The salt water gargle is one of the most well-known sore throat remedies around. It is thought that the salt helps reduce the inflammation in the throat by pulling out some of the water through osmosis which may in turn reduce the pain.
One tablespoon mixed into a glass of water is the typical dosage. Some people argue that sea salt may work better than table salt, but other people say there’s not much difference.
Gargling with salt water may also help clean things out, especially in the case of post nasal drainage.
Of course, no one likes the taste of salt water, but fortunately you’re not supposed to drink it, so if you do it right, you can mostly avoid your tongue and not taste it too much.