How to Unstuff Your Nose with 15 Home Remedies

How to Unstuff Your Nose: 20 Home Remedies for a Stuffy Nose and Nasal Congestion

Written by Montoya Sigafoose, founder of Home Remedy Shop · Medically reviewed by Veronique Claes d’Erckenteel, D.C., chiropractor since 1991 · Last reviewed: 21 October 2026

To unstuff your nose fast, rinse it with salt water, breathe steam with a few drops of eucalyptus, drink something hot, and sleep with your head raised and a humidifier running. A stuffy nose isn’t really “too much mucus”: it’s the blood vessels inside your nose swelling up. That’s why salt water, steam, warmth, movement and even a simple breath-hold trick can open it within minutes. For babies, saline drops and gentle suction work best; no eucalyptus or peppermint under 2. A blocked nose that lasts longer than 10 days, or only on one side, deserves a closer look.

A stuffy nose is one of the most irritating things about winter, and sometimes spring. You can’t breathe through your nose, you can’t taste your food, you sleep with your mouth open and wake up with a dry throat. The good news: you can unstuff your nose with things you already have at home. Here are 20 home remedies, the research behind them, and what to do for babies, in pregnancy and at night. It’s part of our cough and cold series; for the rest of a cold, see head cold remedies.

Table of Contents

• What Is Nose Congestion?
• What Causes a Stuffy Nose?
• How to Unstuff Your Nose Fast
• 20 Home Remedies to Unstuff Your Nose
• How to Sleep With a Stuffy Nose
• Stuffy Nose in Babies and Children
• Stuffy Nose in Pregnancy
• Rebound Congestion: The Nose Spray Trap
• When to See a Doctor or ENT Specialist
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Nose Congestion?

Nose congestion, or a stuffy nose, is the feeling that air can’t get through your nose. Most people think it’s caused by too much mucus, but the main reason is swelling: the lining of your nose is full of blood vessels that swell up with a cold, an allergy or irritation, and narrow the airway. Mucus adds to it, but even a “dry” stuffy nose with no mucus can be completely blocked. That’s why the remedies below either shrink the swelling (salt water, cool air, exercise, cineole), thin the mucus (steam, fluids, warm drinks), or both.

What Causes a Stuffy Nose?

• Colds and flu: the most common cause; the stuffiness peaks after 2 to 3 days.
• Allergies: dust mites, pollen, pets and mould, often with sneezing and itchy eyes.
• Sinus infection: stuffiness with face pain and pressure. See sinus infection remedies.
• Dry air: heating dries out the lining of your nose, which then swells and crusts.
• Reflux: stomach acid reaching the throat can irritate the nose too, often after meals or in the morning. See GERD cough.
• Pregnancy hormones, spicy food, alcohol, smoke and strong smells.
• Decongestant sprays used too long (see rebound congestion below).
• Structural causes: a deviated septum, nasal polyps or enlarged adenoids (in children), often blocking one side.

Nose congestion on one side? Your nose naturally swaps sides every few hours (the nasal cycle), so one side is always a little more open. You notice it most when you have a cold or lie on your side. A blockage that stays on the same side for weeks should be checked by an ENT specialist.

How to Unstuff Your Nose Fast

Need to breathe right now? These work within minutes:

1. The breath-hold trick: sit upright, breathe out gently through your nose, pinch your nose closed and hold your breath while nodding your head or walking around, until you feel a strong urge to breathe. Release and breathe in calmly through your nose. Repeat a few times. It’s an old breathing exercise (from the Buteyko method) and many people find it opens the nose for a while. Not for people with heart problems or in pregnancy.
2. Salt water: a saline spray or rinse shrinks swelling and washes out mucus in minutes.
3. Steam: a hot shower or a bowl of steaming water with eucalyptus for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. A hot drink: sip slowly and breathe in the steam.
5. Move: a brisk 10-minute walk or a few flights of stairs. Exercise narrows the blood vessels in your nose and lowers nasal resistance (study on exercise and the nose, 1979).
6. Massage: press and rub the points beside your nostrils for 1 to 2 minutes (see remedy 13).

20 Home Remedies to Unstuff Your Nose

1. Salt water rinse (nasal irrigation)

The remedy with the best research. Rinsing your nose with salt water washes out mucus, germs and allergens, shrinks swelling and helps the tiny hairs in your nose move mucus out again. It eased nose symptoms in colds and flu (King et al., Cochrane, 2015), in children with colds (systematic review, 2024), in allergies (Head et al., Cochrane, 2018) and in acute sinusitis (meta-analysis).

• Dissolve ½ teaspoon of non-iodised salt and a pinch of baking soda in 250 ml (1 cup) of lukewarm water. (The old version of this article suggested 3 teaspoons of salt per cup: that’s far too strong and stings.)
• Use only distilled, sterile, or boiled and cooled water, never straight from the tap.
• Lean over the sink, tilt your head to one side and let the water run in one nostril and out the other with a neti pot or squeeze bottle. Breathe through your mouth.
• Repeat on the other side, then blow your nose gently.
• 2 to 3 times a day during a cold, especially before bed.

More in our neti pot guide.

2. Saline spray or drops

Not up for a full rinse? A saline nasal spray or drops does the same job in a gentler way, and is suitable for babies, children, adults and pregnancy. A few sprays or drops in each nostril, tilt your head back for a moment, and let it run towards the back of the throat. Use as often as you like: it gives almost immediate, if temporary, relief.

3. Steam inhalation

Steam warms and moistens the nose and loosens mucus. In a small study, people with a cold felt their nose open up after breathing steam (study on steam and cold congestion, 1987), though a Cochrane review found the effect on cold symptoms overall is modest (Singh, Cochrane). Boil water, pour it into a bowl, add 3 to 5 drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil, put a towel over your head and breathe the steam for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day. A long hot bath or shower does the same, and relaxes your whole body.

4. Humidifier

Dry air dries out the lining of your nose, so it swells and crusts. A cool mist humidifier in the bedroom keeps the air at around 40 to 50% humidity, which your nose loves. Clean it every day so it doesn’t grow mould. Don’t put essential oils in a humidifier (they can damage it); use a separate diffuser for oils.

5. Eucalyptus oil

Eucalyptus’s main compound, cineole, calms swelling and thins mucus: it improved blocked nose and other symptoms in people with acute sinusitis in a placebo-controlled trial (Kehrl et al., 2004). Use it in a steam bowl, in a diffuser at night, or a few drops in a teaspoon of coconut oil rubbed on the chest and throat at bedtime. Not for children under 2.

My oil for a blocked nose

Eucalyptus to open a stuffy nose

Eucalyptus is the oil I reach for first when my nose is blocked. Its main compound, cineole, eased congestion in a trial in people with acute sinusitis. A few drops in a steam bowl clear my head in minutes.

• Pure Eucalyptus globulus oil
• 3 to 5 drops in a bowl of steaming water, 10 minutes
• 5 to 8 drops in the diffuser at night
• Not for children under 2

Get the eucalyptus oil I use

Affiliate link: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

6. Peppermint

Peppermint’s menthol triggers cold receptors in your nose, so air feels like it’s flowing more freely. Menthol doesn’t actually open the nose further, but it makes breathing feel much easier (Eccles et al., 1990). Drink a warm cup of peppermint tea, add peppermint oil to steam, rub a drop between your palms and breathe it in, or mix a few drops in a teaspoon of coconut oil for the chest at night. Not for children under 2.

7. A hot drink

Sipping a hot drink brings fast relief from a stuffy nose, more than the same drink at room temperature (Sanu and Eccles, 2008). Hot water and chicken soup even speed up how fast mucus moves out of your nose (Saketkhoo et al., 1978). Try ginger, peppermint or thyme tea with honey and lemon. More teas in best tea for sore throat and cough.

8. Ginger tea

Ginger warms you, calms inflammation and gets mucus moving. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated or sliced ginger to 2 cups of boiling water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and drink with a teaspoon of honey and a squeeze of lemon, 2 to 3 times a day.

9. Warm compress

Soak a washcloth in hot water, wring it out, fold it and lay it over your nose and forehead. Repeat as it cools, for 10 minutes. The warmth draws circulation to the area and eases sinus pressure.

10. Cayenne pepper

Capsaicin, the hot compound in cayenne, makes your nose run and clears it for a while. In people with a long-term non-allergic stuffy nose, capsaicin applied in the nose reduced symptoms (Gevorgyan et al., Cochrane, 2015). At home, take it by mouth: simmer ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon cayenne, let it cool, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of raw honey and keep it in a jar. Take 1 tablespoon a few times a day. Skip it with reflux. Never put cayenne in your nose yourself.

11. Horseradish

Horseradish works like cayenne: the burn makes your eyes water and your nose run. Add horseradish sauce to a sandwich or use it as a dip with carrots and celery, or grate a little fresh root into hot water with honey.

12. Garlic

Garlic is a traditional immune food; a daily garlic supplement meant fewer colds in a trial (Josling, 2001). Crush 3 or 4 cloves into 2 cups of boiling water, simmer covered for 5 minutes, strain and drink with honey. Or chew a peeled clove during the day; just don’t expect to be kissed.

13. Nose massage and pressure points

Massage improves circulation and helps mucus drain. Warm a little olive oil, sit slightly reclined, and with your thumb and forefinger massage outwards from the bridge of your nose under your eyes and back again, for 5 to 7 rounds of 30 seconds. Then press and rub the points just beside your nostrils for 1 to 2 minutes; researchers have tested this point in people with a congested nose from a cold (study on nose massage, 1999). Repeat several times a day.

14. Apple cider vinegar

A traditional remedy: 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water, with a little honey, twice a day. You can also add ½ cup to a steam bowl. Always diluted; rinse your mouth afterwards to protect your teeth.

15. Onions

If you’ve ever cried while slicing onions, you know their power. The sulphur compounds make your nose run. Mix a teaspoon of fresh onion juice with a teaspoon of honey a few times a day, or eat onion soup or hot and sour soup.

16. Pineapple

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that calms swelling in the nose. In children with acute sinusitis, bromelain helped symptoms clear faster (Braun et al., 2005), and in a small study of adults with chronic sinusitis it eased symptoms too (pilot study). Drink a glass of fresh pineapple juice without added sugar, or snack on fresh pineapple. Skip pineapple canned in syrup.

17. Stay hydrated

Drinking enough keeps mucus thin and easy to clear, and stops the dry, crusty stuffiness that comes with warm weather or heating. Aim for 8 glasses of water, herbal tea or clear broth a day, and go easy on sugary drinks, alcohol and coffee.

18. Sleep with your head raised

Lying flat makes your nose more blocked: in people with nasal allergies, simply lying down increased nasal obstruction (study on posture and the nose, 1994). Sleep on an extra pillow or raise the head of your bed.

19. Move your body

A brisk walk, a bike ride or a few flights of stairs narrow the blood vessels in your nose and open it up, often for an hour or more (study on exercise and the nose, 1979). Go gently if you have a fever.

20. Avoid triggers

Smoke, perfume, air fresheners, cleaning sprays, dust and alcohol all make a stuffy nose worse. Air your bedroom daily, wash bedding at 60 °C, and keep pets out of the bedroom if you’re allergic.

How to Sleep With a Stuffy Nose

• Rinse your nose with salt water just before bed.
• Raise your head with an extra pillow.
• Run a humidifier at 40 to 50%, and a diffuser with eucalyptus (from age 2).
• Take a hot shower or bath before bed.
• Rub a little eucalyptus or peppermint in coconut oil on your chest (adults; not under 2).
• Sleep on your side, and switch sides if one nostril blocks.
• Keep the bedroom cool, not hot.

Stuffy nose only at night or in the morning? Think of dust mites in your bedding, reflux after a late dinner, or dry air from the heating. More in how to stop a cough at night.

Stuffy Nose in Babies and Children

Babies breathe almost only through their nose, so a blocked nose makes feeding and sleeping hard. Newborns often sound snuffly even without a cold, because their nasal passages are so small.

• Saline drops: 1 to 2 drops in each nostril, wait a moment, then gently clear with a nasal aspirator, especially before feeds and sleep.
• Upright: hold your baby upright for a while after feeds, and let them nap on you when they’re very blocked (stay awake).
• Steam: sit with your baby in a steamy bathroom for 10 minutes.
• Humidifier in the nursery.
• Oils: no eucalyptus or peppermint under 2. Gentle thyme (linalool) or chamomile in a diffuser or a steam bowl across the room. From 2, eucalyptus or a kids’ blend in the diffuser.
• Children: salt water rinses from about age 4 to 6, once they can do it calmly.

Get help if a baby is struggling to breathe, can’t feed, or has a fever under 3 months. More in home remedies for cough in kids.

For children 2 to 10

A stuffy nose blend made for kids

For little noses I prefer a gentle blend without eucalyptus or peppermint. This KidSafe blend of fir, spruce, cypress, spearmint, rosalina and cedarwood is made for children’s airways.

• Formulated for ages 2 to 10
• 3 to 4 drops in the diffuser at bedtime
• Pre-diluted roll-on (3%) for the chest
• No eucalyptus or peppermint

See the kids’ blend

Not an affiliate link.

Stuffy Nose in Pregnancy

Pregnancy hormones make the lining of the nose swell, so many pregnant women have a stuffy nose for weeks or months, often from early pregnancy. It’s called pregnancy rhinitis and it goes away after birth. The safest remedies are salt water rinses and sprays (with sterile water), steam without essential oils in the first trimester, a humidifier, sleeping propped up, warm drinks and gentle exercise. Avoid decongestant sprays and talk to your midwife before using essential oils or herbs.

Rebound Congestion: The Nose Spray Trap

Decongestant nose sprays shrink the blood vessels in your nose within minutes, which feels wonderful. But used for more than 3 days, the nose gets used to them and swells up even more when they wear off, so you need the spray again, and again. This is called rebound congestion. If you’re stuck in that cycle, stop one nostril at a time, use saline spray and steam, and see your GP or ENT if you can’t stop.

When to See a Doctor or ENT Specialist

• Emergency (112 / 911): a baby struggling to breathe, swelling around the eyes, a severe headache with a stiff neck.
• Your GP or pediatrician for a stuffy nose lasting more than 10 days, a high fever, face pain and pressure, or a baby under 3 months with a fever.
• An ENT specialist (ear, nose and throat) for a nose that’s blocked for months, always on the same side, nosebleeds, a lost sense of smell, or snoring and mouth breathing in a child.
• An allergist when the stuffiness follows the seasons or flares up around pets or dust.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you unstuff your nose fast?

Rinse your nose with salt water, breathe steam with eucalyptus for 5 to 10 minutes, sip a hot drink, take a brisk walk, or try the breath-hold trick: pinch your nose, hold your breath while nodding your head, then breathe in calmly through your nose.

What is the best home remedy for a stuffy nose?

A salt water rinse or saline spray. It’s the best-researched remedy for colds, allergies and sinusitis, and safe for babies, children and pregnancy.

Does a humidifier help a stuffy nose?

Yes. A cool mist humidifier at 40 to 50% humidity stops your nose from drying out and swelling, especially at night. Clean it daily, and put oils in a separate diffuser.

Why is my nose stuffy but there’s no mucus?

Because a stuffy nose is mostly swelling of the blood vessels in the lining of your nose, not mucus. Dry air, allergies, irritants, pregnancy and decongestant spray overuse can all cause it.

Why does my nose get stuffy when I lie down?

Lying flat lets more blood pool in the lining of your nose, so it swells. Raise your head, sleep on your side and rinse your nose before bed.

Why is only one side of my nose blocked?

Your nose naturally swaps sides every few hours, and a cold makes it more noticeable. If the same side is blocked for weeks, see an ENT specialist to check for a deviated septum or polyps.

How long does a stuffy nose last?

With a cold, usually 5 to 10 days, worst around day 2 to 3. Longer than 10 days, or with face pain and fever, can mean a sinus infection.

How do you unstuff a baby’s nose?

Put 1 to 2 saline drops in each nostril, wait a moment and gently suck out the mucus with a nasal aspirator, especially before feeds and sleep. Keep your baby upright and run a humidifier. No eucalyptus or peppermint under 2.

Recommended

• Head Cold Remedies
• Home Remedies for Sinus Infection
• Post Nasal Drip
• How to Stop Coughing at Night
• Essential Oils for Bronchitis

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montoya sigafoose

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