Lots of people are experiencing coughs and colds this year. A mustard plaster is a simple home remedy that you can use to help break up congestion, open the lungs, and improve a cough or chest cold. Here are the instructions for how to make one. There is a video below with a demo.

Materials Needed

Dry mustard powder (find this in the spice section of your local grocery store)
Flour
Small bowl or container for mixing
Spoon
Water
Hand towel

Directions

Lay a clean hand towel on a flat surface
Mix 1 part dry mustard powder with 2-4 parts flour in a small bowl or container
Slowly add a small amount of warm water to the dry ingredients and mix with spoon. Continue adding water until you achieve a thick paste consistency.
Spread this mustard paste onto half of the hand towel.
Fold the towel in half, making a "mustard sandwich". Fold so that none of the paste is exposed.
Place the towel on your bare chest, ensuring that the mustard paste does not come into direct contact with the skin.
Set a timer for five minutes, and check the skin on your chest after five minutes. You should see some redness start to appear, and you may feel a warming sensation on your skin.
Put the towel back on the skin and set another timer for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the towel when the timer is done.

Cautions and Recommendations

Risks for this treatment include blistering of the skin if the mustard paste comes into direct contact with the skin, or if the treatment goes on too long.
Leave the mustard plaster on the chest for a maximum of 20 minutes per treatment
You can repeat this treatment up to three times per day
Be sure to set a timer, and never fall asleep with the towel on your chest
This treatment is safe for children and adults
Avoid placing over open wounds, sores, or non-healed surgical incisions

Here is a quick video with a demo. The video quality isn't great, so we will create our own version soon and replace this with ours.