Eat a spoonful of mustard after your meal and you'll be surprised what it can do

Mustard is a plant of many different uses. The seeds can be used in cooking and pickling. They can also be ground into a powder to create dry mustard or pressed to make yellow mustard. The oil from the mustard seed is considered to be a healthy oil, being high in omega-3 fatty acids. Even the leaves from the plant itself can be put to use, making salads or served as a dinner vegetable.

The home remedy world is pressing this plant into use as well. Whether the remedies actually work is unknown since no studies have been performed to confirm the veracity of the claims. None of the following remedies will cause any harm, so you may discover that you have a new winner. Here are six home remedies that use mustard.

1. Burns.

Accidents can happen when working in a kitchen with a hot stove or oven. According to instructables, the first thing you should do if you get burned is to run the burn under cool water and then slather on a thick layer of yellow mustard to stop the burn from hurting.

2. Congestion.

A time-honored treatment for chest congestion caused by the flu or a cold is a mustard pack. The Wellspring School creates a pack by combining 1 part dry mustard with 8 parts flour. Add enough warm water to create a paste. Place the paste on some cheese cloth, then put the pack on your chest.

3. Face mask.

If money is tight and you can't afford a face mask, apartment therapy recommends using yellow mustard instead. Rub a thin layer of mustard on your face, giving plenty of space around the eyes so the fumes don't create a problem. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse it off.

4. Gas relief.

To fight the after-dinner gas attack, Top 10 Home Remedies says to swallow 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard after you eat. Wash it down with a glass of warm water. If that doesn't work, increase the amount of mustard up to 1 tablespoon.

5. Hair conditioner.

Deep-conditioning hair treatments can get pricey. Instructables recommends using mustard seed oil in place of fancy treatment packages. Massage the oil into your hair and scalp. Cover the hair and let it sit for 8 hours. If you choose to do this at night, cover your hair with a bathing cap so you don't get oil on your pillow. Once your hair is fully treated, thoroughly rinse the oil out.

6. Sore muscles.

After a workout or intense game, add 1 tablespoon of mustard to your Epsom salt bath to get relief from aching muscles.

Whether or not these actually work, it still can't hurt to try. You're likely to have mustard in your cupboards or on your shelves, so experiment with the above remedies to see what mustard can do for you.