Some people use their neti pot to ease nasal congestion. If you haven’t seen one, it looks like a small teapot. You fill it with fluid, then put the spout into each nostril to clean out your nasal passages.

They’re often used to relieve sinus pressure and congestion from allergies and colds. Also, after sinus surgery, doctors may prescribe solutions with topical medications for use in a neti pot.

While many doctors recommend neti pots, they have to be used carefully.

Don’t use tap water

Use distilled, filtered, bottled or boiled water at room temperature.

“There are side effects to nasal irrigation,” says Raj Sindwani, MD, Head of the Section of Rhinology,  in Cleveland Clinic.

The Centers for Disease Control recommend taking at least one of the following actions to lower your risk for infection:

Use water that has been previously boiled for one minute and left to cool.

Use a filter designed to remove some water-loving germs. The label may read “NSF 53″ or “NSF 58.”

Buy water with a label specifying that it contains distilled or sterile water.

Learn how to disinfect your water to ensure it is safe. Chlorine bleach used at the right level and time will work as a disinfectant.

It’s also important to clean your neti pot thoroughly to avoid infections. Rinse the irrigation device after each use with safe water, and leave the device open to air dry completely.

“I also recommend using hot water and antibacterial soap to clean your neti pot every day,” Dr. Sindwani says.

Also, you want to periodically replace your neti pot. Get a new one every few months, especially if you use it regularly.

People should never use cold solution in their nasal passages – particularly patients who are irrigating their nasal passages after sinus surgery.

“Some of the solutions we prescribe after sinus surgery must be kept in the refrigerator,” says Dr. Sindwani. “We tell patients they need to allow the solution to come to room temperature before using them.”