Are you looking for an effective home remedy for toenail fungus that actually works? Here at RemedyScribe.com we have gathered what we feel are the best remedies around.
First, however, you’ve got to realize that, absent an anti-fungal medication, killing the toenail fungus is just about impossible. The fact that it lives under your nails makes getting any kind of remedy directly on the fungus virtually impossible.
That doesn’t, however, mean that a home remedy for toenail fungus won’t be effective!
It’s been proven (over & over again) that, if you can raise your body’s Ph level, making it more acidic, any nail fungus (toenail or otherwise) will cease to reproduce.
All of the toenail fungus remedies that you’ll find here are tried and true. They will cause your toenail fungus to stop reproducing. Some will show improvement fairly quickly. Others may take a bit longer. We have included those that we know to work so that, if you find one that may cause irritation to your skin, you can use another that does not.
The one reason that a toenail fungus home remedy WON’T work…
Any of these remedies will raise your body Ph level enough to stop the fungus from reproducing…But none will kill it! Your infection will be “cured” if (and only if) you continue applying the remedy until your infected nail has completely grown out and the infected portions clipped off.
This is the main reason that most people fail when using these remedies!
Tip When using any topical remedy for nail fungus, be sure to roughen the top of your nail with sandpaper or a disposable nail file before each application. This allows the remedy to better soak into the nail and attack the fungus where it lives.
Be sure, as well, to discard the file as soon as you use it. The fungus will be on the file, and using it again will re-infect.
So, if you do choose to try a home remedy for toenail fungus, don’t stop treating your nails until the old infected nails are completely gone!
Vinegar for Toenail Fungus
One home remedy for toenail fungus that has been used by many people is the simple application of distilled vinegar.
There are several ways to accomplish this, but, for most people, applying straight vinegar to the toenail and surrounding areas seems to work the best.
A Q-Tip or cotton ball soaked in vinegar is the preferred method of application, although some people found that soaking their entire foot in a pan of undiluted vinegar was faster.
Here are some recent comments on a popular home remedy forum…
I tried the vinegar method and it WORKED. Cheap, easy and harmless. Whoever says is doesn’t work is wrong. I wasn’t interested in the remedies that destroy my liver or kidneys, that’s for sure. So here’s my situation.
The type of fungus I had was white superficial onychomycosis on my 2 big toenails. It’s the 2nd most common fungus and the easiest to cure, lucky for me. It had been there on my 2 big toes for about 6 months and I stupidly failed to realize it was a fungus. I tried treating it with an over the counter remedy, which helped. I got on several forums and read about trying vinegar. I did a little research and learned that the reason vinegar may work is because it changes the pH of the nail bed, making the conditions hard for the fungus to grow.
My nail problem is gone, my toenails are back to their cute, normal selves. I’m going to keep it up for 1 more month just to be darn sure there’s no little fungi still alive just waiting to come back. A year is a long time and 1 more month seems smart just to be sure.
I use the vinegar method. I filled a film container with vinegar and use a cotton swab. i dry my feet after my morning shower then dab on the vinegar with the swab. I also do it again when I go to bed. In order to get the best result, I first soaked my foot, then using nail clippers ( the kind that look like pliers) i removed all the bad nail part, then used rough sandpaper to grind most of it away. after a few days of the treatment I used the sandpaper again. i think it important to remove as much of the bad nail as possible. I don;t know how I get his, but 1st time was a couple of years ago and I did the vinegar for over a month and it was all gone. Got it again recently and an doing daily and I can see the new growth is fine. Vinegar works great!!
These are just a few of the numerous testimonials we have found online.
Of all the home remedies for toenail fungus that we have tried, using vinegar for toenail fungus seems to work as well as any, and is, by far, the least expensive.
Vicks and Toenail Fungus
We have been asked time and again about Vicks and toenail fungus. We’ve done extensive research and found that, when combined with other treatments, Vicks makes a very good home remedy for toenail fungus
The best results seem to be from a combination of soaking with vinegar or tea tree oil as described, and then applying the Vicks before bed.
Again, you should score your nails before applying and wear socks to bed to stop from getting the Vicks on sheets and blankets.
Some folks have claimed that Vicks alone will do the job. Typical comments are along the lines of:
Take a nail file and run it over the surface of the toenail. Rub it both horizontally and laterally to make uneven grooves in the top of the nail. Then rub Vick’s Vapor Rub into the top of the toenail. The grooves will help keep the Vick’s on the toenail.
Do this for several days/nights in a row as often as you can. The Eucalyptus in the Vick’s will kill the fungus on the nail faster than any store-bought anti-fungal available !
I think the “several days/nights” part may be optimistic, as I’ve never heard of a home remedy for toenail fungus that kills the fungus that fast.
Using vicks and toenail fungus remedies should be continued until all signs of the infection are gone.
Toenail Fungus and Tea Tree Oil: A Deadly Combination (for the Fungus!)
Tea tree oil has tremendous anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It has long been touted as the best home remedy for toenail fungus available.
We can’t vouch for it being the best, but it certainly is effective.
As with all of our home remedies, the trick is to continue using the remedy until all signs of the infection are gone.
As with vinegar, apply tea tree oil with a Q-tip or cotton ball 2 to 3 times a day. Apply it liberally to the entire nail surface and the surrounding skin. Allow it to dry completely before putting on sox or shoes.
Also, don’t forget to roughen the top of your toenail at least once a day.
This is a typical quote that others have left on various forums…
I used Tea Tree Oil alone, twice a day. It takes less than 10 minutes, no equipment. I put it on by dipping a small stick (a crochet hook, actually) in the oil bottle, and touching the toenail, so the drop goes where you touch. I put it on all toes, including ones not infected, 2 drops on big toes. I then wiped the oil off the stick with the toe of the socks I was going to wear. 5 minutes-finished.
After a week or so, I could see that the new nail growing in from the cuticle was thin and pink. There was a distinct bump where the yellow part ended. It took over a month for all the thick yellow nail to grow out and be replaced. You could see the progress as the thick part moved out and the thin nail followed behind.
It’s important to keep doing the oil (although once a day is probably enough after 2-3 weeks), because it will re-infect until all the old, thick stuff had grown out and gone. Just be sure to do it after a bath/shower/swim or pedicure.
Many people claim that toenail fungus and tea tree oil is the best solution. Most that have used it claim that it works faster than other remedies, but we haven’t confirmed or disproved this claim.
Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Toenail Fungus
Another remedy for toenail fungus that has a good reputation is apple cider vinegar. It doesn’t seem to work as fast as regular distilled vinegar, but work it does!
For best results using this remedy, fill a shallow pan with undiluted apple cider vinegar and soak your entire foot (or, both feet) for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day (three times is better). Remember to roughen your nails before each soaking.
This method has proven very effective for many people, but may take a bit longer to completely eliminate the fungus (as opposed to distilled vinegar). It also has the additional benefit of attacking any fungus (ie: athlete’s foot) that is in your skin, as well.
If you don’t want to (or can’t) take the time to soak 2 or 3 times a day, try this instead…
Dissolve ½ cup of Epsom salt in a solution of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and three cups of very warm water and soak for one hour each day. The water should be as hot as you can stand without burning your skin.
Which ever method you choose to use, remember that using apple cider vinegar for toenail fungus, like most of the remedies we have found, takes time to work. It is imperative that you continue treatment until all traces of the fungus have disappeared.
