10 home remedies for toenail fungus

A damaged toenail can open the door to toenail fungus, which discolors and thickens the nail. Once contracted, it can be difficult to get rid of this fungus. The nail is unsightly, and you don't want to wear shoes where others can see your toes.

Rather than hide your toes from the public, fight back. Below are 10 home remedies for getting rid of toenail fungus that you can try.

1. Epsom salt-based soak. Mix 2 cups of hot water with 1/3 cup Epsom salt. Add 1/3 of full-strength apple cider vinegar. Soak your feet for 30 minutes.

2. Garlic. Good for more than keeping vampires away, garlic has anti-fungal properties. Try crushing the garlic and mixing it with vinegar to make a paste. Put that on the fungus with a Band-Aid for several hours.

3. Baking soda. Besides helping get rid of any foul odor caused by the fungus, WebMD says that baking soda is good for getting rid of nail infections. It helps absorb moisture, which prevents the fungus from growing. You can soak your feet in a bucket with it, or make a paste to be applied.

4. Mouthwash. RD, Reader's Digest, recommends mixing equal parts
mouthwash and water for a foot soak. The antiseptic qualities of the mouthwash help kill off what is affecting your feet.

5. Clotrimazole. Although toenail fungus is not a yeast infection, the active ingredient that helps clear a yeast infection will also help clear toenail fungus, according to WebMD. Any over-the-counter yeast cream will work.

6. White vinegar. Vinegar has numerous health benefits, and one of them is the ability to kill bacteria. RD advises soaking your feet for 30 minutes in a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar.

7. Eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus oil will make your feet smell fresh and kill the fungus at the same time, says WebMD.

8. Cornmeal. A rather novel idea, Prevention says to soak 1 cup cornmeal in 2 quarts water for an hour before putting your feet into the soak. Let your feet enjoy this mixture for 30 minutes.

9. Mentholated cream. The Journal of American Board of Medicine did a study with Vick's VapoRub, and half of the study group showed improvement from applying the rub to the fungus.

10. Snakeroot extract. WebMD makes a point of saying that snakeroot extract doesn't come from snakes, but rather sunflowers. This is supposed to work as well as ciclopirox.

No longer do you have to hide fungus-infected toenails. You may be able to enjoy healthy toes once again through a little bit of patient home remedy practice.