ~500 ml bone broth & ~500 ml of stock
Bring to a good simmer
Then add chicken and / or a can of chick peas, 3 or 4 good handfuls of noodles or small pasta, a few good handfuls of chopped dark green leaves e.g. cabbage or spinach and a small handful of fresh or dried thyme
Simmer for 5 or 10 minutes, seasoning before the end with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and plenty of pepper

I find it really does give instant relief and help us all get better quicker.

Right now I’ve given you both my super quick home remedies for sore throats and my super strength remedies, I’ve got a few more for you that personally I don’t tend to use but other people swear by and which may appeal to you.

19. Turmeric Water & Tea

There are all sorts of claims out there for the health benefits of turmeric water which I’m a bit sceptical about and TBH I’m not keen on the flavour on its own but this recipe from Nourish Move Love, that can be drunk hot as turmeric tea or iced as turmeric water, can help with both sore throat pain and infection.

It’s actually really a detox recipe so it will also help get your gut moving and doing it’s part in fighting infection as well as easing your sore throat.

20. Sage Sore Throat Tea

This is another sore throat remedy friends swear by, which I don’t use just because I am not a massive fan of the taste of sage. If you do like the flavour, it’s definitely worth trying as it is a natural antibiotic that has been used for sore throats for centuries.

21. More Homemade Sore Throat Teas

A few other less common herbs have also been used traditionally in sore throat remedies. As I mentioned earlier I tried to avoid obscure, single use remedies that will end up as clutter but some of these teas can be useful natural remedies for other ailments so you might want to try them:

Marshmallow root : can help with reflux
Licorice root : relieves stomach pain & heartburn
Slippery elm bark : eases UTI & IBS

22. Sore Throat Gummies

I am a great believer in simple home remedies we can throw together quickly from basic ingredients rather than making complicated stuff that takes up time and mental energy I haven’t got and in my house at least too easily becomes clutter.

But simple gummies can be a really useful home sore throat remedy for kids and not least because the sucking motion is calming for them. So if you have got a bit of time and energy – an hour tops – do try these homemade sore throat gummies as they have some extra ingredients that are much more beneficial than store bought versions.

23. Sore Throat Hot Toddy

There’s a bit of a debate about whether a traditional hot toddy is good for a sore throat or not and if we’re sick we do have to be careful that alcohol doesn’t contribute to dehydration. But if you can feel a minor sore throat coming on and you’re really not a herbal tea at bedtime kind of person, the other ingredients in a classic hot toddy like this should ease your sore throat and help you get a better night’s sleep:

A measure or so of whisky
Tablespoon of real honey
Juice of half a lemon
A cup of hot water
A cinnamon stick stirrer

24. Essential Oils For Sore Throats

I know some people swear by essential oils for sore throats and other home remedies but I have to confess I am super sceptical. The problem for me is the horribly dodgy pyramid selling business models behind some of the big essential oil brands. I really think they exploit women. And their aggressive marketing has made it really difficult for me to trust remedies that are trying to flog me more of their products.

If however you are a fan of some essential oils for home remedies – I do swear by them for warts & verrucas – then it’s best to stick to the classic herbs and ingredients traditionally used for sore throats such as :

Thyme
Sage
Lemon
Ginger
Cinnamon

25. Other Home Remedies For Sore Throats

Finally, if you’re still struggling to get sore throat relief or you’re stuck at home feeling rotten and don’t have any of the ingredients I’ve mentioned then do give some of these super simple sore throat remedies a go. They are not as powerful but they will give you some quick relief …

Steam shower but not a bath
Any warm soup
Ice cream
Marshmallows
Jelly / jello
Hot & cold compresses – can just be a hot face cloth followed by a cold face cloth
A warm scarf
Green tea

So there you go, 25 quick home remedies for sore throats that can bring instant relief to sore throat pain for kids and adults. I really hope they help. Do save the list for quick reference later and for more simple home remedies check out these posts: