Mumsnet knows best? Mothers use vodka and garlic for kids’ ailments

FORGET old wives’ home remedies... modern mums have some very inventive cures for their children’s ailments.

Their unorthodox tips – such as using vodka to treat head lice – have been taken from online forum Mumsnet and compiled in a book called How To Blitz Nits (And Other Nasties).

Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said the book ‘distils the best hard-won wisdom for parents fighting the urge to drown the entire house in bleach’.

For nits, mothers swear by combing hair with vodka or vinegar, with a proviso: ‘Do it on a Friday, as your child will smell like a chip shop.’ They advise starving verrucas of light – for example by painting them with black nail varnish. And for conjunctivitis, breast milk is said to help thanks to antibacterial properties, or cold tea as an anti-inflammatory.

The website stresses the tips should not be a substitute for talking to a GP.