Donna Echols: More country cures

I'll bet you didn't know that if you wear socks at night, you'll fall asleep faster! That's one of those old country cures that has a little medical research to back it up. Swiss researchers found that when your feet and hands are warm, the blood flow in the body increases, and you fall asleep faster. And you just thought your grandmother was keeping your toes warm with those socks!

Now we may not have a scientific panel of medical researchers combing through all of our country cures and fixes, but we've got Facebook! And you know everything on the Internet is true, or at least has a shred of truth to it. Right? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the country cures and fixes from my friends. You might be surprised at how many you may already use. Pass them on …

Applying duct tape to a plantar wart daily can halt the wart's growth and reduce its size or applying apple cider vinegar to the wart daily will gradually reduce a wart. You can also wrap the wart in a banana peel every day and wrap it to keep in place for a few hours. Warts will soon disappear.

I've heard that castor oil applied directly to the foot for gout is supposed to help. Also, Preparation H for under-eye bags. — Terry Lynn Wise Hamm

Honey for burns! It works too and tobacco for stings also works! — Kristin M Dickerson

Eating a banana helps leg cramps go away. — Faith Black Stuart

If you play in the fire, you'll pee the bed. So don't play in the fire, and you won't pee in the bed. (So the cure for peeing in the bed is not to play in fire or look at fire.) — Joseph Ammerman

Slather vicks salve on your feet and put on socks to sleep the night away. Good for chest and sinus congestion. — Georgia Lindley

Take a whole grain aspirin and place in it in the palm of your hand. Add a couple drops of water to make a paste ... absolutely great for stings. I have had to do this several times ... takes out the pain and swelling in a matter of no time! And run a rolling pin over a large cabbage leaf, then place the leaf over a swollen joint. It eases the pain. — Mary Ann Coggins Robertson

The outer leaves of a cabbage put on your breast under a sports bra will dry up your breast milk. — Vikki Sims Pilecki

Most country folks believe that Vicks Vapor Rub is the cure-all for everything that's ailing you. From neck aches, sore throats (even toe fungus) … Vicks is that all-purpose remedy. — Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Kerosene! It was a "cure-all" from the 1950s. It was used for sprained ankles and most everything! I got shocked with 110 volts one time — Daddy rubbed my legs with the stuff. Must have worked! —Mike Echols

I've even heard some folks say that spraying Windex or rubbing on a little Robitussin helps a broken bone, a cut or scratch, or anything that hurts.

Black walnut leaves in a corn crib will chase away fleas. That works. I've seen it. — Priscilla Ammerman

My daddy stepped on a nail one time when he was a kid. His grandmother hung in the door frame and made him walk under it seven times. Never figured this one out. Maybe it was just superstition. An oldie from Ann Landers: Aspirin is great for birth control. Put one between your knees and keep it there at all times! — Patricia Park

Baking soda applied to a wasp sting — or spit chewed tobacco on the sting — and the pain and swelling are gone. —Bettie Cummings

Cut the rind off the husk of a green walnut — works for ringworm. Also, pinprick the shell of an egg and let the white drip on a burn, and it won't blister ... works every time! — Liz Carroll

A piece of cotton on the screen door (or a Ziploc bag of water) will keep the flies away. — Susan H. Lunardini

Gargle warm salt water for a sore throat.— Jamie Loyd Stennis

I heard from my grandmother: To get rid of a wart, put a dish rag on the wart, and then go bury the rag. The wart will go away. (Old wives' tale) — Christy Stevens Savage

Put a bar of soap under your mattress to stop restless leg syndrome. The brand of soap can't start with the letter "d." Clorox mixed with some hot water cures athlete's foot. — Bobby Reed

Sliced onion on snakebites — It works! (Not sure if I want to waste all that valuable time looking for onions to slice if I got snake bit!) — Michael Pond

Dab vinegar under your arms for a natural deodorant. Not sure if it makes a difference in the type of vinegar, but I'm guessing that apple cider, rice, or distilled vinegar should work just fine.

My uncle had a cure for all aliments: One teaspoon of salt to throw over your left shoulder. Then drink two fifths of Crown Royal, and when you wake up, you won't care what you had in the first place! — Tony Davis

Tweet me your country cures and fixes to @TheDonnaEchols. Until next time, y'all have a great week.