I'm thinking the same thing. Water doesn't exactly provide a lot of friction to wear something away, unless you're irrigating your nose 20 hours a day. It does feel the best the ten minutes after irrigation, so maybe that has tempted some people to do it a lot. Sorry to hear about your relative's health problem, though.

For those who don't want to use a pot, you can use a syringe. Nasaline sells a large syringe with a soft head that makes good contact with your nostrils. I prefer the syringe to the pot.

I didn't quite escape the stuff that's been going around. No flu, but this is one miserable cold. According to my doctor, her patients are taking about three weeks to recover. The onset (fever) was fast and goes away fast, but a highly limiting cough lingers for a long time.

And yes, I got the flu shot earlier this fall.

Stay healthy, wash your hands, take vitamin C.