It is always exciting to find an inexpensive tip that works well, but the way I found out about the best way to treat a sting was not without tears.
Tears from my three-year-old, not me.
Last week, we were on vacation in New Braunfels, Texas, and we were eating at the fabulous Gruene River Grill, in Gruene, Texas. Little R was playing with her sisters and cousins and PaPa, when she grabbed onto a railing (outside the restaurant) and was promptly stung by two yellowjackets.
Needless to say, several people heard her cries, including a lady in a shop next door. She immediately came to me with a baking-soda-and-water-paste, and told me to apply that to her stings.
Yes, I know you are skeptical, as was I, but I did it anyway. She was very convincing!
I rubbed it onto her stings, which had begun to swell a bit. The restaurant brought some Neosporin-type medication and big blue band-aids.
My darling R has a slight major obsession with band-aids. So, of course, we had to apply them. All of them.
It looks like she has a cast on! But, the real miracle is, the baking-soda-water-paste worked. And it worked well. She calmed down and ate her lunch and never said another word about her stings. Not one! She never scratched them, or even thought about them again. We even pulled the band-aids off, and she was fine.
The swelling in her hand and arm went down almost immediately after applying the paste. It took the itch away as well.
I am a believer! I don’t know what it is in the baking soda that counteracts the venom, but it is fabulous!
Another thing that is fabulous, is that most of the time we all have baking soda on hand (unless you are on vacation… although I will definitely pack it now!); and water is a given.
I do not have an exact measurement of how much water and baking soda, but you can pretty much tell when you make a paste.
:: Add a little water to the baking soda at a time until you get a pasty consistency.
:: Apply paste to the sting (after you remove the stinger), and let it dry. It will dry almost immediately.
:: No band-aids needed, unless they are requested!
And, just so you know, I only applied the paste once. I covered the places really well, but I still only applied it one time. You cannot beat it!
*This post can also be found on Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family*
Great idea. I wonder if it works to take the itch out of mosquito bites.
AWWW! But you know she’s still cute as can bee! (har har har)
Yep! Worked for Ethan a few weeks ago as well! Poor thing tried to pick up a “beetle” under the van. Turns out Mr. Beetle was dressed in Black and Yellow: BUMBLEBEE!! Baking Soda provided a miraculous recovery for him. 🙂
2cats: I bet it will! Give it a try and let me know.
Britt: {giggle}
Jenny: Oh, poor little Ethan! I’m glad he recovered quickly 🙂
I’ve used a similiar version… baking soda with vinegar!! It also works very well!!
But it’s good to know that water works since it’s soo accessible to us wherever we are!
Thanks!! And I’m glad the victim is recovering well!! She’s adorable:)
Wow, never heard this before! My mom always uses a paste made of water and Accent (the meat tenderizing salt stuff).
Good to know because we always have the baking soda!
🙂
Thanks for your tip, Niki! I haven’t heard of mixing water with the Accent. It is certainly something to think about!