Oklahoma’s Strangest Home Remedies and Old Wives’ Tales

Every state has its quirks, but Oklahoma seems to run strong on home remedies. Ask around and you’ll find someone who swears a little kitchen witchcraft or hardware-store magic can cure what ails you.

Pennies, Potatoes, and Other Odd Fixes

Take spider bites, for example. I came across a tip online that said to tape a copper penny over the bite. Supposedly, the metal “pulls out” the venom. Now, I’m no doctor, but surely you can see how ridiculous this is. Still, copper does have anti-bacterial properties, which is why we plumb water lines with it, but venom isn't bacteria.

Of course, pennies aren’t the only folk medicine you’ll find passed down around here. There’s the classic Vicks VapoRub on everything. Got a chest cold? Rub it on your chest. Got a cough? Under your nose. Got toenail fungus? Rub it on your feet. I’ve even heard of people putting it on a cotton ball inside their ears. Basically, Vicks is the duct tape of the medicine cabinet.

The Cure-All in Every Cabinet

Then there’s the baking soda trick. Bug bite? Make a paste. Acid reflux? Stir a spoonful into water and choke it down. Sunburn? Sprinkle some into the bath. It’s the cure-all that sits right next to your flour and sugar.

Some remedies lean a little stranger. Like cutting a potato in half and taping it to a wart. The idea is the starch draws it out. Or putting onion slices in your socks overnight to “pull toxins” from your body. At the very least, it guarantees no one wants to share a bed with you.

Remedies That Double as Excuses

And who hasn’t heard of whiskey for a sore throat? A spoonful of honey, a squeeze of lemon, and a splash of the good stuff. Doctors might call it a “hot toddy,” but most Oklahomans just call it an excuse.

Now, do any of these actually work? Sometimes, maybe. Science explains a few of them: honey really does soothe a throat, baking soda can balance acid, and Vicks clears sinuses. The rest? Well, they’ve been passed down long enough that people keep trying.

The truth is, part of the comfort probably comes from the ritual itself. Your grandma cared enough to slice up a potato or smear Vicks on your chest, and that’s healing in its own way.

Just don’t expect a penny to save you from a black widow. Call that one in to a professional.

The Real Medicine Might Be Tradition