The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Listerine and White Vinegar
Posted by Barbara (Orlando, USA) on 10/13/2007
★★★★★
I have cured a very stubborn nail fungus using a half and half mixture of original Listerine and white vinegar. I had previously tried just vinegar, tee tree oil, clorox, a prescription,Vick's and hydrogen peroxide. I believe it was the mixture of mouthwash and vinegar that finally did the trick. Plus, I applied it to my toe (drenched it) with a Q-tip at least 4 to 6 times a day. I made up a new solution in a covered jar every week. It has taken almost a year for the nail to grow out and I never failed to apply the mixture every day. I learned that missing a day or so allows the fungus to return. I tried to avoid toenail polish. If I did need to go to a social function I applied polish just before I left the house and took the polish off as soon as possible. Fungus loves polish! I just had to pass this on as I have been very frustrated wasting time for years on other remedies.
Listerine and White Vinegar
Posted by Carol (Houston, Texas) on 08/31/2011
★★★★★
Doctor recommended Lamisil cream for big toe fungus. Did not explain much about how it should work and it didn't seem to help. Then, I used tea tree oil for about three years morning and night... But lived in a cold climate, always wearing closed toes shoes. The big toe nail would peel off ocasionally but no real success.
Have now retired and moved to a warm climate. Wearing sandals ALL the time. Soaking my foot in listerine and distilled vinegar once daily for about 10 minutes (and drying carefully afterward). Following up with daily application of tea tree oil. Filing down surface of nail frequently, trimming nail very short, cleaning out under the nail regularly. Improved my diet to reduce sugars and flour. After four months, I see success! The nail is no longer peeling and looks almost normal now. Will continue this regimen for another month or so and hold off on nail polish for six months to ensure it is all gone.
Epsom Salt
Posted by Ellen (Redwood Shores, CA) on 07/29/2007
★★★★★
For my toenail fungus, I've noticed with various soaking type remedies that the infection actually spreads--too much moisture for me. I was a little skeptical of the epsom salts in very hot water, but nonetheless I purchased the epsom salts and microwaved a couple of cups of water in a bowl. Stirred in the salts and then began dipping my feet in the water. It's too hot for me to leave in for more than a second or two, but it quickly cools down and the feet do get used to the hot water. I just keep dipping a second or two at a time. Normally, when I do use a remedy, I do both my big toenails. But this time, due to my problem with too much moisture, I decided to only treat my toenail with the most stubborn long standing fungus as I didn't want to make my "good" toenail worse. So then a month goes by and I notice that my "bad" toenail is half "pinkish" and I start to wonder why my toenail with the long standing stubborn infection is looking better than the other. Then the lightbulb comes on in my head. I did treat it differently. Then about a week ago, once I realized that it must have been the epsom salts and the very hot water, I did it again, on both feet. Then the next day, I didn't feel very good and I realized that I was probably experiencing the die-off effect, with the fungus releasing their toxins as they're dying. I still am doing multiple (6 or so) remedies, concurrently. In addition, I stopped drinking alcohol and having any sugar--cakes, donuts, candy bars, ice cream, etc. I still do have pasta, potatoes and bread. Since I just did the other toenail only one week ago, I'll still have to wait to see the effects. But I am extremely gratified to see the worse toenail now is half pink with the outer half being brown with white marbling growing out.
Iodine, Epsom Salt
Posted by Clark (Highland, Indiana) on 05/23/2007
★★★★★
I just wanted to say that this website is great. I searched and searched but never found any real life usefull feedback on remedy's. Iv had a nail infection for 7 years now, started with one toe nail and it spread i guess to my hands. I usually have 5 of my fingers infected at a time, some get better, than the good ones go bad. A few years ago i had 2 toe nails that were like the claws of a terridactal but they healed up in time. My fingers however are not so easy. I read about natural cures but they say to buy like 10 different things and all this stuff to cure the infection but your site has real people who cured there problems with simplicity so i am here to say iv been soaking my fingers in epsom salt and i use iodine 2 times a day and in the morning i dip them in listerine, well i belive the iodine and epson salt ( in super hot water) are really helping. My right hand middle fingers nail and digit tip was super red and looked like it was gonna burst, very swollen. Since iv been doing the remedy the redness and the constant i mean constant swelling pressure is gone. I can actually see the swelling is starting to go down and the goofy nail is starting to repair but just needs to go, lol. I am so happy i found this site and ill keep you posted. As of now I have 2 large thumbs and a still large middle finger tip, lol that sounds so gross.
Iodine, Epsom Salt
Posted by Mel (Orlando, FL) on 05/20/2009
★★★★★
I was wondering if you had good progress/results with the iodine and salts? I've had tremendous progress with vinegar applied by q-tip in the a.m. and iodine by q-tip in the afternoon. I dry my nails with a blow dryer after a shower, and re-apply iodine for the night. How's it going for you?
Iodine
Posted by Ninette (Cincinnati) on 06/10/2018
I found Iodine ( not clear) its true brown color at a pharmacy in Tampa FL. DAVID PHARMACY.
My grandmother in Cuba used iodine to cure much. Health issues. Is a great Desinfectant. ..
Iodine
Posted by Marilyn (Grand Rapids, MI) on 02/26/2007
★★★★★
I have recommended white or clear iodine for 23 years for the treatment of nail fungus. Iodine increases nail growth while treating the fungus at the same time. Adding a few drops of vitamin e along with the iodine to the underside of the nail is helpful in keeping the area from becoming too dry. Iodine can be used on healthy nails to increase growth. In that case I wouldn't apply more than once a week.Until recently colorless iodine was hard to find in Michigan. There are expensive over the counter treatments for nail fungus which usually don't work.If purchasing these check the label to see if iodine is an ingredient.prescriptions for nail fungus,(lamisil) can be damaging to the liver and it's very expensive, often not covered by insurance. It usually takes 6 months and lots of blood work to have a healthy nail back. Try the iodine first! marilyn-the digithelper-manicurist
Alkalize
Posted by Peter Wilson (USA) on 05/13/2024
I just wanted to point out that there are higher-quality baking sodas available if one is going to ingest baking soda; which is typically not the brand name most are familiar with.
Two that I can suggest:
1. Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda
2. Unpretentious Baker's Baking Soda
Note that the latter currently advertises itself as "aluminum free"; whereas, the Bob's Red Mill website has this about its baking soda:
"Our Baking Soda does not contain added aluminum, but because its naturally mined from the earth, it could contain trace amounts of naturally occurring aluminum. Because of this, we chose to remove 'aluminum free' from our packaging."
I would suspect (though I don't know it for sure) that Unpretentious Baker's baking soda is probably the same, not 100% "aluminum free." But would need to double-check with them.
Alkalize
Posted by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 07/15/2011
Hi Carol, I have used the ph strips which are cheap but found them to not be accurate enough. On EC Ted said the meter is beter and they are now cheaper to buy so I had a look around and have now bought a ph meter. Plus they have come down even more, mine was just under $20 and it is great. It is easy to check your urine 1st thing in the morning and also at other times throughout the day. It allows you to check your progress when using any alkalizing remedies, you may even find that you need to take them at different times or you may need to use Ted's carbicarb (especially at night if your 1st morning urine ph is very acidic). Also in addition to Debbie's suggestion you may also get some benefit with soaking your toes in an ACV & water mix, or just dabbing them with straight ACV. All the best, Maria
Alkalize
Posted by Ck (California ) on 12/27/2016
What is ACV?
EC: ACV = Apple Cider Vinegar
Oregano Oil
Posted by Charles (Hillsdale, NY) on 01/08/2007
★★★★★
Oil of Oregano and wearing sandals cured my nail fungus. My injured toenail grew yellow fungus! I found that oil of oregano stopped progression. After reading all info I could find about this, I realized that it always states nail fungus thrives in "dark, moist conditions" So I now wear sandals open air at all times ( not at some work of course) and now the fungus is hardly visible; I don't bother to take oil of oregano that often, now, either This easy step definitely reduces easily the effects of toenail fungus, but I do not know if it actually cures it I hope this info is helpful!
Mouthwash
Posted by Gerardo Lares (Brooklyn, Ny Usa) on 04/28/2011
hi everyone..... I had this problem for a long period of time and tried everything with no results, but learned on the way that the most recommended were vinegar, garlic, peroxide water, and some other products..... I mixed half garlic (fresh) and vinegar blended them and then mixed again 50/50 with fungi cure (i guess any brand will do it) but thats the one I used and after three weeks of using this twice a day im almost home free, do it you wont regret it.
Sea Salt
Posted by Daisy (USA) on 11/23/2006
★★★★★
You can go to any Whole Foods Store and buy Himalayan Salt, like I did. It works! Bleach and Vicks are not natural remedies. Please do not do these remedies you will harm your liver and kidneys not to mention bleach is also a skin irritant. Read the warning labels and you will see that they are completely toxic. Rule of thumb, if you can't eat it don't put it on your skin. Also, Monostat is not a natural remedy either. It is a fungicide. After a while it will not work. Your fungus will grow immune and will need stronger stuff. You can create a super fungus that can eat your skin away. Don't do it.
Sea Salt
Posted by Laura (Lbi) on 02/17/2016
★★★★★
No, you pack the salt under the nail bed.
First, clean it out as much as possible with a nice soak and scrape out any gunk under there. Then cram as much salt under the nail as you can. Use some coconut oil on your skin so the salt doesn't burn it. Repeat each day. Wash, clean out, pack with salt. Within a couple days, you will see new pink nail bed growth. It really works!
Mouthwash
Posted by Willard (Wapwallopen, PA) on 11/19/2006
★★★★★
I have been using Listerine on toe nails with good results. I tried many other things for the fungus. It is going to side 3/4 of fungus is gone now It be all gone but forget to put on every day. I would like people to try it and would like to know if it helped anyone else. Both of my big toe nails are 3/4 clear from the side not from the bottom.
Cayenne
Posted by Alice (Sierra Vista, AZ) on 12/11/2006
★★★★★
I was hoping Vince, or someone would explain the concentration of cayenne/salt/ and water. Not knowing, I made a paste where the cayenne and salt were approximately equal, and added enough water to make a paste. I pressed that beneath the nail as best as possible and rubbed it on the top. I have been using Store Brand mouthwash which is identical to Listerine, for the past 3-4 weeks. This has made a huge and fast improvement in my toenails, almost immediately. It was amazing! But I wanted to know more about the cayenne, because I have learned a remedy can be way way way better than I might have imagined! Plus I did not want to give the fungus any opportunity to become resistant to one treatment or the other.
Iodine
Posted by Jay (Rockland County, NY) on 08/24/2006
★★★★★
Iodine Tincture (2.3% solution cured 'Toenail Fungus. I whacked my infected toenails using a large hammer. In about two weeks the nails fell off and I applied iodine. When my new nails grew back, I had no more fungus.
Goldenseal Extract
Posted by Kathy (Carrollton, TX) on 08/04/2006
★★★★★
I had toe nail fungus on one corner of one big toe for a few years. Over-the-counter products didn't work. I read that GOLDENSEAL EXTRACT worked, so I tried that. Used an eye dropper and also gently worked some under the nail with a metal nail file. It tended to stain the nail yellow, but it worked. I sometimes used tea tree oil too. And I'm thinking I may have tried hydrogen peroxide or vicks - can't remember right now. I think trying various of these home remedies helps. I also read that PAU D'ARC extract worked too, but I never bought it, since I got rid of the fungus without needing to try something else. Also, made sure the nail was dry before putting on socks and shoes.
Niacinamide
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 06/19/2006 391 posts
It has been known in academic circles for sometime that vitamin B3 in the form of niacinamide (non-flushing) is relatively toxic to yeast. A scientist found several years ago and concluded (wrongly) that taking vitamin B3 niacinamide will shorten your life span or longevity, through suppressing the SIR2 silencing gene, which is responsible for longevity.
As a result of this little misinformation, people stopped taking niacinamide and candida and yeast infections skyrocketed. Now the reason for the mistake was relatively simple, the scientist was apparently doing a study on longevity on yeast cells. Apparently in higher animals, fruit flies included, the effect of adding niacinamide resulted in longer life of 15%, as well as human embryo cells.
Therefore, if you have candida, yeast infection, or possibly even a UTI (urinary tract infection), taking niacinamide between 100-500 mg/day could solve this mystery that doctors have a hard time suppressing. In fact, you can expand this idea into applying the use of niacinamide NOT NIACIN, as a means of controlling fungus, since fungus is a relatively close cousin of the yeast also.
This is interesting, since in medicine the two most hardest organism to kill is actually fungus and yeast. It is almost a death sentence if you have this and getting rid of it may mean endless nightmare. Who knows, perhaps dissolving niacinamide with vinegar will be helpful in relieving your toe nail fungus infections.
Therefore a possibility exists from the point of view of biological terrain, candida, yeast and fungus infection is a form of niacinamide deficiency.
Iodine
Posted by Jedidah (Spring, TX) on 07/22/2008
I purchased decolorized iodine. It is clear out of the bottle but when it comes in contact with the skin it turns orange red immediately. It doesn't wash off and stays that way for days or weeks. I find that strange since the red colored iodine washes off very easily. Using it with Peroxide soaks and my skin around the nail is very dry and cracking and a little red. I'm going to keep using peroxide and not sure what else. There are so many ideas and opinions. In six weeks I have a trip to a lake resort area. Ikes!!!!!!!!!
EC: Not the colorless brand of iodine we use! It stays clear on the skin unless we've used peroxide first, in which case it does dye the skin orange for a while...
Potatoes
Posted by Beverly (Elkhart)
★★★★★
right now we are using crushed up raw potatoes inside a gauze and put this on the infected toes each night. this pulls out the infection. and afterwards peroxide the next morning with a cotton ball to pull out any more infection. we have been doing this every nite now for two weeks and they are healing. Thanks.
Cedarwood Oil, Goat Milk
Posted by Toria (USA) on 09/12/2025
Is there a company or website where we can purchase the goat milk and cedarwood essential oil cream?
Iodine
Posted by RB (Somewhere in Europe) on 07/31/2022 94 posts
★☆☆☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I suggest you guys use the "Colorless Iodine". Further, watch out for the "100% Natural Iodine", and "Lugol's Iodine", too, because the latter two will stain your nails. Further, watch out for fungus-infected big toenails, too, because if your nails gets stained, they will remain stained for many years to come, because the nail growth rate of fungus-infected big toenails is so slow that it is unbelievable.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Gavin (Ireland ) on 07/27/2025
Does the peroxide need to be diluted before soaking the toenails? Cheers
How to Self-Test for Internal Fungus
Posted by Holly (Millersville ) on 11/06/2017
Mightn't a non sterile and wet from saliva q tip grow mold just from the air? Like a shower curtain? Or leftovers in the fridge?
Hot Springs
Posted by Anne (Glasgow) on 06/09/2017
★★★★★
I suffered from fungal nail on my big toe for over ten years.
Pain... thick nail... lifted off nail bed with thick undergrowth. Tryed many meds nothing worked
I am just back from Thailand and spend days going on trips. 2 that I went to were hot springs.
On the first trip I noticed that night that the undergrowth became soft and I was able to cut my nail
Few days later went back to hot spring and again that night undergrowth fell away
Been home a week and now looking at my toe I can't get over it ... it's looking normal again. Going to get my nails done at the salon now as I do t feel embarrassed by my big tow nail as it's no more and nail has went flat onto nail bed.
Am planning on having foot spas to keep my nails clean and soft to minimise any regrowth. Going to enjoy flashing my toes in my sandles first time in years.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kristina (Evergreen, Co) on 05/19/2016
★★★★★
I've had toenail fungus for years but was slow on the uptake. At first my last two nails on each foot grew in deformed and separated from the nailbed, growing upward. Eventually my big toenails grew in ribbed and discolored. They also began to separate from the nailbed and developed white patches. I also developed my first Ingrown nail. After a lot of research I began using tea tree oil along with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and ACV. Two months in my nails are growing in clear and smooth!
Here's the regimen that works for me: (I keep the nails trimmed very short. I clean my tools regularly as well. ) In my morning shower I scrub my nails with a designated toothbrush and Dr. Bronners peppermint oil soap. Before I step out of the tub, I spray my toes with hydrogen peroxide. ( It comes in spray bottles at my local drug store)
Next, I swab my nails with alcohol on a cotton ball, then with ACV on a cotton ball, then I paint my nails and cuticles with a qtip and tea tree oil. I follow the same regimen at night. From other posts I've learned I've got to keep this up long after it appears the fungus is gone. I use this regimen because it's easy, cheap and I can sustain it over time. And it's working! It took only a few days for the white patches to disappear and of course the whole nail needs to grow in to see results.
I also have begun drinking lemon water to alkalize. Don't know which is helping the most but I suspect it's the tea tree oil given that's what I use the most of. These items are inexpensive and I'm grateful I didn't try medication as my friend did. Her fungus has cleared up but she's concerned about liver problems.
As an added bonus... My feet are always clean and I feel I am nurturing myself every time I take care of them.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sbs3915 (Louisiana) on 03/28/2016
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
Hi, I've had toenail fungus for the last six years. It bothers me aesthetically, but also causes concern that I have fungus in the rest of my body causing aflatoxins.
I've tried Listerine, Vicks, Potassium Iodide, Oregano Oil, and pretty much every other common OTC "cure" including methylene blue topically and orally.
The only time my nails mostly healed I was drinking a gallon of milk a day and heavily supplementing zinc. This led to other problems such as IBS and lower libido so I stopped that regimen.
The other sensitive "cause" is once I start supplementing selenomethionine or even eating more Brazil nuts, the nails start getting more yellow and brittle.
Just looking for any other advice? Or does anyone have luck with internal pharmaceutical antifungals?
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Suzy (Indiana) on 03/29/2016
I sure understand your frustration with toe nail fungus. I suffered from it for years. Raised, discolored thick and painful nails that nothing would fix until I started taking apple cider vinegar daily, a decent size shot in water in the morning and another at night. I did it for weight loss and my nails grew out beautiful. I wasn't expecting it and I wasn't taking the ACV for that reason. I had no idea it would clear up the fungus but it makes sense when you think about it. I kept the bad part of my nails cut short because they hurt if I hit my toe on something. When I realized they were growing out clean and pink, I kept them well trimmed as They grew out new. They reattached to the nail bed. I can't tell you how happy I am with this. It's the absolute only thing that worked. They are still as pretty as can be. Thank God. I hope you give it a try and stick with it. They take awhile to grow. Trash your old shoes too.
UV Light
Posted by John (California) on 03/25/2016
I have been thinking about this idea for sometime now. I'm glad someone did it before I order the lights.
UV Light
Posted by Claudia Yeager (West Virginia) on 08/11/2017
Where do you get or order the nail lights? Thanks.
