With cold and flu season here, you may be looking for ways to ease a stuffy nose without reaching for medication.Neti pots, the small teapot-shaped devices that rinse your nasal passages with a saline solution, are a popular option.
They can help flush out mucus and irritants, but if you’ve never used one, pouring water into one nostril and out the other can feel odd or even a little intimidating.To find out whether neti pots are safe for everyone and how to use one correctly, I asked two ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors to walk me through it.Below, they explain what to know before you start and the steps to follow for a comfortable rinse.
I also rounded up highly-rated neti pots to shop if you want to add one to your cold-season routine.Are neti pots safe to use? “A neti pot is a container [typically] shaped like a small teapot, used to flush out the nose and sinuses,” says Dr.Ryan Salvador, an ENT surgeon at Sinus and Snoring Specialists in Austin.If you’re nervous about trying one, the experts say there’s no need to be.
“Neti pots are safe and effective when used correctly,” says Dr.Madeleine Herman, an ENT physician and president of the Sinus Center and ENT Specialists of Houston.
“They help rinse away thick mucus, allergens and other debris from the nose and can provide relief from congestion associated with colds, allergies and sinus problems.”That said, there’s one rule you should never skip.“The quality of your water is the biggest safety concern,” says Herman.
“Never use straight tap water in a neti pot.Use distilled or sterile water, or tap water that has been boiled and then cooled.
This is important because organisms that may be harmless when swallowed can cause serious infections if they enter the nose.”The best neti pots in 2026Before you can use a neti pot, you need one.To put together a list of the best ones, I relied on guidance from experts on what to look for when shopping.
Based on what they said, I sourced hi...