Toenail Fungus Bleach

Toenail fungus is one of the most common infections to attack the nails, and is also one of the most persistent and difficult to treat. The main problem is that the infection is under the nail – on the nail bed. It is therefore difficult for any topical treatment to reach the infection and destroy it. One popular, traditional remedy for treating toenail fungus is bleach, and people often ask whether this is safe and effective. The fact is that bleach has not proven to be particularly effective at treating toenail fungus. It may not be completely useless, but it is certainly no more effective than other home remedies or medical treatments. In addition, bleach is a rather strong chemical, and has the potential to irritate or damage your skin. Therefore, if you have sensitive skin, bleach is certainly a treatment to be avoided.

Treating Toenail Fungus

If you do decide to use bleach to treat your toenail fungus, you need to dilute it adequately. It is not advisable to use pure, undiluted bleach on your nails or skin. Recommendations vary, but on an average, a tablespoon in a bucket of water is considered a good solution. Fill up a shallow basin with this solution, and soak your feet in it for at least twenty minutes. You can also directly apply a solution of bleach to your nails instead of soaking your feet entirely. For this purpose, a slightly stronger solution is used – approximately a teaspoon of bleach in a mug of water. Before soaking your feet or applying the solution on your nails, it is advisable to cut your nail and file it down. As mentioned earlier, the infection is under the nail – cutting the nail short and filing it down helps the bleach to get through to the infection. For this reason, it is also advisable to file the top of the nail so that the bleach penetrates the nail more easily.

Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus

Whatever method you choose to use, you should apply the bleach at least twice a day. You should however note that it could still take up to a year for the infection to completely disappear. If your skin or nails start to show any signs of irritation or further deterioration, you should stop the treatment immediately. You could then try other home remedies such as tea tree oil or vinegar, which are much milder, but preferably consult a doctor before trying any of these.