" Quite simply, I might say: "I would like to eliminate that tick that is been biting me all day long." I would not say: "I have to be free from that tick." And that's why I'd use "rid of" with a cold, as opposed to "free" (it does not https://energyscotlandgrants.mystrikingly.com/blog/what-you-must-know-before-applying-for-eco-grants