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 Suzy (Fort Wayne In) on 01/18/2014
★★★★★
I started taking apple cider vinegar, a shot glass day and night, and cut my infected toe nails back whenever they started to grow. Within a few months my nails had grown out new and beautiful. I believe it is necessary to fight the problem from the inside out. This is the only thing that worked and I tried them all.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Leen (Pottsville, Pa, Usa) on 08/24/2012
★★★★★
My husband has a severe case of toenail fungus from being in the Army and wearing combat boots in the field years ago. I read about using vinegar and he gave it a try since nothing worked including doctor prescribed meds. Its been one month and we see a big difference. Pink, clean nails are 1/4 to 1/2 grown in. He did clip and file his nails tp prep them. We read you can use regular white vinegar, doesnt have to be apple cider vinegar. The white does not discolor the nail!! He soaks feet in tub of vinegar twice a day for ten minutes and changes it once every 7-10 days. Cured athletes foot immediately. Definitely worth a try.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sara (Wadsworth, Oh) on 06/15/2012
★★★★★
I used apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil and my toe is now, finally, perfect again! Took a LONG time for it to grow out, but worth the effort.
The key to my success was SOAKING a small piece of a cotton ball and using white medical tape to tape it in place on my toe. At first I used the ACV, but then switched to Tea Tree Oil w/ lavender. The smell is strong, but I think the TTO did a better job. I put this on in the above manner twice a day for about 2 months. After a while, I stopped doing it as I finally saw the affected part growing up and out (before, the ugly part didn't move when I just brushed the ACV & TTO on it. SOAKING was the key for me. Felt good to KILL that damn fungus...haha!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by George (Louisiana) on 08/12/2016
★★★★★
I filed my toe nail all the way down to the skin and used ACV soaked for 30min in morning and at night also added bit peroxide to it. And wala no more foot fungus you will notice results in a week or 2 at least for me it did.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bernadette (New South Wales, Australia) on 03/17/2014
★★★★★
For 6 weeks I have been soaking both my feet twice a day in apple cider vinegar for 2 big toes which have yellowed and thickened. In the evening I apply tea tree oil combined with lavender oil to both toes and I have had 5mm new growth in this time which is pink, healthy and showing no signs of fungus. During the day in between soaks, I spray all my toes with white vinegar and dry them in the sun for a few minutes. I am thrilled with the new growth and can't wait for the yellow nails to grow out.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Elaine (Sterling, Va) on 01/13/2013
★★★★★
I had a small opaque white discoloration on one corner of one big toe that had been visible for several months. I was worried that it was the beginning of a fungus infection. After finding this site, I soaked a cotton ball in red wine vinegar (didn't have apple cider vinegar), and taped it to my toe overnight.
I was absolutely stunned the next morning to see that the discoloration was completely gone.
Maybe what I had wasn't a fungus, or maybe this is an amazing cure. Whatever, I'm extremely happy!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Grace (Alma, Michigan) on 05/28/2012
★★★★★
I started using distilled vinegar from the grocery store but switched to raw vinegar from our local health food store. The raw vinegar is WAY stronger tasting and has the mother in it. I feel so much better taking ACV everyday. Not only is my nail fungus clearing but ( I hope this isnt TMI LOL ) I am supposed to take an iron supplement and was unable to without a stool softener and I dont need the stool softener anymore. I also work 12 hours shifts in a nursing home and my feet and legs dont ache like they did at the end of the day. This stuff is amazing, Im hooked for life :)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Adrienne (Arlington, Ma) on 07/27/2011
★★★★★
I too find it very disturbing that physicians dismiss fungal infections or something as simple as ACV to treat it. Ignored fungal infections long term can permanently disfigure your nails, get into your blood and be terribly hard to treat, and of course infect others.
After getting a new doctor, I discovered that I had had athletes' foot for years. It took the form of small blisters and dry skin - that I couldn't figure out because it didn't itch and didn't respond to over-the-counter medications. The doctor told me that because I had had it so long, I probably would need to take Lamasil orally. Since like others here, I already take other medications that affect my liver, I was not at all happy to hear that.
Thank goodness for apple cider vinegar! I began soaking my feet in 1/2 ACV and water twice a day for 15 -25 minutes, it was easy while checking email. I used a tupperware container big enough not to easily slosh out and that both feet would fit in. Changed the solution once a week. Changed towels under the bin every other day, used new towels each day to dry my feet. Used a waterproof nail file to remove excess calluses and reduce thick nails. I washed and treated nail file with Lysol each day, sprayed the shower once a week (not good to do it more apparently). New towels in bath every other day in the beginning. Applied antifungal cream to my feet if I needed to wear shoes, changed socks at least once a day, sometimes twice if my feet sweated a lot.
Sprayed the heck out of my shoes, removed the inserts and sprayed them as well with an antifungal spray and left them out in the sun to dry. If you have old shoes that can't be sprayed, or you feel they're iffy, get rid of them. This is an important point that I don't see people mentioning here - you don't want to undo your hard work. I reinfected myself briefly because I grabbed an old pair of gardening shoes one day, and sweated in them without socks.
It took me about 4-5 weeks from the initial start of soaking to be fungus free. Yellowed skin and nails from cider stains gradually disappeared over a week or two. Lemon juice and/or a little scrubbing with a pumice stone can help speed its departure.
My mother and sister have nail fungus, and I recently told them about ACV - they're trying it too. Will post back in several weeks about their results.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Gina H (California) on 08/30/2017
Penny, I'm not sure why you would want to use baking soda at all, as it is alkaline and fungus thrives on an alkaline environment. Try using just the vinegar; the acid in it is what makes your toe nail inhospitable to the fungus.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joe (Los Angeles) on 09/14/2017
Apple cider vinegar works because it is acidic. Baking soda neutralizes the acidity. It cancels it out. All you're left with is salty water.
According to the instructions, you should soak your toes in undiluted apple cider vinegar. Try that, instead. Good luck!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Chris (Leeds) on 08/27/2017
How do you expect the ACV to penetrate your nail bed in just 20 mins!? no wonder you had to soak twice a day
I did this for at least an hour every day for a week, then life got in the way and I didn't soak them again until 2 months afterwards, during which time my nails grew out a quarter way healthy... but then I saw signs of the fungus marching its way back to the nail bed and within a week it was back again in the nail bed.
I have had this problem over 20 years, started on my little toe now I have 6 infected, I have tried everything and I mean "EVERY THING" I am probably over £1300 into trying to cure it now, I honestly think my fungus is a super-strain which has evolved immunity to most cures other people state worked since its been blasted and painted with every technology and oil available to mankind.
ACV with mother is the only thing that had put a dent in this horrible infection and my next stage is to buy some cheap calf rubber wellies and fill them to the lower ankle every day with pure ACV and not watered down since my foot skin can handle it so that I can walk around the house instead of being chained to a foot bowl at my bedside.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ottootts (Germany) on 02/04/2017
★★★★★
Apple cider vinegar for nail fungus. This actually works! I tried commercial products for two years and they simply did not work. I've tried ACV for three weeks (two tablespoons daily) and already new clear nail is growing in from the nail bed, already reaching about 20% of the way into the nail.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Monique (North Carolina) on 10/29/2015
★★★★☆
As soon as I quit using the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) the toenail fungus would come back. It did work on one of my toes on one foot but then I got it on 2 other toes on my other foot............it didn't cure them like the other. I swabbed the ACV on the toenail once in the morning and once at night and put a bandaide over the toenail with more ACV put on the covering center part of the bandaide.
However, I came down with MRSA, over a month ago, and bought some Manuka Honey from my healthfood store that came from New Zealand. I put it on my 2 tonails just like the ACV but only once in the morning. No staining of my tonail color and it's healing them and no STINK .....I HATE THE SMELL OF ACV!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mia (Lyons, Ny) on 10/30/2011
★★★★★
After reading posts on Earth Clinic I decided to try the ACV remedy for a big toe-toe nail that had thickened, had about 1/2 of the toe nail separate/lifted from the nail bed and which had been curling inward badly for a period of about nine years. I decided to become aggressive in fighting it because I saw it start in the big toe on my other foot as well. I figured if I didn't stop it now all my toes would be affected so I began an aggressive fight after reading several posts.
I first took off all nail polish. I kept this toe polished at all times because it was hideous; but after reading that the fungus likes it dark I realized I didn't get this problem until I began to regularly polish my toes. Next I filed the entire surface of the nail as thin as possible without filing right down to the nail bed. Next, I cut away the nail from the area on the toenail that was separated/lifted from the nail bed. The, I bathed it every night before bed with ACV and let it dry on my nail. I did this for about two weeks and, after growing out for several weeks almost two months, now my nail is finally almost completely grown out and normal looking.
THANK YOU ALL!!! THIS PLACE ROCKS!!!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Enaks (New Rochelle, Ny) on 09/15/2009
★★★★★
I tried many different home remedies and prescription meds. Nothing worked. Then I came across Dr. Walt Stoll website and his vinegar treatment. Basically two drops of vinegar at the base of each toenail, twice a day. YOU MUST BE PATIENT. This cure takes a long time to work as it protects the NEW nail growth from getting the fungus. The fungus you already have on your nails must GROW out. So this treatment takes a long time and you must not miss an application. I have done this vinegar treatment twice a day since the end of Oct 2008 and it works. I am so happy and I have nice nails again! Don't get discouraged, it's a slow process. It takes about 30 seconds for each treatment, twice a day, for a total of one minute a day. Before that I was soaking my feet in mouthwash, used vapor rub, tea tree oil, prescription meds, light therapy, etc. I was walking around worried that someone would smell my vapor rub on my feet. ugh! I want to spread the word that vinegar works!! I applied mine after my shower, sat on the floor, dried my feet, used eyedropper and dripped vinegar on cotton swab to swish the vinegar around on the nail. Just a couple of drops each nail, then let them air dry. I also used some cheap foot powder to keep my feet dry for the day. In the evening I used the vinegar again, but not powder. My nails are CLEAR after 11 months, the time flies, and after a few months you will begin to see the new growth. I've been wearing flip-flops the past few months! I hope you all try it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Thankful (Gurnee, Illinois) on 09/11/2009
★★★★☆
I am in awe of the power of something as simple as apple cider vinegar. Two years ago I dropped a hairdryer on my right big toe. Apparently this was enough to cause an interruption in the nail bed where fungi developed. It started deceptively slowly with just a thin white strip on the side of the nail that was barely noticeable. My podiatrist didn't seem particularly concerned about it, so neither was I. Besides, I typically wear nail polish and didn't have to look at it. However, at the beginning of this week I took my nail polish off and all the sudden I was the creature from the black lagoon! Ewwwwwwwww!!!!!! Approximately 80% of my nail was funkified with yellow and white globules, bumpy, thick and just gross. I have never suffered with anything like this in my life so I was freaked out big time. I knew there is absolutely no way I could take another prescription like lamisil because I take so many drugs for other more serious conditions. My poor liver is stressed as it is so I went to the internet in desperate need of help from the homeopathic community. Thank God for websites like this one! I soaked my infected toe in full strength apple cider vinegar for 3 days equaling 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night. I saturated a piece of toilet paper with the ACV and just laid in on the nail while I watched tv. In just six treatments the infected part of my toenail fell off this afternoon with no pain whatsoever. Under the nail was the grossest wet sawdust-like substance I have ever seen. I can hardly believe the ACV worked so quickly to eradicate the ick. If someone would have told me that it would work this quickly I never would have believed it after everything I have read. At this point, my plan going forward is to use a spray bottle to apply the ACV after I shower and then apply tea tree oil for a fungus killing antiseptic while also using an over the counter fungal care you paint on before bed. I know it will take months for the nail to grow back, but I feel hopeful that I can put this behind me. At least now I can see a healthy pink nail bed which I absolutely will NOT be covering with nail polish. Any additional suggestions in how to proceed would be much appreciated. A big thanks to everyone for posting and sharing.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joseph (San Francisco) on 09/15/2017
I second what Joe said. Baking soda neutralizes the effects of vinegar.
I understand your approach ("I've read that solution A, B, and C all work - so I'll just combine all of it! ") but unfortunately chemistry's not in your favor. Vinegar alone should be effective at deterring toenail fungal growth.
Don't give up! Repeat the process, but keep it simple - just use the apple cider vinegar. Stay encouraged!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Marina (Australia) on 05/10/2017
★★★★★
Just a tip.
I did this years ago using ACV and it cured the fungus as well as the psoriasis which caused the fungus but the only downside was that the toenail, once fully grown out, had a brownish tint from the ACV. What I did then is I filled up a small bottle with white vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil (to kill the smell of the vinegar), and sprayed my nail after my shower each day. It ended up growing out nice and pinky white like the rest of my nails. I still do it every few days and once in a while I spray all my toe nails, especially during humid conditions or after clipping them.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Makajc (United Arab Emirates) on 03/23/2017
★★★★★
I am in the 4th day today for treating my nail fungus using apple cider vinegar. The most affected are my big toes.. First 2 days I noticed that my nails are becoming white, then day by day, crack in my big toes are becoming less.. the other, almost brown color have disappeared, still under observation.. I cut almost half to treat it.. Lengthwise.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Dakotacabn (Laguna Hills, Ca, Usa) on 04/19/2012
★★★★☆
I never had toenail fungus until I started going to the nail salon. I quite going last year to the salon. I have been doing my own nails. I cut them really short and I cut off as much as the fungus as I could. I have been spraying ACV on my nails 2 times a day. They are so much better. I can now put on nail polish and I keep spraying my toe nails daily. I feel you never really get rid of the fungus, but you just keep it under control with the ACV. I went to the DR, he said they give you the fungus and then they sell you something to get rid of it. He also said they use the same water in the spas as they don't disinfect it after every customer and they also use the same polish so the fungus goes from person to person.
