15 Home Remedies for Halitosis You Can Try

There is nothing more embarrassing than having someone either turn away from you or avoid standing near to you because of bad breath. Don’t embarrass yourself any longer. Try out one or several of these 15 home remedies for halitosis that will get you back into close contact with the people around you.

As great as these home remedies are, they are not all-inclusive cures. Some of the causes of halitosis are a result of tooth or gum disease which requires the advice and treatment of a dental professional.

1. Baking Soda

If you are struggling with halitosis one of the first remedies to try is a simple one; baking soda. Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda helps to balance the pH level in your mouth and eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath.

What to do:

Mix ½ tsp of baking soda in a glass of warm water.
Rinse your mouth a couple of times a day with this solution.
You can also use baking soda along with a little bit of olive or coconut oil to create a paste to brush your teeth.

2. Herbal Tea

One of the biggest causes of bad breath is the acid contained in coffee, therefore, opting for herbal tea instead is a great halitosis remedy. An acidic environment is the favored breeding ground of odor-causing bacteria, but the polyphenols in tea help to balance out the pH in your mouth and reduce their growth.

What to do:

To get a quick grip on the problem stop drinking coffee and drink tea or herbal tea.
Sage, mint, chai, orange spice or any number of natural herbs which you can brew using fresh leaves are a great option.
Drink two to three cups daily for a couple of weeks and avoid coffee for a while.

3. Tea Tree Oil

Most people are used to seeing tea tree oil as a topical antiseptic. Believe it or not, tea tree oil is a powerful and effective halitosis home remedy. The antiseptic properties of this powerful oil can help to disinfect your mouth and get rid of those odor-causing bacteria.

What to do:

You can place several drops of tea tree oil in a glass of warm water and use it as a mouth rinse twice a day.
Add a couple of drops of tea tree oil to your toothpaste when you brush.
Brush at least twice a day using this oil mixed with your paste or baking soda solution.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Another remedy for halitosis which works very well is apple cider vinegar. ACV is very effective at killing bacteria but also helps to produce a balanced pH in your mouth to prevent the growth of bacteria. In addition, it helps improve digestion, which is another common contributor to halitosis.

What to do:

Mix 1 Tbsp of raw, unfiltered ACV into a glass of warm water and drink it before meals for about a week.
You might also try gargling apple cider vinegar in water or using it as an oral rinse.
Be sure to use it before brushing, because the acid can deteriorate tooth enamel over time.

5. Cloves

Dentists have been using clove oil for dental treatment for a very long time, so it should be no surprise that cloves show up in a list of home remedies for halitosis. The anti-inflammatory and pain-numbing properties of clove oil is what makes it popular with dentists, but its antibacterial properties are what make it an excellent breath freshener.

What to do:

Put a few pieces of whole cloves into your mouth and chew them thoroughly for about 5 to 10 minutes.
You can make clove tea by adding 1 tsp of ground cloves into 1 cup of boiling water and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Drink the tea a couple of times per day or use it as a mouth rinse.

6. Lemon Juice

A simple home remedy for the treatment of halitosis, which is pretty easy to find in most households, is lemon juice. Similar to ACV, mentioned earlier, lemon juice helps to balance the pH in your mouth and its odor is a great deal more pleasant and fresh.

What to do:

Create a mouth rinse by adding 1 Tbsp of freshly extracted lemon juice to a glass of warm water.
You can also add a little bit of salt to the mix to help kill bacteria too.
Repeat this a couple of times per day.

7. Parsley

Parsley is one of the best herbs available when it comes to remedies for halitosis. The chlorophyll in parsley helps to neutralize the acidic environment of your mouth making it impossible for odor-causing bacteria to grow. Additionally, it helps aid digestion and prevents the type of halitosis related to a sour gut.

What to do:

The easiest remedy is to pop a couple of parsley sprigs into your mouth, chew them thoroughly for several minutes, and then swallow them.
Extracting the juice of parsley and using it as a mouth rinse or simply drinking it a couple of times per day can also help with both digestion and bacterial odor.

8. Cinnamon

Every household has cinnamon and it is an ingredient that is an excellent halitosis remedy. The cinnamic aldehyde in cinnamon both kills the bacteria in your mouth and covers up bad breath odor.

What to do:

Fix a tea using cinnamon in a similar manner to cloves recipe above using ground cinnamon.
Use the tea as a mouth rinse or drink it a couple times per day.
An alternative is to put a couple of drops of cinnamon oil in your toothpaste whenever you brush in order to give it a little extra potency.

9. Fenugreek

Fenugreek seeds are a surprising addition when it comes to halitosis home remedies because fenugreek treats a particular type of bad breath caused by catarrhal infections in the nose and throat.

What to do:

Place 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds in 1 ½ cups of boiling water and reduce the heat to a simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.
Strain the tea and drink it a couple of times per day.
You can also gargle with this tea to help with treatment.

10. Fennel

Halitosis remedies should also include fennel seeds, which are not only great for digestion but are also freshen breath. Fennel contains antimicrobial properties to help kill bacteria in your mouth, but they also can help get rid of your stomach issues as well.

What to do:

Thoroughly chewing and swallowing 1 Tbsp of fennel seeds after meals can help freshen breath as well as aid digestion.
You can also brew fennel tea making use of the same recipe as was used for fenugreek above.
Repeat either of these remedies 2 to 3 times daily.

11. Activated Charcoal

The ingredient is typically used in order to get rid of toxins from food poisoning, but it is also among the best home remedies for halitosis. It is effective at not only killing harmful bacteria in your mouth, but it also absorbs all of the impurities in your mouth in order to flush them out.

What to do:

Place activated charcoal in your mouth to brush your teeth.
Be sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly to get rid of it all.
Repeat this 2 to 3 times weekly.

12. Coconut Oil

A home remedy for halitosis which has numerous benefits for oral health is coconut oil. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial in nature. Besides those two properties, coconut oil has a fresh and pleasant odor.

What to do:

Place 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in your mouth.
Swish the oil around your mouth and pull it between your teeth for about 10 to 15 minutes before spitting it out and rinsing with warm water.
You can also mix baking soda in 1 Tbsp of coconut oil until you create a paste.
Add in a drop or two of tea tree, mint, clove or cinnamon oil and use the paste to brush your teeth.
Repeat either of these remedies a couple of times per day.

13. Ginger

This is a fantastic herb for getting rid of bad breath that is caused by bacteria in the mouth or any of the other potential causes of halitosis. Ginger is a powerful antibacterial agent, which is also an excellent component for better digestion.

What to do:

Peel and grate 1 tsp of ginger and add it to 1 ½ cups of boiling water.
Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes before allowing it to cool, straining out the ginger and drinking the tea or using it as a mouth rinse.
A simpler solution is to peel and slice off a ¼ inch thick piece of ginger root, chew it thoroughly and swallow it.
Repeat either of these remedies after meals to aid digestion as well as freshen breath.

14. Cardamom

Indian cooking is perhaps more familiar with the spice cardamom than many other areas of the world, but this potent remedy for halitosis makes it worthwhile to get to know it better. Cardamom has a similar effect as cloves and cinnamon when it comes to eliminating bacteria as well as masking the odor of bad breath.

What to do:

Place a cardamom pod in your mouth after a meal, chew it thoroughly and swallow it.
This can also be made into an excellent flavored tea (one of the ingredients in chai tea) using the brewing methods of cloves, fennel or fenugreek discussed earlier.
Repeat this remedy at least twice daily.

15. Epsom Salt

It is an ingredient that most people don’t associate with putting in their mouth, but it is also among the most effective halitosis remedies. Epsom salt is efficient at toxin removal, killing bacteria, balancing pH and even at fighting inflammation in the gums. It can also help eliminate other causes of bad breath in the nose and throat.

What to do:

Mix 1 tsp of Epsom salt in a glass of warm water.
Use this mixture as an oral rinse or to gargle.
Repeat this remedy daily to start and then every other day afterward.

Conclusion

There is no need to continue to experience the embarrassment of having people avoid you because of your bad breath. Armed with this list of 15 home remedies for halitosis you can win the battle against bad breath and feel more confident about yourself around others. Questions, comments, recipes and success stories are always welcome in the comments section below.

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