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 Steve (St Louis, Mo) on 03/26/2012
★★★★★
I've had Athlete's Foot in various forms for years. I used the usual topical ointments designed for this. Usually, I had success after a period of 1 to 2 week usage. I tried ACV full strength on my foot (a soak in shallow pan or applied directly with cotton). This is a "miracle" cure for me... My Athelete's Foot disappeared in one or two applications course it always reappears in different areas or the same... I apply ACV immediately not only treats the AF but stops the itching burning. Highly recommend ACV!
Alcohol
Posted by Southernarc (Durham, Nc, Usa) on 03/10/2012
★★★★★
I've had success with the 70% Isopropyl Alcohol as alcohol is alcohol and at this concentration it works just fine on athlete's foot. The trick is to soak a cotton ball with the alcohol and to thoroughly rub it on the affected area for about a minute. After the application you may still feel a little itchy, but I've noticed that after just two treatments like this, within a day, all of the itching and redness from the athlete's foot is gone. This is a cheap and effective treatment rather than buying expensive antifungal foot powders and sprays.
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.
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.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by L (Whitefish, Mt) on 06/08/2011
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar for Athlete's Foot.
My husband had suffered for years (he's 48) with horrible, deep cracks in his heels, as well as between his toes. He had to be on his feet all day, so it was very hard on him. We have only been married for 6 months, and I was shocked when I first saw his feet. Anyway, I convinced him to try soaking in ACV, used undiluted. The first time it stung, but he did it anyway as he was desperate for relief. By the third day, all cracks between his toes gone, and he was pain free. After one week, he said his feet felt slippery in his socks, they were so smooth. He said he can't remember when his feet have felt so good. Now, he also gets terrible cracks in his fingers from working outside - he goes through boxes of bandaids. He hasn't wanted to try the ACV yet, as it will hurt at least the first time. If I can get him to do it, I will post the results!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Chris (Atlanta, Ga) on 07/19/2010
★★★★★
I tried soaking my feet in apple cider vinegar straight out of the bottle, straight off the shelf of the grocery store (Heinz), and after battling athletes foot for over 20 years, I am free of this pest finally. Soaking lasted for about 30 minutes a day for a week. After the first day, I noticed an improvement as did my wife. Each day showed a bit of a difference, and I decided after a week to stop. By the middle of the next week, my feet showed NO SIGNS whatsoever of mocassin athletes foot. No peeling, no redness, no cracked skin, no pustules, nothing. That was four months ago and I have since maintained the same active lifestyle (running, tennis, hiking) and have not had one flare-up. In fact, my only concern is that my feet are often very dry. Works out nice, actually, as the wife lotions them up and nothing beats a foot massage with lotion =)
If you have your doubts, try it. I didn't use organic or some other over-priced product. Give it a shot. A $5 bottle of vinegar and a week's worth of your time is worth it for almost anything, much less a chance to get rid of AF.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Chas (Denver, Co) on 11/28/2009
Warning: About using a dremel or other kind of power grinder or sander, such as a pet nail trimmer -- only do this when wearing a surgical mask and eye protection. Otherwise, the airborne pathogens can spread the problem to places where you truly do not want the issue, and where your physician may have a very difficult time helping you!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Desiree (Portland, OR) on 01/17/2009
★★★★☆
I have had athlete's foot for several decades: not usually cracked or peeling, but warm and itchy all the time. I thought this isn't going to do anything. I put coconut oil on my feet and within a half hour I felt a cooling sensation. What a surprise. The next morning I felt cool feet. I am amazed! I just rubbed it all over my feet, put on socks and climbed into bed. I am anxious to see how it works for me systemically. I have had itchy scalp for about 10 years. It isn't itchy at present, but I can't imagine treating the feet could cure it. I do know that the feet are like the tongue in that the organs of the body is mapped out on the tongue. We'll see.
Cayenne
Posted by Melvin (Garner, North Carolina) on 07/19/2007
★★★★★
This website has been a major blessing to me and my family!
From 1989 to about 1994 I suffered from athlete's foot on both of my feet. I tried several OTC (over the counter) drugs that eased the pain and itching somewhat, but never cured it, in spite of what the avertisements claimed.
A friend of mine told me about the benifits of applying cayenne pepper to cuts and acratches to stop the bleeding. Out of desperation one night, I applied cayene pepper to the affected areas between my toes. I was amazed at the almost immediate sense of relief I experienced. I applied it every morning after showering and at night after washing my feet. Within a day or two the pain & itching was gone. Within a week the fungus had dried up and skin had hardened. Within two weeks I could peel the dead skin away and by the third week the AF was gone and the cracked skin began to heal. By the fourth or fifth week there was no evidence of the AF- AFTER FIVE, LONG YEARS. I had forgotten what it felt like not to have AF.
The key for me was to wash and dry my feet daily before putting a dash of cayenne between my toes. No more over-the-counter treatments for me. I keep an ample supply of cayenne available, just in case.
Compost Tea
Posted by I Need Help_SC (USA - South Carolina) on 12/20/2021
★★★★★
This is a testimony from a friend and former class instructor. He was teaching a permaculture class, and he taught on making compost tea for use in the garden. He said that a very easy method is to fill up a 5 gallon bucket ¾ full of rain water (or other non-chlorinated water), and put multiple fist-fulls of compost and some forest soil/humus in the water. Put your feet in the bucket, and kick them back and forth for 10 minutes. Viola, quick compost tea!
But...he said that he had chronic athlete's foot for 10 years. Nothing touched it, no medicines of any kind, nothing worked. The next day after kicking his feet around in the compost tea for 10 minutes, it was gone. He said that several years later he was in Haiti and got athletes foot from a public shower. Later that week, he made compost tea in the bucket with his bare feet for 10 minutes, and the next day his athlete's foot was gone.
I have ringworm/jock itch on my thighs, nothing on my feet, and I'm not sure how to submerge myself in compost tea, so I've not tried that yet (though I am going to try spraying it on myself or using some sort of towel or brush to apply to myself and let it soak/sit on the skin for 10-20 minutes). But, because I trust this guy, and it might work for someone else, I'm sharing it here.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Jade (Indiana) on 05/12/2021
★★★★★
The essential oil "Tea Tree" also cures athlete's foot.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Charity (Faithville, Usa) on 08/29/2017
I am very familiar with yeast issues . what does your diet look like and have you also tried some supplements lately, what might they be ....? maybe garlic
Some foods flush it out of the body onto the skin and that is quite painful. When mine gets bad I go to walmart and buy vaginal yeast cream (miconazole)and coat my foot/hand before bed and put on a sock/cotton glove.
You may need some milk thistle to give your liver a break and some Molybedum to stop detox misery symptoms.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Sue (Europe) on 11/03/2017
I have had this condition all my life and have been struggling with it on and off. Went back to the doc because - yes - I suspect I have dyshidrotic excema as well! All the stuff you use to dry out or attack the 'fungus' is only going to agravate it even more. Got a referral to a dermatologist now, but I can't get an appointment until 3 or 4 weeks from now. Will definitely discuss this option with him.
To make things even more confusing, you can get dyshidrotic excema as an allergic reaction to a fungal infection. Anyway, keep this option in mind everybody. It's very common for people with hay fever, allergies and asthma (as myself).
Fresh Aloe Vera
Posted by Laurac (Us) on 03/21/2017
★★★★★
Fresh aloe vera for athletes foot.
I scratched my feet so horrible. I wounded them so bad. I wounded the palm of my feet so I could not walk. My feet were so raw exposed and burning. I bought a fresh aloe vera from my grocery store and cut the leaf then smeared it on my wounds. Instant stop to the burn and pain, and the goo forms a protective healing layer. Aloe vera has many properties. It's under rated for athletes foot. Unlike ACV and cayenne it heals without burning like hell! Thanks God for your marvelous plants.
Steam Your Floors
Posted by Rosie (United States) on 02/08/2017
★★★★☆
Athlete's fungus lives on surfaces virtually forever, so walking around barefoot in the house means you're spreading it on the floor surfaces in your home, resulting in you reinfecting yourself, & anyone else who is walking around barefoot in your house.
When you come home from work, wearing sandals is a much better option, or if it's colder a clean pair of sox & slippers.
Most fungi, including AF fungus, can be killed with 140* hot water, so if you've been running around barefoot in your home all your floors are infected, & you need to get a floor steamer (steam is created at 212*) & run it over every square inch of your floors to kill the AF fungus, so you're not reinfecting yourself, or anyone else.
Just wish it was this easy to kill the AF fungus on my feet.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Anne (London) on 02/10/2016
★★★★★
I agree! I used to develop athletes foot after a pedicure, it was terrible. But when I started moisturising my feet with coconut oil, it would disappear in days. Now, every time I have a pedicure, I immediately use coconut oil - twice a day. After a week, I only have to apply once a week for maintenance. It's been years now without an outbreak.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Travis (Austin, Tx) on 11/02/2013
★★★★★
When I was a teenager I had a bad case of Athelete's Foot. I remember trying everything available at the store and nothing worked. I had heard that Tea Tree Oil cures it since it is antifungal and gave it a try by rubbing the oil (undiluted) on the foot on and around the infected area with a cotton ball. Then put on a sock so that the Tea Tree Oil does not rub off. It cured the problem in a couple of days.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Pbird (Everett, Wa, Usa) on 06/27/2013
★★★★★
Yes, coconut oil cures athlete's foot. It stops it for me in one application to the itchy spot. It also works for my husband who tends to get an occasional very bad case of it.
