Comments on: Netti Pot sounds funny, hah

Question: Netti Pot sounds funny, hah

whatitis — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:37:17 -0800

Chicagofilter: My girlfriend wants a netti pot. Where can I purchase one?

Preferably somewhere within 4 miles of Wicker Park, but I can make a longer bike ride out of it if need be.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:39:10 -0800

CVS Drugstores carry them, if there's one near you.

By: beowulf573

beowulf573 — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:40:10 -0800

I bought a plastic one at Walgreen's, I'm sure CVS carries them too.

By: tastybrains

tastybrains — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:45:24 -0800

Any drugstore will have them around where they have the cold/allergy medications/treatments. Usually they are near any sort of vapor treatments or nasal sprays. The brand I use is SinuCleanse. It comes with a few packets to mix with water to make a saline solution.

By: smich

smich — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:54:29 -0800

You can get nicer ones up on Devon or at yoga studios in your area. Moksha Yoga on Carpenter (near Chicago/Ogden/Milwaukee) has them, and I'm pretty sure Ruby Room on Division has them too.

By: asuprenant

asuprenant — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:55:09 -0800

Moksha Yoga usually carries them, and I think they'd likely be a little nicer/more ceramic-y than the plastic versions, if your girlfriend cares about that.

Near Chicago and Milwaukee, the Riverwest location is close to Wicker Park. Their stock varies, so I'd contact them before going there.

By: asuprenant

asuprenant — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:55:34 -0800

And I even previewed! Zounds.

By: Phanx

Phanx — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:36:17 -0800

Three online sources:

netipot.org
healthandyoga.com
Narial Nasal Cup

All courtesy of Wes.

By: walla

walla — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:42:57 -0800

Sorry to piggyback - do these things work?

By: kittyprecious

kittyprecious — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:07:28 -0800

They work as far as clearing gunk out of your sinuses, but if you have a nasty head cold you may find that your sinuses are all too happy to fill up again quickly.

I got mine at Whole Foods. (Kosher salt is best, btw.)

By: beowulf573

beowulf573 — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:16:55 -0800

They help me when the weather changes and my sinuses block up. They're not the end all be all that some sites say they are.

By: jockc

jockc — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:17:06 -0800

Yes they help if you have issues with your sinuses, if you are feeling sneezy or whatnot. Like kitty said your sinuses will probably fill right back up. It is not an insta cure. Over several days it seems to help though.

Tilt your head sideways, pour in one nostril so it drains out the other. At first I tilted my head back too much; this seemed to allow too much penetration of the saline into my sinuses. The result is it wouldn't drain fully and I would feel drippy and stuffy all day as that saline gradually found its way back out.

I have experimented with making the saline solution and the best I have found is this:

-2 cups water; filtered or bottled
-microwave about 1 minute .. experiment to find the temp you like
-mix in 1/2 heaping tsp kosher salt, 1/4 ish tsp of baking powder
Use immediately. This should fill a typical neti pot about 3 times.

By: Lyn Never

Lyn Never — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:18:19 -0800

If you search for 'neti' you will find more options online, but when I upgraded from a little plastic squeeze bottle to a proper pot I got it at CVS.

It works great for me, though the process is a whole lot more cough-and-sputtery than the mellow little videos you see online.

By: nonliteral

nonliteral — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:38:19 -0800

Having gone through a few different ones, I've found that the "horn" style is a lot more convenient for me than the more traditional styles. Amazon has an example here.

By: ijoyner

ijoyner — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:45:25 -0800

EarthFare was where mine was purchased. I prefer sea salt in the bulk foods section.

Does kosher salt actually break down and dissolve in the water?

By: phearlez

phearlez — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:29:58 -0800

As Kitty says, they work somewhat but they're not life-changing. I like mine and use it when I'm feeling particularly clogged or sneezy but it's not as if I am miserable without it.

Personally I am lazy and since I don't use it more then a few times a month I just use the little tear-open packets. I got a box of 50 or so for under $20 at Costco and the convenience of finely-ground pre-measured is worth $20 for 1-2 years.

By: booth

booth — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:52:30 -0800

I got mine at amazon.

Here's another thread that discusses whether they work and how to use them.

By: dws

dws — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:53:05 -0800

You want non-iodized salt. Kosher works for that. And definitely add a bit of baking powder to adjust the pH.

I use set of 4oz, $0.99 squeeze bottles. The trick is to squeeze very gently.

By: JujuB

JujuB — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:48:55 -0800

I saw them at Wal-marts the other day, near the pharmacy counter. Blew me away! I bought mine several years ago from a health food store.

The one's at Wal-mart were labeled "nasal pot" they were ceramic and if I remember correctly, they were under $15.

By: nimsey lou

nimsey lou — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:33:19 -0800

CVS had NO clue what I was talking about. Even at the pharmacy counter.
Try Walgreens. That is where I got mine.

By: any major dude

any major dude — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:35:04 -0800

one thing I do to make the kosher salt dissolve faster is to grind it up in my morter and pestle first.

I find the Neti Pot helps my colds go away a little quicker.