Homemade Saline Solution

When prepared correctly, homemade saline solution is similar to distilled water. For this reason, it is safe to use in the nose as a sinus rinse and as an eye rinse. A person can also use saline solution to rinse contact lenses, piercings, and cuts or scrapes, but this will not sterilize them.

Saline solution is salt water that contains 0.9 percent salt. It has a similar salt and water composition as a person’s blood and tears. As a result, it makes a useful irrigating solution.

Saline solution has many home uses, including:

• Clearing the sinuses. People can irrigate their nasal passages with saline solution to relieve the symptoms of sinusitis, colds, and allergies. Nasal irrigation moisturizes the nose and removes excess mucus and bacteria.
• Soothing the throat. A salt water gargle can help relieve a sore throat.
• Cleaning wounds. Saline can clean cuts and scrapes. Wound irrigation also removes dead skin cells and debris.
• Bladder irrigation. People with a catheter can use saline solution to irrigate the bladder.
• Rinsing contact lenses and piercings. Soaking contact lenses, piercings, and other objects in saline solution can help keep them free from bacteria.

The small amount of salt present can have an antibacterial effect. This is one of the reasons why foods preserved with salt tend to spoil less quickly than foods without salt.

It is important to try to prevent any bacteria or other contaminants from entering the solution when making homemade saline.

Homemade saline solution requires the following:

4 cups of distilled or boiled (for at least 20 minutes) water
2 teaspoons (tsp) of noniodized salt
an airtight storage container with a lid, such as a bottle

To make saline solution at home, follow these steps:

• wash the hands thoroughly
• sterilize the container and mixing utensil by using a dishwasher or boiling them in water
• pour the water into the container mix in the salt and stir until completely dissolved
• let the mixture cool before use

Store the saline solution in the airtight container. Research suggests that bacteria can grow in homemade saline solution within 24 hours, and that bacteria are less likely to grow when saline is chilled. Where possible, store the solution in the refrigerator.

Despite a person’s best efforts, contaminants can still affect the solution. Dispose of the solution if it looks cloudy or dirty.