My informant told me that an oft-used folk remedy that her mother used to use on her for burns was cold butter. According to my informant, Cold butter is thought help cool the burn and soothe the irritation, but is in reality a bad idea. The greasy substance could possibly cause infection and become a breeding ground for bacteria.

This was likely thought as a good idea because of its availability in the kitchen where many burns occur, and the cool substance no doubt would feel good against the irritated skin at first.