Marshmallow throat gargle
A cool, mucilaginous infusion of marshmallow root for an evening throat-soothing rinse. The slow cold-soak draws out the slippery polysaccharides the old herbals describe.
Steps
Start a cold soak
One heaped teaspoon of cut marshmallow root into 250 millilitres of cold water. Stir, cover, and leave to stand for one to two hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Strain into a clean cup
Strain through a fine sieve. The liquid is thicker than tea, a little syrupy. That is the mucilage; do not heat it, as heat thins it down.
Take a small mouthful
Hold a mouthful at the back of the throat. Tilt the head back a little and gargle gently for around twenty seconds. Spit into the sink.
Repeat two more times
Three small gargles in total. Use the cup within a few hours and make a fresh batch the next day.
Rinse the mouth with plain water
A plain water rinse to finish. Wait at least half an hour before brushing the teeth or taking other oral medications, because the mucilage layer can interfere with their uptake.
Marshmallow root is a long-tradition European mucilage herb and is generally well tolerated. The mucilage in marshmallow can slow the absorption of other oral medicines; keep a gap of at least half an hour between this gargle and any swallowed medication. Pregnancy and breastfeeding: a gargle is not swallowed, so the systemic exposure is low; ask your midwife if you would prefer a second opinion. Children from around six can do a smaller, supervised gargle if they can spit reliably. A sore throat with high fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, drooling in a small child, or symptoms lasting more than a few days needs a clinician first; this gargle is for ordinary scratchy-throat days.