Home remedies have been called lots of things; ‘holistic‘, ‘natural‘, ‘practical‘, ‘cost effective‘ and on the negative side ; ‘ineffective‘,  ‘a waste of time‘ and ‘no substitute for conventional treatments‘.  No doubt the debate will continue.  But when it comes to treating toe nail fungus home remedies definitely deserve discussion.

We define ‘home remedies’ as treatments that use common, easily available products that you could lay your hands on in most households.  For nail fungus infections the most commonly used are vinegar, beer soak, Listerine, Vicks Vapo Rub and Tea Tree oil.

We have reviewed these on our website, because they may be effective at treating early stage or mild toe nail fungus infections or for preventing healthy nails to become infected. But it should be noted that these remedies have not been clinically tested for the treatment for fungal infection and the directions that accompany the products do not include the use on nails for curing this disorder.

How to use home remedies for toenail fungus:

1. First clean your nails thoroughly and remove any artificial nails or nail polish.  Use a nail file (such as one of these glass nail files) to smooth out rough edges.
2. Try a vinegar soak.  This involves soaking your fingers for 15 to 20 minutes in a mixture of 1 part white or apple cider vinegar to 2 parts warm (not hot) water. If this concentration of vinegar irritates your skin, you can decrease the amount added to the water. Ideally soak your hands once a day, unless they become dry or irritated.
3. Consider applying Tea Tree Oil to your nail and cuticles using a cotton bud. The oil contains antimicrobial properties.
4. Another option is Vicks VapoRub. Apply the solution or ointment to your nails, cuticles and surrounding skin and let the treatment soak in.

Other nail fungus home remedies such as Listerine and Acidophilus beer soak could also work, but according to the reviews we have conducted, Tea Tree Oil, Vicks Vapo Rub and Vinegar soak are likely to be more effective.

If you find that none of the home remedies for nail fungus work, then the next step - before moving onto prescription drugs - is to consider a natural medication such as ZetaClear, Nail-Rx or Fungisil.

These contain proven anti-fungal agents, do not require prescription and have been demonstrated to assist in treating nail fungus and contribute to the promotion of healthy nails. Click on the links that follow to read our reviews of these three products:

• ZetaClear review - Rated:
• Nail-Rx review - Rated:
• Fungisil review - Rated:

Some users apply a home remedy for nail fungus as a companion treatment to other medications. Either by applying the home remedy to the infected nail in conjunction with (or in preparation for) an antifungal treatment or by using the home remedies on healthy nails to reduce the risk of cross-infection.