As a home remedy, gargling salt water for a sore throat may relieve symptoms. A salt water solution of 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water can help to promote healing, decrease mouth pathogens, and benefit dental and gum health.
A salt water rinse is easy to mix up at home but talk with your healthcare provider about the potential benefits, any risks in your specific health context, and how often you should gargle.
jayk7 / Getty Images
Benefits
Studies suggest that garglingsaltwatermay help people to recover faster fromCOVID-19symptoms.Other studies find that gargling salt water offers protection during cold andflu season, but results are mixed on this potential benefit.
Taking over-the-counter (OTC) medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen) can help with sore throat symptoms, but gargling salt water is an entirely natural alternative that many people can do at home using simple ingredients.
Gargling salt water can help with other infections that cause sore throat, too, including:
Salt water rinses can also help with managing symptoms from other infections as well as noninfectious causes of sore mouth. These may include:
Making and Using a Salt Water Gargle
The key to an effective salt water gargle is making sure there is enough salt in the water. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 8 ounces (1 cup) of warm water.Stir so the salt dissolves in the water.
Salt water rinsescan also be performed with a mixture of salt and water as above with 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
Perform the following steps for a salt water gargle:
This can be done three times a day.
Caution With Salt Water GargleSome cautions to keep in mind when using a salt water gargle include:Don’t gargle more than three to four times a week, as it can harm tooth enamel.Make sure the salt water solution is not too hot before gargling.Do not swallow the solution. With the amount of salt to be effective against infection and inflammation, it’s not something you want to drink.Children under 6 years of age or those who cannot follow the directions to gargle and spit the solution out should not do a salt water gargle.Anyone with impairedswallowing functionwho may choke or aspirate on thin liquids should not gargle.
Caution With Salt Water Gargle
Some cautions to keep in mind when using a salt water gargle include:Don’t gargle more than three to four times a week, as it can harm tooth enamel.Make sure the salt water solution is not too hot before gargling.Do not swallow the solution. With the amount of salt to be effective against infection and inflammation, it’s not something you want to drink.Children under 6 years of age or those who cannot follow the directions to gargle and spit the solution out should not do a salt water gargle.Anyone with impairedswallowing functionwho may choke or aspirate on thin liquids should not gargle.
Some cautions to keep in mind when using a salt water gargle include:
Summary
Salt water gargling can help with throat infection symptoms. It also has benefits in treating other conditions like gum and periodontal disease and canker sores. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water and gargle small amounts at a time, making sure to spit the solution out.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kamdem N.Effect of saline mouthwash on the oral flora.MADOHC. 2022;5(2). doi:10.32474/MADOHC.2022.05.000207Huynh NC, Everts V, Leethanakul C, Pavasant P, Ampornaramveth RS.Rinsing with saline promotes human gingival fibroblast wound healing in vitro.PLoS One.2016;11(7):e0159843. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159843Chalageri VH, Bhushan S, Saraswathi S, et al.Impact of steam inhalation, saline gargling, and povidone-iodine gargling on clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru, Karnataka: A randomized control trial.Indian J Community Med. 2022;47(2):207-212. doi:10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_804_21Jefferson T, Dooley L, Ferroni E, et al.Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;1(1):CD006207. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6MedlinePlus.Tonsillitis.MedlinePlus.Salivary gland infections.Collins JR, Veras K, Hernández M, Hou W, Hong H, Romanos GE.Anti-inflammatory effect of salt water and chlorhexidine 0.12% mouthrinse after periodontal surgery: a randomized prospective clinical study.Clin Oral Investig. 2021;25(7):4349-4357. doi:10.1007/s00784-020-03748-wMedlinePlus.Mouth sores.MedlinePlus.Pharyngitis- sore throat.Sutherland Dental.Benefits of saltwater rinse for oral health.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kamdem N.Effect of saline mouthwash on the oral flora.MADOHC. 2022;5(2). doi:10.32474/MADOHC.2022.05.000207Huynh NC, Everts V, Leethanakul C, Pavasant P, Ampornaramveth RS.Rinsing with saline promotes human gingival fibroblast wound healing in vitro.PLoS One.2016;11(7):e0159843. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159843Chalageri VH, Bhushan S, Saraswathi S, et al.Impact of steam inhalation, saline gargling, and povidone-iodine gargling on clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru, Karnataka: A randomized control trial.Indian J Community Med. 2022;47(2):207-212. doi:10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_804_21Jefferson T, Dooley L, Ferroni E, et al.Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;1(1):CD006207. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6MedlinePlus.Tonsillitis.MedlinePlus.Salivary gland infections.Collins JR, Veras K, Hernández M, Hou W, Hong H, Romanos GE.Anti-inflammatory effect of salt water and chlorhexidine 0.12% mouthrinse after periodontal surgery: a randomized prospective clinical study.Clin Oral Investig. 2021;25(7):4349-4357. doi:10.1007/s00784-020-03748-wMedlinePlus.Mouth sores.MedlinePlus.Pharyngitis- sore throat.Sutherland Dental.Benefits of saltwater rinse for oral health.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kamdem N.Effect of saline mouthwash on the oral flora.MADOHC. 2022;5(2). doi:10.32474/MADOHC.2022.05.000207Huynh NC, Everts V, Leethanakul C, Pavasant P, Ampornaramveth RS.Rinsing with saline promotes human gingival fibroblast wound healing in vitro.PLoS One.2016;11(7):e0159843. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159843Chalageri VH, Bhushan S, Saraswathi S, et al.Impact of steam inhalation, saline gargling, and povidone-iodine gargling on clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru, Karnataka: A randomized control trial.Indian J Community Med. 2022;47(2):207-212. doi:10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_804_21Jefferson T, Dooley L, Ferroni E, et al.Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;1(1):CD006207. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6MedlinePlus.Tonsillitis.MedlinePlus.Salivary gland infections.Collins JR, Veras K, Hernández M, Hou W, Hong H, Romanos GE.Anti-inflammatory effect of salt water and chlorhexidine 0.12% mouthrinse after periodontal surgery: a randomized prospective clinical study.Clin Oral Investig. 2021;25(7):4349-4357. doi:10.1007/s00784-020-03748-wMedlinePlus.Mouth sores.MedlinePlus.Pharyngitis- sore throat.Sutherland Dental.Benefits of saltwater rinse for oral health.
Kamdem N.Effect of saline mouthwash on the oral flora.MADOHC. 2022;5(2). doi:10.32474/MADOHC.2022.05.000207
Huynh NC, Everts V, Leethanakul C, Pavasant P, Ampornaramveth RS.Rinsing with saline promotes human gingival fibroblast wound healing in vitro.PLoS One.2016;11(7):e0159843. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159843
Chalageri VH, Bhushan S, Saraswathi S, et al.Impact of steam inhalation, saline gargling, and povidone-iodine gargling on clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru, Karnataka: A randomized control trial.Indian J Community Med. 2022;47(2):207-212. doi:10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_804_21
Jefferson T, Dooley L, Ferroni E, et al.Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;1(1):CD006207. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6
MedlinePlus.Tonsillitis.
MedlinePlus.Salivary gland infections.
Collins JR, Veras K, Hernández M, Hou W, Hong H, Romanos GE.Anti-inflammatory effect of salt water and chlorhexidine 0.12% mouthrinse after periodontal surgery: a randomized prospective clinical study.Clin Oral Investig. 2021;25(7):4349-4357. doi:10.1007/s00784-020-03748-w
MedlinePlus.Mouth sores.
MedlinePlus.Pharyngitis- sore throat.
Sutherland Dental.Benefits of saltwater rinse for oral health.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
