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.
Garlic
Posted by Donris (Gretna, Louisiana) on 04/16/2018
★★★★★
I had read on Facebook, a cure which is fantastic. You mince or press one garlic toe, to 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. You mix well & apply to clean feet. Be sure to put under toe nail & cover down to toe bed. Try to use the whole mixture. Then wrap the entire toes in Handi Wrap. Be sure the toes are cover tight. Then wrap with heavy foil around the toes, be sure to cover all the Handi Wrap to about almost have the foot. I use duct tape to keep it nice & tight. Then put on a loose socks & then a tight pair second over the foot. This will create heat. Leave on for 24 hr. Then remove & dig under the toe nail & clean it up. You will be in shock how much it loosed up. Then if possible do a second day again. During the breaks soak feet in Organic raw apple cider vinegar with (The Mother). Put about1/2 a cup of the vinegar. Then warm water to cover all the toes. Soak for at least 1/2 an hour. Like to watch T.V. Later on after shower, spray toes with a straight vinegar & air dry. really easy you only have to do the garlic treatment for extra boots. It won't take long to see a huge difference. I promise you will love the results.
How to Self-Test for Internal Fungus
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 11/06/2017
HI U OLE PATOOTS DOIN,,,,,,,, as all know ISJS. Anyways, on reflecting how the sight of my fungus shook me, I think you can test yourself at home.
Take two Q tips and swab one side of your mouth and the other side with the second Q tip. Store in a sterile glass jar and observe weekly for a month. If you have growth, the amount should tell you how severe your problem is. If you have no growth, I don't think you can say that you have no fungus. I am going to use the technique to ascertain my treatment progress.
My natural doctor told me the VF of my fungus and I was not impressed, but when he showed me the growth on my two swabs, it scared my mule. I think the visual result will tell you something too.
======ORH======
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Paul (Tulsa, Ok) on 01/17/2014
★★★★★
I found the best way to cure nail fungus:
1) start by trimming your nails back and filing
2) pour hydrogen peroxide over the infected area and tiny bubbles will start appearing
3) wait a minute or two for the hydrogen peroxide to start working, then put iodine on the nails and under the nails. The peroxide will pull the iodine under the nails and kill all fungus.
4) after 5 minutes or so wash your feet and nails with antibacterial soap.
Afterwards, my nails never felt good or looked this good. It was almost instantaneous.
Paul
Castor Oil
Posted by Gregory (Dfw, Tx) on 05/17/2012
★★★★★
For nail fungus, smother it out with cold pressed castor oil (just protect your linens and clothes, it can turn them yellow. Very large bandaids work to sleep in.
I have used this for everything from lacerations, dog bites - dog to dog, dog to human, face discolorations, interal for immune boosting, cosmetic oil, etc. Palma Di Christi is another name for it. Bacteria and fungus cannot grow in it because it is so viscous. And it's soothing.
Cayenne
Posted by Vince (Philadelphia, PA) on 09/21/2006
★★★★★
I cured the fungus by applying cayenne in salt water under the nail. I applied it and cleared any dead skin, and applied it again. working it under. I only applied it once, and it hasn't been back in 3 yrs. VF
All I do is mix a little cayenne with salt in water. Maybe 1/8tsp of each in about 3oz, and just soak the nail or skin for athlete's foot. For nail fungus I try to clean out any debris and reapply it, to make sure it gets in. I only had to treat mine once. I have a thumbnail that looks like it is separating in one spot. Maybe I caused it by cleaning my nails with a penknife a few times, but I treated it anyway. VF
DIY Hand Sanitizer
Posted by Redj (Cuba) on 07/23/2020
An update:
I have switched my application method to using a finger cot (cut a finger off a disposable glove to achieve the same thing) and a piece of cotton wool soaked in 0.1% Benzalkonium Chloride.
I apply the soaked cotton wool to my infected toenail, put the cot over my toe, and leave it for somewhere between 1-4 hours depending on what I'm doing and how forgetful I am on the day. (Even 1 hour is probably overkill if I'm being completely honest.)
This works really well to get the solution to soak right through the nail, I have been having good success with only one application a day, and the only caveat is this:
I no longer use crushed aspirin because that caused some minor irritation to my nail bed but it's unnecessary anyway as I am definitely getting a thorough application penetrating right through my nail this way. (Likewise, there is no need for soap as the solution has nowhere to run off to.)
I would recommend this new application method wholeheartedly.
I reuse the cotton wool and the finger cot until they look bad, then I replace them. I have little concern about reinfecting my nail by doing this because both get absolutely soaked in the solution which kills the fungus so I don't see it being a problem however if you are not seeing progress you should switch over to a strip of tissue folded up appropriately before soaking and applying and then disposing of it after each application, and likewise for the finger cot. (This is where cutting a finger off a disposable glove would be ideal because you will get 5 day's application from a single glove so it will be quite economical this way.)
Vicks
Posted by Suzy (Hemel, Hempstead ) on 01/02/2018
★★★★★
My daughter had nail fungus on her toes. The doctors said they don't describe it on prescription anymore for children so it was nearly £20 for a small tiny bottle that would last a month and would need more each month for 7/8 months Dr said.
I came on here and choose to give Vicks a go and within a couple of weeks of putting Vicks on each day it has totally cleared up, so a big saving. thank you :)
Caprylic Acid
Posted by Suzanne (Norman, Ok) on 09/21/2017
★★★★★
I went to the health food store and found a product containing caprylic acid that was supposed to cleanse yeast from the body. I took half the dose recommended on the bottle daily and the nail fungus was gone in a week.
Macadamia Nut Oil
Posted by William (New York, New York ) on 08/13/2023
★★★★★
My toenail, also, dropped off on left big toe and right peeled off like butter. I'm looking at very much healthier and getting better toes.
Listerine
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 01/25/2026
★★★★★
In a study conducted by the department of oral medicine in Peking University School of Stomatology, the researchers looked at the use of several mouthwashes in treating C. albicans strains that grow on toenails and lead to toenail fungus. Listerine had significant antifungal activity that reduced the activity of C. albicans that cause yeast infections found on nails.
Overall, Listerine is a beneficial tool for treating yeast infections found in the mouth, skin, and nails. Yeast infections can be reduced by rinsing the mouth out with Listerine, soaking affected areas with Listerine, or placing a rag soaked in Listerine on the affected area.
Whether you have a toenail fungus or athlete's foot, your bottle of regular Listerine mouthwash can help treat the problem within a few days. Listerine contains thymol, which has antifungal properties that help kill the fungus responsible for toenail fungus. It provides fast relief from symptoms like stinging and burning sensations and excessive itching.
Also, it acts as an antiseptic to prevent further infection. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again. Listerine is antiseptic and contains four essential oils; eucalyptol, menthol, methyl salicylate, and thymol.
Directions:
Dip your hands or fingers in undiluted Listerine for 30 minutes every day for 1 week. If you have sensitive skin, dilute Listerine by mixing it with equal amounts of water. Treatment 30 days.
Rob's Method:
Soak a paper towel with Listerine (yellow), fold it over and under your toes, put your foot into an empty bread bag and put a sock over your foot. You can wear it for one hour or over nite, your choice. Do this for afew days til fungus is gone.
Listerine
Posted by Jolene (San Diego, Ca) on 03/19/2013
My husband been suffering with embarrassment from disfigured thick distorted fungal nails for over ten years even though he faithfully applies over the counter creams every night with no results. We came across this post two days ago as a final attempt to treat it before resorting to dangerous oral medication. After reading your encouraging posts we hurried to the drug store to get supplies and try listerine and vicks for fungus ourselves. We took a nail file and filed down the thickest parts of the toenails to make it smoother and thin as possible then filled two Sandwhich baggies with a little bit of the yellow listerine and submerged his toes in it. We duct taped the bags to his feet so they can stay soaked during the duration of a movie. Took them off and let them airdry. For good measure we rubbed Vicks vapor rub in all the nails applied with q-tips before going to bed. To our disbelief the nails showed significant clarity to them the next morning!!!! Day 2 we repeated the above and saw even more improvement! His worse nails (the big toe ones) are about 70% clearer. We are on just our third day now and really excited to continue the treatment until he has clear nails. I'm too excited after the results of just two days that I had to share now! I hope everyone else will see results that we are experiencing. Thank you earth clinic for an amazing website and to everyone who shares!!!
Sugar-Free Diet
Posted by Tee (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 09/25/2012
★★★★★
I had fungus in one of my big toes for about 15 years. During that time I tried strict regimens of both OTC and prescribed topical medications, as well as tea tree oil. Had the nail removed twice so I could get whatever medication onto the infection site, which was at the base of the nail.
Twice the infection appreared to be gone, but later my heart sank as I saw the fungus returning.
Finally I ended up getting a prescription for an antifungal to be taken orally for 90 days. Expensive stuff, about $1000 USD. It did the trick... for three months! I decided to go it again. I got a second prescription, same stuff, thinking it might finish off the fungus 100% this time since it was a smaller infection than the first time. Well it worked... For three years. When I saw the infection returning, I almost cried.
I got online and started searching madly for causes of the fungus. That's when I first learned of the concept of candida, and intuitively felt there was something to it for me. I adhered to a strict diet (Google Candida diet), most importantly NO SUGAR. Worked like a charm; I saw results with my toe in a couple of months.
Over the following ten years fungus reappeared three more times... But at the top of the toenail, whereas before it was the base of the nail. The good news about that was that now I could get a topical medication to it without removing my nail.
The medication I used was bleach. I used the bleach pen, applying a line of it twice a day under the toenail. All three times this killed the fungus within a week. I realize this would not be a popular remedy with naturalists, but stubborn infections call for desperate measures.
Everytime it had appeared I had realized my sugar consumption had gradually increased over time, resulting in another fungus outbreak. So along with the bleach, I also cut out sugar during the treatment phase.
Finally I accepted that I am more sensitive to sugar than most people, and adopted a low sugar diet as a lifestyle.
I have been fungi-free for four years now! My toenail looks normal, as if it had never suffered 15 years of infection.
Hang in there! You have no choice but to be patient with the process, and you too will soon be fungi-free.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Reba (Soddy-daisy, Tn Usa ) on 08/08/2011
★★★★★
On top the ACV and other natural topical treatments, try swallowing 1 tsp. of liquid silver 7 times a day for two days, and ringworm should never come back. It worked for a foot fungus that nothing else would cure. Liquid silver can be bought at health food and vitamin shops. It was the antibody used in the old days. It works for fungal, bacteria and virual infections. I will never be without the silver, because I use it for all kinds of infections, and it works.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Healthnut (Palm Springs, Ca) on 11/13/2010
★★★★☆
I've tried everything - and I mean everything! - to get rid of the nasty toenail fungus on my big toe. Finally, one day, I decided to spray my toes with colloidal silver. In a few days, the big black streak of fungus started disappearing. I know it's going to take up to a year for my toenail to grow out but, already, I'm about half-way there! I spray my toes twice a day, morning and night.
Copper Sulfate Spray
Posted by Liz (Stuttgart, Germany) on 07/06/2008
★★★★★
i mix 40 ml of cider vinegar with 20 grams of copper sulphate into a one liter spray bottle..top with water and it makes the most effective wound spray i have ever used (been using on it on my horses for over 20 years) .. it works equally as well on skin conditions .. copper sulphate prevents proud flesh and kills all skin fungus.
EC: Copper Sulphate is used for its blue coloring in fireworks and paints.
List of sources:
Local plant supply shops
Ebay
Science Supply Shops
Baking Soda
Posted by Heather (Los Angeles) on 01/17/2016
What?! You're taking alkaline water to prevent cancer - but you drink Coca-Cola daily???
Coke causes major diseases, possibly even cancer. Please research, you need to drink something different (orange juice?) for your hypo-glycemia.
Listerine
Posted by Skye (Kansas City, Missouri) on 05/09/2013
One of the main ingredients of Listerine is thyme oil, which is known to be anti fungal.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Richard (Santa Ana, California) on 11/21/2008
WARNING! I tried using the Dremel tool on my thick odd looking toe nail (didn't realize it was a fungus problem). In doing so I released the fungus in a cloud of dust while grinding away at the toe nail. Within a week I had the problem in every toe and in every finger nail! It's now been three years of trying all kinds of remedies without much success. I have learned that this is extremely contagious. It will jump from one finger/toe to another quickly. Do not use the same clippers, file, etc on more that one nail. Thanks for this site. I plan to try several new remedies that I have found here.
Cayenne
Posted by Thomas (Los Angeles, CA) on 06/17/2007
★★★★★
Guaranteed to clear nail fungus a lot faster than other methods. Mix cayenne pepper with water and spread on THICK like paste. Pull on socks without disturbing paste. Will clear nails in 4 - 7 weeks.
Lemongrass Essential Oil
Posted by Melissa (Staten Island, New York) on 04/25/2007
★★★★★
Lemongrass Oil. Wow...Turned Black overnight. However, I am curious, do you keep applying 2x daily and just wait for it to grow out? I'm so happy that it looks like it's dying. It does mean it's dying when it turns black right? I've also adjusted my diet and included flaxseed-Oil and Evening Primose caplets and have been drinking 2 oz Unsweetned (not Sugar free but Knudsens sugar free) Cranberry juice diluted with water. 64 oz a day. I will take your advice Ted and begin to cleanse my bloodstream with the baking soda, Citric Acid and water mix. Just need this to be at least half way gone for Sandal season.
Application Hints
Posted by Philip (Thunder Bay, Canada) on 02/20/2007
★★★★★
I have one foot cured and the other almost done with this new approach. I dip my toes in scalding hot water (one at a time) long enough that I can't take the pain anymore. I dry them off with a hair dryer and then apply antifungal ointment. I trim the nails as short as possible. I have been doing this for two weeks at bedtime and in the morning. It's working for me so far. I make their home small, hot, and poisonous. If they still want to live there, they will be uncomfortable
Black Nigella Seeds
Posted by AB (Ireland) on 11/16/2025
★★★★★
30 yrs Fungal nail gone in 1 month
Eat a teaspoon of black seeds/ nigella seeds 4/5 times a week.
Unbelievable! Watched the damaged nail grow out in 4 weeks.
Tried everything and nothing worked until this.
