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.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Terry (Cola, Sc) on 02/27/2012
★★★★★
Apple cider vinegar has cured my husbands awful feet!!! I decided to try it after reading posts here. I purchased a gallon jug at local grocery store for about $4. He has been to doctors, tried multiple Crees none of which were effective. For past two months he soaked his feet in a plastic tub of apple cider vinegar. Let them air dry. That's it!! The mochas sin type look is gone. The great scaly heels, cracks and bleeding between his toes. All gone! Feet are now soft and pain free. This has been a miracle- anyone out there that will listen- seriously 4 bucks and nightly soaks for 30 mins- unbelievable results!!!
Borax
Posted by Micklee (Memphis, Tennessee) on 02/13/2012
★★★★★
Athlete's Foot
Get some 20 mule team borax at freds dollar store in the washing powders section, really powerful ati fungal, lather up a rag with soap then pour about 3-4 table spoons of borax on the rag and scrub it with that, must leave on for over 3 mins to kill all colonies, but I wouldnt leaveon for more than like 6 - 10 mins.... You can also take the Apple Cider Vinegar and pour into a jar and dissolve the borax in that and use it to scrub, both together are stronger I think.
Urine
Posted by Farmer Rose (Athens, Ga, Usa) on 12/06/2011
★★★★★
I haven't had althlete's foot since I was a child & I am 40 now so I was very surprised to find it creeping back in...!!! But I do a lot of hard manual labor in boots all day & let my shower get too dirty one time & there you go. So, I cleaned my shower and bleached all my floor mats, & put a bowl in my shower. When ever I got in I would pee in the bowl and add Hydrogen Peroxide to it. I like to take long showers, so while I was in there, I soaked one foot as I bathed and then the other & so on. After bathing, I dried the fungus area and put Calendula cream on it & put powder in my shoes. I ate lots of garlic, took a few epsom salt baths, stopped drinking alcohol & eating sugar/wheat and changed my socks several time a day. What plagued me my whole childhood, was gone in a week!!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Liz (Indianapolis, Indiana) on 11/30/2011
★★★★★
Re: ACV for althete's foot, I used a spray bottle of undiluted ACV from the regular grocery store 3-4 times a day and had complete relief of the cracking and peeling skin within a week. It's now 4 months later and the skin of my foot is still perfectly clear.
Unfortunately, the ACV did not help with my toenails. It also did not help the red cracked and peeling skin behind my ear. Still hoping for a solution as simple and fast for those as the ACV was for the skin of my foot.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Hbbrazil (Vancouver, Washington, United States) on 11/28/2011
★★★★★
I just want to thank everyone here for recommending ACV for Athelete's foot. After MANY years of using Lotrimin and other types of of over the counter remedies, this technique worked hands down.
I thought I had a severe case, but from looking at images on line, I'd say mine was low. I did have cracked and open skin, always moist, nothing seemed to work. I did the full ACV (straight no dilution) for three days straight and the symptoms went away within two days. I also, soaked my flip flops in ACV for 45 minues and soaked some socks, just in case, then washed them normally. The shoes I'm wearing don't have good ventilation, however, using ACV in the morning works. Now that I did the treatment for 3 straight days, I do a spot check every day, use a cotton ball to get in between the toes. I can say that Athelete's foot is gone.
Thank you to all and for sharing your experiences. I'm a true believer in ACV.
H
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sharky (Pacoima, California) on 11/21/2011
★★★★★
I too have had this Problem for about 2 months.
Before I tried the A.C.V my foot was scaly and the fisrt layer of skin was completely off from the toes to the middle of the bottom foot it also got really swelled up I could not walk very painful. I was trying all the O.T.C medicine but it did not work my foot was completly soaked with wetness and a gooey type wetness I gauzed up my feet but it still leaked through I was wearing sandals because my foot inside a show would get too wet and skin would just keep falling off my foot it was red and swollen I seen this article about A.C.V so I went to the store and purchased a gallon for 5 bucks at Ralphs I inserted the foot in complete A.C.V just to get the entire foot submerged mind it is going to be painful to do this but you have to once the burning and stinging stops soak in a 50/50 water and A.C.V and soak for 30 min you can put the remainder of what A.C.V is in the foot tub just add water it will continue to burn my foot was like it was on fire it did not stop burning for 30 min so in reality a foot dunk in complete A.C V then a 50/50 soak which can be a total of 45 min do it at night and wrap your foot in a dry towel overnight, soak again the next morning before you shower then I used Vaseline and Aquafor you can get these at Target it keeps your feet lubricated and from drying which can be painful to walk.
I did this for 5 days and my foot came back to normal all the skin fell off that was dried and cracked and the skin came back fine a new skin layer was completly there in about a week but keep on using it till you have no more athletes foot- it's the best thing I am glad I read this website its wonderful to walk in shoes again but be careful- it can come back as it did to me on one toe but A.C.V nipped that it the but real quick so I hope this helps anyone out there suffering from this ailment A.C.V is the truth
Thank you, Sharky
Oil Pulling
Posted by Chloe99 (Seattle, Wa) on 11/14/2011
★★★★★
Had a bad outbreak between toes.... Very painful. I drizzled ACV from a cotton ball on the toes and it helped, but when I "Oil Pulled" it went away almost by the next morning! Was completely healed in 3 days!!
Cheeseweed
Posted by Darlene (Kewaskum, Usa) on 09/28/2011
★★★★★
Regarding athlete's foot: try locating a weed, locally called cheeseweed and found on farmsteads [scientific name: malva neglecta; it looks like a low growing viney geranium with little blue or purple blossoms and round nutlike fruit that is edible], place a handful in water and bring to a boil; simmer for a while to extract nutrients; when cool enough to touch, dip a cloth into the 'juice', squeeze out, hold onto any location that is infected until cool; repeat this as often as possible until compote is cooled, you can repeat the process as often as you want. You can also place the foot or hand in the 'juice' until it has cooled; repeat as desired.
This 'juice' has been effective in drawing infection out of insect stings or slivers, clearing up athlete's foot, even drew blood poisioning out of my father's arm when it had nearly reached his shoulder. It is not a one time process; must be done repeatedly over days (you can reheat and reuse the original compote until it's really slimy) to achieve the end, but you should notice improvement after a few applications.
White Vinegar
Posted by Barbara (Wellington, New Zealand) on 09/26/2011
★★★★★
I started getting athletes foot years ago, just a bit between my pinky toe and the next toe. I ignored it and now it's spread inbetween all my toes on both feet. I just started soaking in white vinegar (undiluted, no water added). Found a container that fit both feet, added white vinegar just to cover my toes and sat for 30 minutes. I already see improvement after only 1 soak! Am planning on doing once a day for a week and maybe once a week thereafter.
Alcohol
Posted by Jay (Orlando, Fl) on 09/17/2011
★★★★★
I FINALLY, after years of searching, found a cure for tinea pedis(Athletes foot). It is Isopropyl Alcohol 91% strength. I found it in the Pharmacy Section.
The 70% alcohol was ineffective and did nothing to kill the fungus.
I am so happy that I found something that actually works! For the disabled, one can purchase a spray nozzle and spray the alcohol on the feet from a distance without having to bend over.
Vicks
Posted by Jb (Central, Maryland) on 09/16/2011
★★★★★
Worked for me! I tried ACV first and got some relief, but it still hung around. Then I tried Listerine with the same results as the ACV. But the Vicks nailed it.
First I did a swab of Listerine, patted it dry, then applied Vicks. I wore socks at night (even though it was summer) and did the same routine in the morning with sneakers for running/working out, and then again after showering.
After a few days, I saw how improved it was so I just did the Vicks. After 7 days it was all gone. I now put the Vicks on two or three nights a week before bed as a preventative and for softness. That's it. And my feet are soft and smooth-- just lovely. Thanks for all the info on this site!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic
Posted by Hiker (Vista, Ca/usa) on 09/05/2011
Thanks for the tip Debbie. I thought that might be the case that the nail needed to grow out before improvement would be seen.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic
Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 09/05/2011
Hiker, I had a fungal condition on my toe. I didn't use anything topically, only ingested ACV with honey and baking soda once or twice daily. It took three months for the toenail to fully grow out the fungus. I kept cutting the nail as it grew and the new nail had no fungus. It has been over a year and a half and my nails are still clear. It is a slow but worthwhile process.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic
Posted by Hiker (Vista, Ca, Usa) on 09/05/2011
★★★★☆
I have a nasty case of Moccasin type Athlete's Foot. The entire front portion of the soles of both feet (from the top of the arches forward) exhibited a thick fungal scaling. I have had it for many months, probably over a year by now. I don't like using the OTC creams and since the itching initially was only in the evenings and only when I walked in tennis shoes for a long period I had been (to my regret) ignoring it. The arrival of summer's heat led to intense daily itching anytime my feet perspired.
I researched alternative treatments and decided to give vinegar and garlic a try. Distilled White Vinegar (4%) (DWV) was initially used because my local grocery store didn't carry any Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).
Both feet were soaked (undiluted) for 5-15 minutes (10 minute average) twice a day and 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic were eaten twice a day. Having read that Moccasin cases are much more resistant to treatment, I thought garlic with its potent anti-fungal properties would promote faster recovery. I also started walking around in thongs only.
The DWV soaks alleviated the itching immediately. No significant improvement in appearance was seen until the morning of the 8th day. I switched to ACV (5%) soaks (undiluted) that evening to see how it would work. The ACV was less harsh than the DWV and left my skin feeling very soft. A little improvement was seen nearly every day thereafter.
The garlic seemed to help. While continuing soaking I discontinued the garlic for two days and my feet didn't show any improvement. I resumed the garlic and the next day my feet looked much better. It may not be necessary for everyone but in my resistant Moccasin case it seemed a benefit.
A little tip: Garlic is very harsh -- don't take it on an empty stomach! On two occasions I did and immediately threw it up. When taken with a good sized meal it wasn't a problem. To make it easier on my stomach in the second week I reduced my garlic to 1-2 cloves per day, which seemed adequate. Luckily I wasn't one of those people that develop an odor problem while consuming garlic.
Another tip: -- make sure during your soaks that you don't rest your feet on the bottom of the container. Doing so can press the toes together and keep the vinegar from contacting the recesses between the toes and the soles of the feet. The same vinegar was used for several soaks in a row, which didn't seem to hamper its effectiveness.
I think long soaks are unnecessary. Beyond 10-15 minutes they often just irritated the skin and didn't seem to hasten recovery. Shorter multiple daily soaks seemed more effective than longer less frequent ones. Yesterday I soaked my feet about 5 times and upped my garlic to 2 cloves twice a day. Today my feet appeared much better. It has been 15 days and my feet are about 90% improved. Most of the scaling on the soles and under the toes is gone.
I have a fungal infection in the toenail of one toe. Unfortunately, I have to report that there has been little improvement in appearance. I don't know if the nail has to grow out before the toenail looks better or if it is not working. Will have to wait and see.
If you elect to treat your Athlete's Foot with ACV and garlic be patient. Long standing and/or Moccasin cases may take weeks to completely heal. I will post again later to update my progress.
Urine
Posted by Kimberly (Lansing, Illinois) on 09/03/2011
It's actually quite possible you were experiencing a healing crisis from the urine. When your body heals it very often brings up "old" problems and clears them out of your system if you stay with it. I'd certainly give the urine therapy another try for awhile at least and see if it clears it up.
Toothpaste
Posted by Beazy01 (Newark, De, Us) on 08/30/2011
★★★★★
When I was twelve I ended up getting athlete's foot from sharing my roller-blades with all my friends. My mom bought me all kinds of foot powders and treatments. None of them ever worked over the 1 year period I had to deal with the horrible itch. One night, an act of pure desperation led me to grab some white toothpaste and slather it on. The hunch came from its effectiveness on acne. Went to bed with a cold tingle on my feet. Woke up the next morning and was so elated to see that my feet looked 100 percent better and most importantly the itch was nonexistent.
Vetericyn
Posted by Lee (Fruita, Colorado Usa) on 08/29/2011
★★★★★
I have fought with severe athlete's foot for 12 long years. Have used prescriptions, OTC remedies, hydrogen peroxcide, and vinegar. It helped, but did not cure. In desperation I tried a veterinary product used to treat fungus infections in animals. It is called Vetericyn, and comes in a spray bottle. I used it 3 times a day for a week. Just simply sprayed it on all over my feet and up to my knees. It began clearing up overnight! It's been a month now, and I am not bothered with athlete's foot anymore. I cant explain it, I just found that it works.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by No Lie (Atl, Ga) on 08/21/2011
try vick vapor rub it should do the trick
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Howdy1242 (Emery, Utah, Usa) on 08/20/2011
★★★★★
As a diabetic I must keep a close watch on my feet. In a 13x9 " baking dish, I shred 1 medium potato and 1 cup apple cider vinegar I soak each foot for 30 minutes twice a month. It has been a cure for athletes foot, as well as other fungi, It works well for me.
I also keep a spray bottle with 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar as a after shower body spray , for itchy skin.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mr. Squeak Feet (Eugene, Oregon) on 07/29/2011
★★★★★
Hello, and thanks all for contributing your experience to growing our "common sense" cures. I am posting several huge YEAs for Apple Cider Vinegar in several categories. The first is that ACV cured my bad case of total-foot fungus really really quickly. I simply soaked my feet for about 30 minutes in straight ACV for a few days. First day stung like mad, but nearly cleared it all up. Next morning, my feet looked remarkably better. Second soak even better. Third soak was the charm. A week later, my feet got wet (rains like crazy in the winter here in Oregon), and I worked wearing wet shoes for about 5 hours, and soon foot fungus came back. I'm usually a smart guy, but still just didn't put one and one together that shoes and socks could be helping to re-infect my feet with fungus... ACV worked again. This time I also soaked all my socks, sandals, and tennis shoes in ACV. I also have a little spray bottle of straight ACV that I mist in my shoes after I take them off. It's been a couple months, no issues at all. Thanks Earth Clinic community!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 07/18/2011
Bonnie, for problems with cracked feet, especially heel, I would advise you try calendula cream. I don't have as many problems as you have but any time my heals are a bit cracked I use this cream and in a day or so my feet feel like a baby's bottom! Also good for the elbows and for the skin generally, even your face!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bonnie (Campton, Ky) on 07/17/2011
★★★★★
My feet had been giving me a great deal of pain for a long time. I used the ACV for about 2 months and my feet are no longer itching, cracking, bleeding and no more blisters. I have had it for about 20 years. I threw all of my old shoes away. I soak them for 30 min. a day in ACV that you can buy at the dollar store by the gallon. Also I use vaseline on my feet at night to keep them from being dry. I am so thankful for this site!!!!
