Can I add honey, lemon, or fruit juice?

Do not use honey. Do not add lemon, juice, or anything else. Keep the mix to water, sugar and salt in the WHO amounts.

Homemade ORS sips for older kids using the WHO mix

This homemade mix follows one WHO ratio only: 1 litre clean water, 6 level teaspoons sugar, half a level teaspoon salt. Older children take it in sips. This is not medical advice.

Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.

One WHO ratio for older kids

The World Health Organization describes a simple oral rehydration mix of 1 litre clean water, 6 level teaspoons sugar, and half a level teaspoon salt. Sugar helps the body take in the salt and water. No other ratio belongs on this page.

Give it in sips to an older child. This is not medical advice. A baby, repeated vomiting, blood in stool, drowsiness, or no urine needs urgent care.

Ingredients

1 litre clean water
6 level teaspoons sugar
Half a level teaspoon salt
A clean litre vessel and a straight-edged spoon

How to prepare

Wash your hands. Pour 1 litre clean water into a clean vessel.
Add 6 level teaspoons sugar and half a level teaspoon salt. Stir until you cannot see crystals.

How to use

Offer small sips often to an older child who already drinks from a cup.
Keep the vessel covered, in a cool place, and use a clean cup.
Discard whatever is left after 24 hours. If more is needed, measure a fresh litre with the same ratio.

Helpful habits

Level each spoon. A heaped spoon is not the same mix, so do not guess the amounts.
Sips are the point. Do not push a large glass all at once.

Precautions

This is not medical advice. A baby, repeated vomiting, blood in stool, drowsiness, or no urine needs urgent care.
This is not medical advice. Do not use honey. Use only 1 litre clean water, 6 level teaspoons sugar, and half a level teaspoon salt.
This is not medical advice. These sips are for older kids, not for a baby, and they do not replace urgent care.

Frequently asked questions

What ratio should I use?: Only this one: 1 litre clean water, 6 level teaspoons sugar, half a level teaspoon salt. Do not use any other ratio.
Can I add honey, lemon, or fruit juice?: Do not use honey. Do not add lemon, juice, or anything else. Keep the mix to water, sugar and salt in the WHO amounts.
When is this an emergency?: A baby, repeated vomiting, blood in stool, drowsiness, or no urine needs urgent care. This is not medical advice.