Disclaimer: I made this a couple of months ago for my son because he was sick, well before the coronavirus pandemic. This is in NO WAY a cure for Covid-19! If you do have symptoms of the coronavirus, please seek professional advice, and self isolate.
What is a mustard plaster? It is kind of like a thick dough that is wrapped in a protective dressing and applied to the body to stimulate healing.
In the early 1900s, the cure for flu, coughs, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis and many other ailments including muscle aches and chronic aches and pains was the mustard plaster. During the Spanish Flu epidemic, this was one of the most effective treatments and even made it into the New England Journal of Medicine because of this. This used to be a popular medicinal treatment but now is considered a home remedy. This is unfortunate because it is quite cheap and easy to make, consists of ingredients that most households have on hand, it’s non-toxic, and safe for people who can’t take conventional medicinal treatment. It’s even safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women!
Mustard is a rubefacient, which means that it increases the blood circulation to whichever area of the body that you put it on (and will, therefore, turn that area red, so don’t be surprised). So if you place the mustard plaster on your chest, it will open up the capillaries, stimulating blood circulation, and therefore helping expand the lungs to help get the mucous and phlegm moving so you can cough it out of your body.
When I was younger, I remember having to use a mustard pack once. And that was the last time because my foster mother had used a recipe that called for turpentine in it and someone informed her that she can’t be using that on a child as it was dangerous.
But back in the day, my Mennonite foster mother used to use all sorts of home remedies. For instance, when we had a cold, she would take half an ounce of whiskey, brandy or baby duck wine (that she claimed was just for cooking, and stored in her closet with the television, which would also periodically be in the closet when she had randomly decided it was too worldly for us) mixed with half an ounce of honey in a green shot glass, warmed in the microwave, and would get us to drink that. Then we would have to lay in a hot bath for a bit, and then go to bed. I would usually end up falling asleep in the bathtub though.
It wasn’t until years later, when I had a super bad cold, that I thought was going to kill me, my foster sister got a recipe for a safer type of mustard pack and told me I needed to try it. I left it on my chest for 20 minutes, and put it on my back for 20 minutes, and felt a lot better the next day. It loosened up the phlegm and mucous in my chest so I could cough it out. And ever since then, I’ve been using it on my kids when they get a bad cold. (I have never made the homemade ‘cough syrup’ though, we buy it.) I just make sure I check in with them every couple of minutes to make sure it’s not getting too hot.
Because this mustard plaster brings blood to the surface, your skin will be red where it has been on your body and you don’t need to be concerned. If your skin starts to get too hot or starts to burn, take it off immediately. This doesn’t normally happen, but I just feel I should warn you to avoid a possible lawsuit. If you don’t have dry mustard, you can get it here.
Ok, so first you will need 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of dry mustard powder, enough water to make a paste, and lard. Double this if you are making it for an adult.
Mix the flour, mustard powder and water together to make a paste.
Spread a layer of lard on your cloth, or saran wrap, or ziplock bag, or whatever you are using, and spread the mustard paste thinly, in a rectangular/oval shape. I know that most other mustard plaster recipes don’t call for lard, but this is how I was shown to make it, so this is just what I always do. Wrap up your plaster and place it on the bare chest or back of the ill person and keep warm in a blanket. Keep it on for 20 minutes, or less if it becomes uncomfortable.
I have also heard that the mustard pack can help alleviate pain from sore muscles, arthritis, and even be placed on the feet when you’re sick (like Vicks and socks before bed I guess?).
If you have any old fashioned home remedies that you like to use, I would love to hear about them! Please leave a comment down below or send me a message!
Yes, I have used a mustard plaster on my children as well. My Mom was also into natural remedies, and they did help us!
Interesting. The vicks/socks on the feet works for us every time!
As a 6 yr old child, when I had an ear ache, Dad would make me pee in a cup, & pour some in my ear put cotton in it to keep it there, & it worked!
Also, if Dad thought we were constipated, He poured Caster oil in a cup with Pepsi & made us drink it! I Gagged!! It was “Take it, or get a Beating”!!
I also grew up with mustard plasters on my chest and back for bad colds. I use them to this day on my children and myself. However, the difference in our recipe is that we don’t use lard nor water. We use vinegar to make the paste. When mixed with the mustard powder, it is a double whammy! I think the recipe was passed down from my Amish ancestors (my great grandmother’s grandparents were Amish). My great grandmother also had a home remedy for a cough. I seems like she would would mix an onion and honey and chew it. I kind of remember her warming it in a skillet or something. Is that a remedy you have ever heard of?
My paternal grandmother made mustard plasters. She spread lard, Vicks and dry mustard on a cloth and then plastered it to my chest, pinned onto my pajamas. My mother made them, with Crisco instead of lard. And then I used one on my daughter. It always worked to loosen a tight cough and a stuffy nose.
Thank you for this. My gramma always made this when we were sick.
I’ve got the flu, lying on the couch with this on my back