# Adventures with Neti Pot (slightly TMI)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-with-neti-pot-slightly-tmi/601651>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 2, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-with-neti-pot-slightly-tmi/601651 "2011-11-02T17:00:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-with-neti-pot-slightly-tmi/601651/21 "2011-11-04T18:21:10Z")

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> [@gurujulp](#):
>
> I resisted using this sinus-wash stuff for years, but after a particularly evil sinus infection, I found that it cleared me out better than anything other than simply getting well.
> 
> This may very well wipe out the need for me to ever use antibiotics again, as my body was able to defeat the infection after a week of daily neti-pot usage, where normally that would have been the time that PND caused me to have a bloody throat, sending me to the doctor for vicodin and antibiotics…
> 
> Hooray, Neti!

I love my shower with a neti pot, something soothing about the warm water rinsing the gunk out, and adding the steam from the shower makes it better. I was reluctant to use a neti for years - bad memories of getting the ocean up my nose when young and that stinging. I am very glad my PVP recommended it about 3 years ago.

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**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adventures-with-neti-pot-slightly-tmi/601651/22 "2011-11-04T22:24:23Z")

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Love my neti. I use tap water. If I die of parasitic invasion, well, I guess I’ll learn my lesson. :rolleyes:

What “sealed bottle” am I supposed to float in hot water? I generally use a pot, and the squeeze bottles aren’t sealed. Bottled water is way too cold to put in my nose, I’ve tried it.

Squeeze bottles are easier to use in the shower, but I prefer the pot immediately following a shower. All that steam helps!

The last time I got a bad cold was several years ago. That’s when I first got really serious about using my neti pot. I’d played with it a couple of times prior, but that was all.

I was neti-ing 3 or 4 times a day so that I could breath. Cold cleared up much more quickly than usual. These days I generally neti once or twice a week, unless I’m cleaning or something and think I need it. But if I feel like I’m getting a cold, it’s back to at least once a day. So far it seems to keep the nasty rhino-viruses at bay.

TMI alert:

If you can’t get water to run through your nose, try tilting your head back. Yes, I know all the instructions say not to do that. All that happens is that water runs into your mouth instead of out the other side of your nose. (Do be careful about that breathing thing, though!)

When I had that horrid cold, I couldn’t get water to flow through at all. I accidentally did this in my efforts to get the neti to flow, and magically snot started clearing out. (Yeah, yeah, get over it. It’s no worse than snorking and hocking a loogie.)

I’ve since discovered that most of my blockage is somewhere in that region. I can run tons of water through one nostril to the other and still not be able to breath. But once I’ve cleared the nose/mouth passages, it’s all good.

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