After a month of being sick with one thing or another (first a stomach bug, then a raging cold, then a long-lingering cough), I am basically back to feeling normal again, thank goodness.

The only remnant of the illness is a bit of post-nasal drip (yum) which, to be honest, is pretty much a chronic problem for me anyway. So, in an effort to avoid the tickly coughs and sore throats which are a common side-effect of sinus problems, I broke down today and ordered a neti pot.

Neti pots or “nose bidets” (yum) have become all the rage recently, with people swearing up and down that flushing salty water through your nose can treat and prevent all sorts of sinus issues. Though the idea of pouring water up one nostril and having it flow out the other one is somewhat odd and a bit creepy, I’m earthy-crunchy enough to be willing to give it a go, particularly since there is evidence that it actually helps (there’s also evidence, however, that you can have too much of a good thing, so I won’t be neti-ing every single day).

The neti pot I’ve ordered online—the hilariously-named NoseBuddy (“The nose’s best friend”)—is a particularly strange-looking contraption bound to strike fear into the hearts of all who see it sitting on my bathroom shelf. Even I’m kind of afraid of it, and it hasn’t even shown up here yet.

But I’m curious, too. Will pouring saline solution up my nose from an alien-looking plastic watering can soothe my ceaseless sniffles once and for all? Or will I just wind up spilling water all over myself and feeling like I’ve accidentally inhaled a noseful of the ocean? Tune in next time to find out!