Using Honey and Vinegar to Heal Wounds

There's that old saying about how it's easier to catch flies with honey than it is with vinegar. It's true enough as a metaphor for how to treat the people in your life, but it doesn't hold as true when you're talking about the healing properties of honey and vinegar. Both honey and vinegar make terrific household ingredients for healing a number of different ailments. And interestingly enough, they can both be used to help wounds. So, next time you're at home and get hurt, you might want to head to the kitchen instead of the medicine cabinet.

Those who use home remedies on a regular basis often use honey to help heal wounds. There are a few different reasons for this. First of all, honey placed on the wound acts as a barrier to protect the wound from the outside world, preventing infection. It seems weird at first thought, since honey sticks to everything it touches, but when you watch the thick honey congeal on your wound, you'll see that it may catch dirt on the surface but there's no way that dirt is going to penetrate in to your body.

Honey can heal wounds not only by acting as a protective barrier from disease but also has properties which dull the pain. Honey is a natural anti-inflammatory. And it'll keep your wounds moist enough not to hurt while they are healing but it won't prevent the healing process from occurring. You can use honey to heal wounds simply by rubbing it on to the wound (after cleaning it out with water of course). Or you can use it in addition to other wound remedies; placing it on the wound and then covering the wound with a bandage, for example.

Okay, so you're buying the honey thing because it makes some obvious sense. Honey's good for you inside and out and you're not going to argue with that. But vinegar? Yes, vinegar can also help to heal your wounds. Apple cider vinegar is the most commonly used healing vinegar (and one you probably already keep around for its other health benefits). Like honey, vinegar helps to heal wounds by preventing the spread of bacteria. It may speed up the healing process and it also reduces the itchiness that comes along when a wound is healing.

The major difference in the wound healing properties of honey and vinegar is their side benefit properties. They both heal wounds by limiting bacteria. However, honey's main additional benefit is the way it acts as a painkiller while vinegar's is its anti-itch properties. Which one you'll want to use to heal your wounds depends on the stage of the wound and the sensitivity that you have to these issues. Either one could be good. If you're health-conscious and interested in home remedies, or you merely want to know how to make good use of the items that you keep in your house, you'll want to like to honey and vinegar. In their own way, they both help to catch those flies!